Family Affair: Brabhams Lock Down Top Two Spots for Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am at Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational
June 16, 2018 | By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Based on qualifying, the duel for the checkered flag could come down to Brabham vs. Brabham in the Indy Legends Charity Pro-Am Presented by RACER Magazine on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Matt Brabham won the pole for the Saturday feature race of the Brickyard Vintage Racing Invitational, turning a top lap of 1 minute, 37.652 seconds on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course at IMS. 2016 Indianapolis 500 starter Brabham will share the No. 33 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster with amateur driver Michael Donohue in the race.
Brabham’s father, 10-time Indy 500 starter and sports car racing legend Geoff Brabham, qualified second at 1:37.711 in the No. 46 1969 Chevrolet Corvette that he will share with amateur Jody O’Donnell.
The 45-minute race, which includes a mandatory five-minute pit stop, starts at 1 p.m. Saturday. Fans are invited to visit the pits starting at noon to see the cars up close and talk with drivers.
Twenty Indianapolis 500 veterans, 2002 Brickyard 400 winner Bill Elliott and road-racing legend Ron Fellows are paired with top amateur drivers from the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association (SVRA) in the race Saturday. New rules this year include the requirement that amateur drivers will start the race and be required to drive a maximum of seven laps.
All drivers in the Pro-Am race compete in machines from the SVRA “Group 6” A and B production class, which includes 1963 to 1972 vintage Corvettes, Camaros and Mustangs.
Willy T. Ribbs, the first African-American to start the Indianapolis 500, qualified third for the Pro-Am at 1:38.533 in the No. 36 1969 Chevrolet Corvette that he will share with Edward Sevadjian.
Elliott was fourth at 1:39.060 – and the quickest non-Corvette – in the No. 9 1970 Ford Boss 302 that he will share with fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Ray Evernham.
Champ Car champion Paul Tracy rounded out the top five at 1:39.161 in the No. 71 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster that he will share with John Scott. NBCSN IndyCar analyst Tracy is pulling double duty this weekend, as he also is competing in the Trans Am feature race at 3:15 p.m. Sunday.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. qualified seventh at 1:39.864.
Other Indy 500 veterans driving in the race include Max Papis, Jaques Lazier, Davey Hamilton, Mark Dismore, Scott Harrington, Darren Manning, Donnie Beechler, Johnny Parsons Jr., Bob Lazier, Sarah Fisher, John Martin, Tom Bagley, Lyn St. James, Dick Simon and Jimmy Kite.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 starter Rafa Matos won the pole for the TA2 class race in the Trans Am by Pirelli championship that’s also competing at IMS during this event. Matos was quickest at 1:29.671 in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro.
Road racing veteran Shane Lewis qualified second at 1:29.940 in the No. 92 Chevrolet Camaro. Tracy qualified ninth at 1:31.567 in the No. 87 Chevrolet Camaro as he makes his second Trans Am start of the season in a revival of his professional driving career.
The 42-lap TA2 class race starts at 2:40 p.m. Saturday at IMS. The TA, TA3 and TA4 classes also will be on track Saturday for practice and qualifying, with their feature race at 3:15 p.m. Sunday.
This event weekend also presents the Hagerty Insurance Show & Shine car show, vintage motorcycle racing and more than 300 vintage racers ranging over 100 years of automotive history racing in SVRA Groups 1 through 12. An oval exhibition featuring the iconic 1950s roadsters will close the day Saturday and Sunday.
Another unique attraction is the Pre-1920 Race Exhibition Series cars that will be on track, along with a paddock area full of in-period equipment displays. Former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year St. James will be among the drivers of those cars.
Besides the impressive driver lineups and an incredible array of vintage machinery, there’s also plenty of star power off the track all weekend. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winners Johnny Rutherford and Bobby Unser will serve as the grand marshal and honorary chief steward of the event, respectively, and IMS Historian Donald Davidson will serve as the master of ceremonies.
Visit IMS.com to buy tickets, parking and camping, and to see a complete weekend schedule and more information. Public gates open at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, with vintage cars and motorcycles at speed on track almost constantly until the late afternoon.
General admission tickets are $30 Saturday and $20 Sunday. Kids 15 and under are admitted for free all three days when accompanied by an adult ticket holder, creating a perfect Father’s Day weekend experience for all generations of fans.