Leading Opens Chilton's Eyes to New Obsession with Indianapolis 500
April 19, 2018 | By Paul Kelly, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Like many drivers who weren’t born in America, Max Chilton admits he didn’t quite get the Indianapolis 500 during his rookie year in 2016.
Sure, it’s a big race. Sure, the purse winnings can pad the wallet. Sure, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway crackles with excitement on Race Day.
But Chilton, a native of Reigate, England, also had competed in the two other crown jewels of global auto racing, the Monaco Grand Prix in 2013-14 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015. Indianapolis was just another big event on his racing resume.
But then something clicked for Chilton, 26, last year on Race Day for the 101st Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. Something happened on the Scoring Pylon and in his heart and mind that elevated “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to the pinnacle of his personal petroleum pantheon, turning the event into his obsession.
Chilton led four times for a race-high 50 laps last year in a Chip Ganassi Racing Teams entry, surrendering the top spot with only six laps remaining. The proverbial light bulb illuminated in his head as he sped around the famous 2.5-mile oval in front, seeing his car number atop the Scoring Pylon.
“The Indy 500 and Month of May is fairly new to me,” Chilton said. “I’ve only raced in the race twice. Last year really changed my opinion of the race. I was six laps away from winning it. I led 50 laps, more laps than anyone, which really gave me the hunger to come back and win it. And I’m not going to give up until hopefully I do win it because leading those laps and being so close made me realize how life-changing it could be.”
Chilton ended up a career-best fourth in the “500” last season as the top finisher for the powerful Ganassi team. He qualified 15th but worked his way to the lead by Lap 84, staying in contention for the rest of the race.
This year Chilton has joined former Ganassi teammate Charlie Kimball with Carlin, a first-year Verizon IndyCar Series team that climbed from Indy Lights. Carlin is one of the most experienced rookie teams in history, with vast amounts of races and a trophy cabinet full of race wins and championships in European and global racing, including Formula 2, Formula 3, Formula 4, Formula Renault and many other series.
Carlin’s alumni list is a who’s who of global motorsport. Current Formula 1 stars Sebastien Vettel, Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen raced for Carlin, as did Verizon IndyCar Series standouts Josef Newgarden, Ed Jones, Robert Wickens, Kimball – and Chilton.
Chilton finished fourth in the highly competitive British Formula 3 Championship in 2009 for Carlin, with a win and four poles. He rejoined the team in 2011 in GP2 – the final step before F1, now known as Formula 2 – and finished fourth in the standings, with two wins and two poles, in 2012.
Then F1 came calling. Chilton drove for the Marussia team in 2013 and 2014, hampered by the team’s small budget and underdeveloped car. So he returned to a familiar place in 2015 by driving for Carlin in the team’s first Indy Lights season. Chilton earned a win and three poles while finishing fifth in the 2015 Indy Lights standings.
Chilton climbed to the Verizon IndyCar Series with Ganassi in 2016, finishing a tough 19th in the season standings. But he finished 15th in his first Indianapolis 500, completing all 200 laps.
Still, the light didn’t turn on for him until last year. Now Chilton is head over heels in love with the “500” and the Month of May.
“The Le Mans 24 Hours, Monaco Grand Prix and the Indy 500 are all incredible events and all so differently unique,” Chilton said. “But the thing that stands out with me with the Indy 500 is the vast amount of people. You wake up in the Monaco Grand Prix, and it’s a great atmosphere and the race is good, but at the end of the day, it’s just another race on the calendar. The Indy 500 is everything.
“It’s the biggest crowd in the world, you know you’re in the biggest crowd in the world on Race Day. There’s 350,000 people packed into the biggest sporting arena in the world, with all their eyes on you. As a professional athlete, it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Chilton is growing this season with Carlin, which is trying to accelerate the learning curve and use its championship-winning pedigree in European and global motorsport to compete with Team Penske, Andretti Autosport and Chip Ganassi Racing and the other experienced teams in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
“For me, returning to Carlin is incredibly special,” Chilton said. “I feel like I never left. Any time I’ve raced with them, I’ve had my best career years in motorsport. I’m hoping to continue that this year.”
Chilton will start his Month of May racing in the INDYCAR Grand Prix on Saturday, May 12 on the road course at IMS. He finished seventh in the race last year and has added his voice to a large chorus of drivers that thinks this year’s race could be even more competitive due to the sleek, new universal aero kit that has reduced downforce and put more work into the hands of drivers.
“I just think it’s going to provide better racing for us as drivers,” Chilton said. “It’s going to be even closer. It’s going to be even more fairer because there’s no Honda or Chevy aero kit; everyone has the same. At the end of the day, there wouldn’t be a sport without the fans, and I think they’re going to prefer it because it’s going to be closer, for sure.
“I think the racing always is great at the INDYCAR Grand Prix because you’ve got the long straight into a tight corner. That will provide a lot of overtaking. Sometimes it gets a little bit drawn out toward the second half of the race, but I can’t think that will happen this year. I think it’s going to be close all the way to the flag. Hopefully the Carlin car is the quickest of the lot.”
And then it’s on to oval starting with practice Tuesday, May 15, all leading into Indianapolis 500 Race Day on Sunday, May 27. Chilton climbed into the top 100 Indianapolis 500 lap leaders of all time by leading 50 laps last year, a statistic of which he is proud. He already is ahead of British racing legends Sir Jackie Stewart, Nigel Mansell and Graham Hill on that list.
But only one result matters now to Chilton after running out front opened his eyes to the spectacle and importance of the “500.”
“It would mean everything in my racing career to win the Indianapolis 500,” Chilton said. “I’d feel content for life if I could win that race. Even if I finish last in every single other race for the rest of the year, I’d be happy if I won the ‘500.’
“It’s not just myself; it’s the team behind me. There are a lot of people putting in crazy amounts of hours and dedication to be able to give us the car to do the job, and hopefully we can pay them off by getting the win.”