INDIANAPOLIS - When Bryan Clauson headed out this morning for his refresher program at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 88 Cancer Centers of America Honda in the Dale Coyne/Jonathan Byrd’s Racing entry, he did more than just turn his first laps in a year in an IndyCar.
He headed out in his fourth different car of machinery in as many days, what we think is a record-setting occasion. He’s driven a winged sprint, midget, non-winged sprint and IndyCar.
He added four more races to his “Chasing 200" tour - Clauson, the 26-year-old out of Noblesville, Ind. is embarking on a cross-country tour to hit 200 races this year.
Starting on Friday night, Clauson pulled double duty between the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Cars and the USAC Indiana Midgets at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Ind.
He finished ninth in the WoO race A Main, driving the Matt Wood Racing Elk Grove Ford/Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality & Restaurant Group/Americas Best Value Inn/University Loft Co 17w.
Then he won in the midget race, driving the Dooling Machine/Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s/B&H Contractors Spike/Stanton No. 63 midget.
On Saturday he was back in the WoO car at Haubstadt and the Tri-State Speedway and finished 18th in a race where he got caught up in a melee.
Sunday night, after making his seat fit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he did his thing in a non-wing sprint car at Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo.
In the annual “King of Kokomo” event, aboard the Dooling/Hayward Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s/Dooling Machine/B&H Contractors Spike/Stanton No. 63 car, Clauson finished third in the A-main. He got stuck on the bottom most of the race in a race won by Kevin Thomas Jr., who led the A-main 30-lapper flag-to-flag.
Watching @BryanClauson on dirt is mesmerizing. pic.twitter.com/4uid7Ot6M6
— Tony DiZinno (@tonydizinno) May 15, 2016
Via Byrd Racing, whose full release and update is here, here is Clauson’s updated stats to date as he heads into the IndyCar race:
- Updated Circular Insanity Statistics: 56 races. 13 wins (3 midget, 1 winged sprint car 360, 4 non-winged sprint car 360, 5 non-winged sprint car 410). 27 top 5’s. 39 top 10’s. 28% of the season complete.
And he’s feeling very good about his IndyCar, too.
Clauson is driving the chassis previously driven by James Davison in last year’s Indianapolis 500; it was the No. 19 Always Evolving Honda for Coyne, qualified by Tristan Vautier and raced by Davison. Ironically, Clauson was also in Davison’s former No. 33 Always Evolving KV Racing Technology Chevrolet in 2015, when Byrd Racing made its return to the race along with the No. 88.
In his refresher program, Clauson posted a best speed of 220.403 mph this morning in the No. 88 car, in 57 total laps. It was second of 10 drivers who went out during the session.
In a brief catch-up with Conor Daly, who’s in the No. 18 Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality Honda all this season except for Indy where his car will take on a red, white and blue livery (in the process of being wrapped - may not run today), he said he was pleased with Clauson’s feedback, and that he’s happy that Clauson already feels so much better this morning than he did most of last year.