Auto Racing Package: Servia and DRR on upswing

“So far this season I think we’ve probably passed the most cars on track, and that’s a good thing, but it’s also a bad thing. It means we didn’t have the speed prior to getting the Chevy to qualify upfront which we would like,” Reinbold said. “I’ll give the Lotus guys a lot of credit. We worked with them and were upfront with them and said we have an opportunity to switch. The timing just worked out well for everybody.”

Now the team goes into Texas looking to continue its turnaround.

Despite the engine drama, Servia’s strong feelings on safety headed into the first high-banked oval race since Dan Wheldon’s fatal accident last October has gotten far more attention. Servia, like many other drivers, is concerned about the construction of the fence at Texas, which is nearly identical to the one at Las Vegas. The official accident report into Wheldon’s death found the two-time Indianapolis 500 winner was killed when his head hit a post in the fence.

Servia has been outspoken for six months since the accident, and took to Twitter on Sunday night to again express his feelings. He apologized on Monday for the harshness of his comments, saying he used “the wrong channel” and “my tweets were unprofessional.”

He doesn’t want to be a safety spokesman for the sport, and would prefer for the focus to be returned to racing.

“You know, I really just want a safe race,” he said. “I don’t think I have been a spokesman before, and I always think the series is doing its job to keep us safe. And they do a good job. So all I can say is I really just want a safe, good race.”

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