THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — JR Hildebrand is eager to get a second chance at the Indianapolis 500.
After living with the memory and countless replays of the last lap crash that cost him a victory in IndyCar’s biggest race in 2011, Indy’s hard-luck runner-up finally got a chance to put some of those thoughts aside Saturday when practice opened for this year’s race.
Not surprisingly, the California native was one of the first drivers to put his car on pit lane and quickly got his car up to speed with a fast lap of 217.096 mph after just 10 laps.
Hildebrand refuses to let last year’s unforgettable wreck define him as a driver. His pals in Gasoline Alley are helping to reinforce that message.
Rookie Josef Newgarden had the best early lap at 219.795.