Plainfield, IL (August 30, 2017) – Dale Coyne Racing’s Sebastien Bourdais and Ed Jones are entering the penultimate round of the Verizon IndyCar Series season at Watkins Glen International this weekend with one goal in mind, registering a strong finish.
The pair started off the season with excellent performances and they’re looking to close out the final two races of the year the same way.
Bourdais is looking forward to returning to a road course this weekend with his last road course event taking place back in May at the Indy Grand Prix. The Frenchman did well at The Glen last year in his only IndyCar appearance at the track. He qualified third and went on to finish fifth after having to make his way back up through the field following a first lap spin.
Jones, the 2017 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year, also did well at the 3.37-mile, 11-turn road course last season by placing second in the Indy Lights race. This will be the first appearance for Jones at Watkins Glen International aboard an Indy car.
The Dale Coyne Racing drivers, along with their competitors, will get three 45-minute practice sessions (two on Friday and one on Saturday) ahead of qualifying which takes place on Saturday, September 2 at 3pm ET.
Qualifying will be airing on NBCSN at 7pm ET on a same-day delay with the 60-lap INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Glen being broadcast live on NBCSN starting at 1pm on Sunday, September 3, 2017.
All sessions, except for the race, will be streamed live on racecontrol.indycar.com.
What they had to say:
Sebastien Bourdais – #18 UNIFIN Honda
“Watkins Glen is a track that I really enjoy and that I’ve done well at. I was competitive last year but I had an interesting day with a spin at the start but I came back surging at the end. Hopefully our car will be like it was at the Indy road course and Mid-Ohio, when I tested, and places like that because I think we can definitely do pretty well. Hopefully that will be the case and we can get the #18 UNIFIN car up front. It’s a track that is very physically difficult. It’s very, very high Gs with high speed corners but it’s a very interesting and exhilarating challenge as well, so when you get a good lap there it’s very satisfying. I’m looking forward to it.”
Ed Jones – #19 Boy Scouts of America Honda
“It will be nice to get back on a road course this weekend at Watkins Glen. I think it’s a track that should be good for us. It’s among one of my favorites in the United States. I did well there last year in Indy Lights. That said, it will be much different in an Indy car, it will be difficult with all the high-speed corners. Hopefully we can have a good result there before going to Sonoma and have a good end to the season.”
Sébastien Bourdais en français
« J’aime bien le circuit de Watkins Glen. J’étais compétitif l’année dernière mais la journée de course était quelque peu intéressante ! J’ai eu une petite perte de contrôle au départ qui m’a fait perdre des places et j’ai dû pousser tout au long de la course pour finalement me retrouver avec le peloton de tête. J’espère que notre voiture sera aussi compétitive qu’au Grand Prix d’Indy cet année et même lors de mes essais à Mid-Ohio car si c’est le cas je crois qu’on pourra avoir un bon résultat. C’est un circuit qui est demandant physiquement. Il y a des virages rapides et les forces G sont très élevées. C’est un circuit intéressant et un challenge exaltant. Donc, quand tu y réussi un bon tour, c’est extrêmement satisfaisant. J’ai hâte ! »
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