April 23, 2016
Jimmy Simpson wins four in a row, sets record at Grand Prix
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Purdue senior Jimmy Simpson is the first person in Grand Prix history to win four consecutive events. (Purdue University photo/Charles Jischke) |
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — An attempt to win four in a row and get his name in the history books proved to be no easy task for senior Jimmy Simpson on Saturday.
Simpson, from Delta Tau Delta and the Delts Racing team, won the close race to become the only person to ever win the Grand Prix four consecutive times.
"I cannot believe we won this thing," he said. "I actually had to wheel and deal those last few laps."
Simpson started second behind pole winner Chip Challis in the No. 22 kart. He survived a chaotic start with wheels bumping and karts colliding to take the lead on lap 32 when Challis left the race with an issue.
Simpson and Brenden Johnson, kart No. 4 from IUPUI Motorsports, were never more than a few seconds apart on the track the entire race.
"I was pushing harder those last ten laps than I had during qualifying, practice or anything," Johnson said. "I can't say enough about my team, putting the kart together. All the credit goes to them, I just got to drive the thing."
Johnson took the lead on lap 96 after Simpson made a pit stop, but was unable to hold off a charging Simpson.
"My plan was just to follow Jimmy. If I could get behind Jimmy, he makes the hole and I follow right through," he said. "The plan worked out perfectly, I just kind of ran into some trouble with 20 laps to go and I couldn't close it there at the end. It is what it is, that's racing."
With 51 laps to go, Simpson passed Johnson and didn't look back.
"Luckily the go-kart was good enough there at the end because he did a phenomenal job," Simpson said of Johnson. " I had my hands full for sure."
Simpson said this was his last Grand Prix.
"I have to graduate sometime," he said.
Simpson said he does plan to continue his racing career and hopes to compete in the Atlantic Championship and Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires series.
Third place in the Grand Prix went to Jacob Knueven with Cary Racing GP2. Zachary Robinson with team MEGP and Nick Hale of team Sigma Chi 1, finished in fourth and fifth place respectively.
Donald Davidson, famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian, served as grand marshal for the Grand Prix. Davidson has been with IMS since 1998 and is believed to be the only full-time salaried historian for any racetrack in the world. He is best known for being a member of the Speedway's worldwide radio network since 1965. He also has hosted "The Talk of Gasoline Alley," now heard on WFNI ESPN 1070-AM the Fan, Indianapolis, since 1971.
Davidson was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2010 and the Richard M. Fairbanks Indiana Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame in 2013.
The event, sponsored by the Grand Prix Foundation, exists to raise funds for annual student scholarships and is organized by a volunteer staff of 10 senior board directors, two advisers and a junior board staff. Primary sponsors for the event included Delphi Automotive and the Wabash National Corporation
Note to Journalists: Broadcast-quality B-Roll and sound bites will be available Saturday evening (April 23) for download and use from Google Drive at http://bit.ly/26k8lRd. For more information, contact Jim Schenke, Purdue News Service, at 765-237-7296 or jschenke@purdue.edu.
Writer: Megan Huckaby, 765-496-1325, mhuckaby@purdue.edu
Photo Gallery of 2016 Purdue Grand Prix: http://purdue.photoshelter.com/
