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Mann returns to Dale Coyne for Indianapolis 500
Pippa Mann will return to the Indianapolis 500 for the seventh time and her sixth with Dale Coyne Racing.
Tom Errington
Edited: Mar 20, 2018, 2:26 PM
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Mann’s appearance at the Indy 500 has been boosted by a new deal with primary sponsor Donate Life Indiana.
It will also be the fourth entry in the race for DCR, with regular driver Sebastien Bourdais joined by part-time entry Pietro Fittipaldi and one-off IndyCar return for Conor Daly.
Mann’s best result in the Indy 500 came last year with 17th and she told Motorsport.com that she is aiming for an "ideal" top 10 finish.
“I’m very grateful to have the support of Gail, Dale and Dale Coyne Racing and that’s not a soundbite,” she said. "Without them, this story really would have ended after one Indianapolis 500 and I would never have gotten to come back to the race.
“It’s very unique for someone in my position as a one-off entry to have a team that is effectively your home, year after year, welcome you back.
“The biggest thing coming into the Indy 500, and I say this to everyone who asks about my goals, is to have a realistic expectation.
“I feel our team and the way we band together means we can have a go at the top 15 and ideally the top 10. For us, that’s the goal and an expectation. If we do our job right and have some luck, it could come our way.
“Ridge [race engineer Rob Ridgely] and I work well together, we enjoy it, we’re both here because we want to crack the top 15 and even the top 10.”
Mann added that the new universal aerokit should make a one-off appearance easier compared to the previous era’s manufacturer designs.
“The last car was very difficult to drive, and it snapped on the edge with minimal warning,” she said. “So, for someone who didn’t get to drive the car all that often, having the car moving without any warning made it a difficult car to step into and do a good job.
“The feedback we get from other drivers who have driven this car is ‘yes it moves around a lot more, but it’s giving you a lot more information as a driver.’”
Dale Coyne added he was excited to welcome Mann back into the fold.
“We’re very happy to welcome Donate Life Indiana to the team through their partnership with Pippa,” he said. “It will certainly be different to see her in new colours this May, but it’s also very exciting.
“We’re looking forward to working with Pippa and Donate Life Indiana with their mission of educating new drivers about the importance of donor registration.
“We also look forward to having Pippa back in the #63 car this May.”
Mann will drive the car for the first time on May 15 during practice for the Indy 500.
Pippa Mann, Dale Coyne Racing
Photo by: Dale Coyne Racing
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