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Simona De Silvestro, Going Faster And Enjoying It

Simona de Silvestro, 24, is coming off a sub-par 2012 season but if performance in the new season is an indicator, she has stepped up her game. A year ago, the Swiss driver struggled with Lotus power, but over the winter she transitioned to the KV Racing Technology Chevrolet-powered team and based on successful winter tests and strong runs in the opening three rounds of the IZOD IndyCar Series races in 2013, the congenial driver has emerged as a formidable threat.

And she has become a fan favorite wherever she races. At Long Beach during pre-race introductions, she drew one of the largest ovations from the solidly packed grandstands.

In addition to the Chevrolet power, de Silvestro’s performance has been assisted by teammate Tony Kanaan. Until now, she had only been on single-car teams, which had worked against her in learning the intricacies of IndyCar racing. Kanaan and de Silvestro worked together closely over the winter, and his mentoring paid off in St. Petersburg when she ran in the top-five for much of the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. “Having a teammate is new to me, and it is work in progress,” she commented.

She excelled in St. Petersburg, running with the fastest drivers and in qualification runs, she progressed to the Firestone Fast Six and ended up with the third-fastest time, not far behind the pole time of Will Power.

Her performance impressed the veterans and IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay summed it up well, saying, “Simona is scary fast.” Added Power, “It was good to see new people up there, like Simona, and I always knew that she was quick.”

De Silvestro couldn’t stop smiling after her brilliant qualification run, and she bubbled over saying, “It’s unbelievable and it’s awesome. It is very cool to get the results we wanted. Thanks to KV Racing Technology for giving me the opportunity, and to the whole Nuclear Clean Air Energy campaign for supporting me after the year we had last year. It’s cool to get the results. We were right there with Will (Power) and (Takuma) Sato, who are usually always up there, and it’s fun to be up there with them.”

In the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, de Silvestro did everything right until badly worn tires dropped her from third in the standings to sixth at the finish. But throughout the 110-lap race, she was one of the crowd favorites with fans standing to cheer her every move.

“It was really important to get off to a strong start more for me than anyone else,” she said. I had a little bit of doubt in the off-season if I was able to run up front after last year. It was a big relief that we started off the weekend strong and ran up front the whole race. It was a big confidence boost for me and the team.”

Kanaan praised de Silvestro’s performance, saying, “Simona brought a lot of spark and light to the team, and I enjoy working with her. I have no problem teaching her, and I would like to see this young girl do well. She’s pushing me to my limit, and I’m going to admit that she’s extremely fast.”

Two weeks later in the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at the shiny Barber Motorsports Park, she led the way in one practice session but her time fell off in qualifications. She ended up 14th but five ahead of teammate Kanaan. In the 90-lap race, she was not a factor and came home 18th.

At the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, she started 19th and after tangling with another car in the early going, she seemed headed for a dismal finish. Instead, she put her head down and steadily worked her way forward to ninth at the end.

“I think it was a good recovery from where we started,” she said. “The car was really fast and the guys did a really awesome job in the pits. When we had clean laps, we could move forward and made up some positions, so I think P9 is really good for us.”

The IndyCar Series travels to Brazil shortly and thereafter, de Silvestro and everyone else will be setting up camp at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to begin preparations for the famed Indianapolis 500. This will be her fourth 500 and to date, her best finish has been a 14th. And she is determined to improve on that effort.

If enthusiasm and confidence can be relied upon as motivational factors, de Silvestro should shine in the 102nd anniversary edition of the Indianapolis 500.

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