Dale Coyne has small team, big aspirations

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- To those criticizing Dale Coyne's decision to field two non-descript drivers in the upcoming Verizon IndyCar Series, Coyne offers this reminder: "Everyone remembers how you finish here," he said Tuesday at IndyCar's open test at Barber Motorsports Park. "They don't remember how you start."

Dale Coyne Racing, one of IndyCar's smallest in terms of size and budget, has punched above its weight the past three seasons, winning races with three drivers, something only Team Penske and Ganassi Racing has accomplished.

Coyne not only won with Justin Wilson, an established star, but with journeymen Mike Conway and rookie Carlos Huertas.

"We've won with guys we weren't supposed to be running, right?" Coyne said.

Huertas, a 23-year-old Colombian, re-signed for a second season, and the team struck a deal with inexperienced Francesco Dracone for the first four races. The latter move has drawn howls from competitors challenging his qualifications.

Dracone, a 31-year-old Italian, ran two IndyCar races in 2010 for Conquest Racing, and in recent years he's come and gone in a European series known as Auto GP (formerly Euroseries 3000).

Coyne said Dracone plugs a four-race hole in the two-car operation. Another driver has a deal in the works to drive the No. 19 car in May; finalization of that program is expected early next month, Coyne said.

That driver is not likely to be Wilson, who appears more likely to be with Andretti Autosport for a few races, including the 500. Coyne said Wilson made it clear he wanted to drive for one of the top couple of teams. Coyne understood.

"We've supported Justin a long time," he said of their four-year relationship that included a pair of wins. "I think he did a great job for us, and I think we did a good job for him."

Huertas won a race last year at Houston, something Coyne believes gets overlooked.

"Yeah, we used strategy to put him in the front, but he stayed there with a lot of mean boys behind him," he said.

Huertas finished last season 20th in points, one position behind one-time race winner Graham Rahal.

Huertas was 15th of the 22 drivers testing Tuesday and Dracone was the slowest. Dracone ran with a year-old chassis without the new Honda aero kit but retrofitted with the new floor IndyCar mandated for this season. That was an impossible combination, Coyne said.

"(IndyCar) should at least let us run the 2014 car as is; that much we know," he said. "He's got 25 percent less downforce than anybody else, so I think his times here (4 seconds off the lead pace) are respectable. I'd hate to drive that car."

People shouldn't be surprised by the driver path Coyne has taken. He's kept the Plainfield, Ill., based team in the sport since debuting as a driver in 1986.

Coyne said the team, which likely will add Pippa Mann to its 500 lineup, is simply in transition in a year of escalating costs due to the new aero kits.

"I've worked hard at this, and we haven't been in the black in a long time in this sport," he said. "I think it's time to reload, formulate a plan and bring up a couple of young guys.

"What's wrong with that?"

Etc.

Will Power turned the test's fastest time Tuesday at 1 minute, 7.3118 seconds. Twenty cars were within 1 second of his time. Scott Dixon's track record, set in 2013, is 1:06.7750. ... Rookie Sage Karam is projected to return to Ganassi Racing's No. 8 Chevrolet for next week's two-day test at NOLA Motorsports Park after breaking a bone in his hand in a crash here Monday. ... Townsend Bell is expected to drive for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Chevrolet program in the 500, although the program has not been confirmed.

Follow Star reporter Curt Cavin on Twitter at @curtcavin.