MEYER SHANK RACING
Jack Harvey has been one of the revelations of this Indycar season and that’s caught some so-called experts on the hop. Yet the progress of a driver who twice finished runner-up in Indy Lights can be tracked quite logically: as his gig with MSR has evolved into a full-season campaign, so his experience has increased, and his confidence has blossomed on all types of track. He just seems to strike the right blend of wisdom and aggression when deciding what is and isn’t possible, be it qualifying or a race.
Twice this season Harvey has started from the front row, outpacing his more highly touted semiteam-mates. (Michael Shank and Jim Meyer have a technical relationship with Andretti Autosport, whereby Harvey and race engineer Andy Listes join the circle of drivers/engineers around the AA table.)
Still, Indy this year has been painful for Harvey, who will be making his fourth 500 start, and he will roll off 20th. MSR knows a trick or two about strategy, so it would not be a surprise to see Harvey finish in the top 10, but he doesn’t appear to be driving a potential race-winning car.
Still, he won the 2015 Freedom 100 in Indy Lights at IMS and he’s not afraid to give as good as he gets in wheel-to-wheel combat. Should this squad make a set-up breakthrough, a top-five finish is definitely possible.