Wheldon lining up 14th in Klein Tools/Jim Beam
car at Kentucky Speedway

SPARTA, Ky. (Aug. 16, 2003) -- Rookie Dan Wheldon posted the 14th
fastest time in qualifying today, securing himself the outside starting position in
the seventh row for the Belterra Casino Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway.
Wheldon lapped the 1.5-mile oval in the Klein Tools/Jim Beam
Dallara/Honda/Firestone at 216.709 miles per hour.
       
The Klein Tools/Jim Beam team worked in race conditions during practice
today and was only able to run a few simulated qualifying runs.  The team is
confident in its race car for tomorrow and is looking to move up through the pack.
       
Two-time defending Indy Racing League IndyCar SeriesTM champion Sam
Hornish Jr. won the MBNA Pole Award with a speed at 219.614 miles per hour.
Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon was the second quickest in today's qualifying,
logging a best lap at 219.358 miles per hour.  Helio Castroneves will start third
after his lap of 219.309 miles per hour.  Wheldon's teammate Tony Kanaan will
start 11th in the Team 7-Eleven machine after running a lap of 217.453 miles per
hour, while teammate Bryan Herta will start on the inside of Wheldon, qualifying
13th with a speed of 216.854 miles per hour.
       
The 200-lap Belterra Casino Indy 300 will air live on ABC Sports at 2 p.m.
(EDT) tomorrow.  The half-hour Indy Racing 2Day will air live at 12 p.m. (EDT) on
ESPN2.

Dan Wheldon, #26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone
       
"The track has changed a little bit since we tested here, but the
Klein Tools/Jim
Beam crew has done a good job today.  The most important thing on the weekend is the
race on Sunday and that is what you have to concentrate on.  I think we have a good
setup for tomorrow and we have the warm-up in the morning to fine-tune that
a little bit."

Tony Cotman, Klein Tools/Jim Beam Team Manager
       
"That is all the car had and honestly, if that is all it has, that is
all you can do.
We'll have to play our cards right tomorrow and make the right moves when we need to
and pick our way through traffic to get to the front."

-AGR-


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