CONCORD, N.C. -- Greg Ives is keeping his eyes forward as he, driver Alex Bowman and the rest of the No. 48 squad prepare for the inaugural race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Bowman started off hot at Watkins Glen International last week before he was shuffled out of the top 10 in the last stage of the race. Even though the performance wasn’t what Ives wanted, he’s using the result to lay out plans for the upcoming race at the Indy road course.
“We can sulk and cry about it or we can get to work,” Ives said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “We’re heading off to Indy for the next race.”
After five road course races in 2021, Bowman has notched three top-10 finishes at the twisting venues. While Ives doesn’t have the force he wanted coming out of Watkins Glen, going to a brand-new course puts all the NASCAR Cup Series drivers on the same level playing field.
“(It’s) no different than if it was going from a superspeedway to a road course – you want to carry that momentum,” he explained. “Honestly, for us, I think that will make us work a little bit harder and be a little bit more on point with what we need for Indy.”
Ives already has a plan in place for taking on the Indy road course, and much of that has to do with studying film of races on the road course, such as when the NASCAR Xfinity series visited the venue last season. Understanding how the Xfinity cars handle the course then applying that knowledge to the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet will help Ives and his team execute a top performance at the 13-turn course this weekend.
“The foundation that you build or the foundation that you learn, with feedback from the driver, from Watkins Glen, we can apply that to Indy,” Ives said. “You may adjust your game plan as far as what you’re going to practice and try. Whether it’s a win or a 20th-place finish, you’re always learning, and you can always apply what to do and what not to do.”
Bowman, Ives and the No. 48 crew will hit the Indy road course and vie for their fourth win of the season this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on NBC.