Dennis Hauger is inching closer to feeling more comfortable running 230mph around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

The Norwegian comes into the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie, but, despite qualifying a lowly 29th, he set the third-fastest speed (224.554mph) in Monday’s rain-shortened post-qualifying practice.

It’s been a trial by fire for Hauger, the 2021 Formula 3 champion and former Red Bull junior, as he continues to get acclimated to ovals, with the Indy 500 serving as just his second career oval start in IndyCar. The track discipline isn’t completely unknown to him, having gained some familiarity last season en route to claiming the Indy NXT title. 

Changing comfort levels

 Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing Honda

Even so, though, the Brickyard is a whole different beast, and the Dale Coyne Racing driver shared his comfort level on a scale of 1-10.

“Honestly it really depends on the session, the day,” said Hauger, 23. “Qualifying, I didn't really feel comfortable. We were really on the limit with the car.

“It was pretty loose, but we kept it flat, and I feel like I maximized that as well as I could and experienced how a car is around there in the qualifying stint fighting it as long as I can stay flat, which is cool.

“I mean, out of one to 10, probably, like, (Monday) was probably, like, an eight. We still have stuff to work on for sure, but it's probably the best I've felt so far.

“Yeah, I think it's just about keeping it clean, as we said earlier, and building momentum. If you have these small moments or lose some confidence in the car and it goes in the wrong direction, it can hurt you a lot. So it's just about chipping away.”

Improving the setup

 Rinus VeeKay, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet,  Dennis Hauger, Dale Coyne Racing Honda

As for what would help improve his comfort, whether it be simply experience or something regarding rear stability and the setup of his #19 Honda, Hauger provided some perspective.

“I feel like we've been getting a bit better and better on setup and stuff,” said Hauger, a five-time race winner in Formula 2. 

“This has been one of the weak tracks for Dale Coyne Racing in the past three years. I think it's the first time my car has qualified in the last three or four years. I don't remember.

“So I feel like we're definitely in the better spot. We know qualifying was not good, but it's a completely different game when you get to the race. So I feel like we've gotten better on setup.

“I've got more comfortable. Obviously, my first time here. But the race day is always a bit different. I'll just do what I always do, study hard to make sure I'm on top of things before I get onto the track, and hopefully we can have a good day.”

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