Just like he did last May at the inaugural running of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Charlie Kimball has earned his first top-five finish of the season at the road course race at IMS. 

Venturing off the track in the first turn to avoid the incident that brought out the first and only full course yellow of the 82 lap race, Kimball ended up being one of the few drivers that pitted on lap two. By lap 34, though, he had driven his way back to the top 10 (in 10th position), and went as far as improving to the lead of the race on lap 62 before coming in for his final pit stop of the race. 

The track position he gained made that final stop only minorly impact his running position; he rejoined in sixth. James Hinchcliffe left the track and entered pit lane in front of Kimball on lap 75, allowing Kimball in the No. 83 Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing car to improve to fifth - his exact finishing position in the inaugural running last May. 

“A lot of it happened in pit lane and so much has to go to the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi guys in the pits," said Kimball following the race. "Good stops, good in and out laps, they gave me a fuel mileage number and car was quick and able to hit that number.”

One cannot help but think: where would he have finished the race if he had qualified better? During drives like this one, the question never fails to come up. 

“That’s always gotta be the comment right?” he said. “I’d like to keep racing like I am and qualify a lot better. That’s our goal heading into the rest of the month, and go have a good race like that one.”

Kimball finished in the best position (fifth) out of the four Ganassi entries; Kanaan finished seventh while Dixon and Saavedra crossed the line 10th and 17th respectively.

When Kimball says "the rest of the month," he is referring to the three races that remain in the month of May. Next up for the Verizon IndyCar Series is another race at the "mecca of motorsport," the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500. Following that, the biggest race of the year, are two races on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan, the Dual in Detroit.