INDIANAPOLIS — Larry Curry has been released as team manager of Vision Racing.
Curry held that position since the team’s inception in 2005 and oversaw the rapid growth of the operation, but was let go in the aftermath of a rules violation for both Vision cars in the Miami-Homestead Speedway opener.
That disallowed the speeds posted by Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV after a rear wing violation was discovered in post-qualification technical inspection.
Former crew chief Keven Kukuliwicz (a.k.a. Keven Kaye) has been named to the post of team manager, taking on the additional responsibility for the operation of the race team.
Curry was one of the first employees of Vision Racing when team owners Tony and Laura George formed the team from assets purchased through the sale of Kelley Racing in 2005.
“Larry has been an asset to the growth and building of Vision Racing,” George said. “However, after full review of the facts surrounding the disallowance of the teams qualifying runs at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Larry and I agreed that a breach of what amounts to the teams code of conduct had occurred, and as team manager he was expected to uphold a very high standard, but in this instance fell short.”
Kukuliwicz has also been with the team since its inception.

• Dario Franchitti made an appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday. Franchitti won the 2007 Indianapolis 500 and the IndyCar Series championship before moving on to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a rookie for Target Chip Ganassi Racing this season.
“It seems really strange to be here and not be driving,” Franchitti said. “This is always a very special place. We knew all month last year that we had a very fast car. Both Tony Kanaan and I worked well together, but we got into a rhythm where both cars were feeding off each other. We knew we had a great car.
“But during the race we had a problem with one of the dampers on the car and worked on that with understeer. But after that was corrected, I thought we had one of the strongest cars in the race here. Last year we were in the right place at the right time.”
Franchitti called his move to NASCAR “the right move at the right time.” He also said he has “no remorse whatsoever” in leaving IndyCar because he was ready for a new challenge.
“I’m totally consumed by what I’m doing right now,” Franchitti said. “NASCAR takes up all of your time. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking ‘I wish I was back at Indy,’ but I’m sure on race day that will change. It was great when the series unified and there is one IndyCar Series. That is going to be great for the future.”
Franchitti continues to recover from a broken left ankle that he suffered in a crash in the Nationwide Series race at Talladega Superspeedway two weeks ago. He was reevaluated by Indianapolis orthopedic surgeon Dr. Terry Trammell on Monday.
Franchitti even quipped that he won a bet with Ganassi on how soon Danica Patrick would win a race.
“I told Chip at the Christmas party she was going to win at least one race,” Ganassi said. “He said, ‘I’m not so sure.’ So I made a bet with Chip, team President Steve Lauletta, and then Felix Sabates wanted to get in on it so I ended up coming out pretty good on that.
“I won $300.”

• While Justin Wilson is an Indianapolis 500 rookie, he competed in the 2003 United States Grand Prix, which meant he went the opposite way around the track than on the oval.
“It was cool, I really enjoyed my time going out on Sunday and getting the feel of the circuit,” said Wilson, a native of Sheffield, England. “It’s four corners, but they are four very cool, fast corners. That is what people said to me before I came here, that this place is like a road circuit with four quick corners unlike an oval with the constant G-force loading in the banking. It’s a matter of getting into the flow so when you go into turn one and the car is releasing well and then you go into turn two and look down that long backstraight and you are going 225 miles per hour, it’s a really cool feeling.
“The road course you only get a taste of that on the pit straight before going into the infield for this really tight road circuit, it’s quite frustrating. Coming here and doing the proper circuit, it feels like it should feel.”

• Jaime Camara was the first driver to hit the wall this year at Indy. The rookie driver for Conquest Racing lost control early in Monday afternoon’s practice in the first turn. His car looped around and crashed into the SAFER Barrier. Camara complained of back pain and was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation.
Alex Lloyd turned the fastest lap in the May 5 practice session, with a 223.033 mph circuit.

• Davey Hamilton is back for another attempt at the Indianapolis 500 and will drive a third car for Vision Racing for the second year in a row.
“You know, I love this place,” Hamilton said. “It’s hard to, as a racing driver, get this particular race out of your system. There are a handful of races I love: This is one of them, the Oswego Classic, which I participated in last year and I’ll do again, the Copper Classic, which unfortunately is no longer there. They always just stood out as the thrills of my career and I love to do.
“I’m just fortunate that Hewlett-Packard and Kingdom (Racing) came aboard to allow me to negotiate with Tony (George) to put together a third entry for Vision Racing. It was down to the last minute, it has worked out, we’ll be in the car Monday and the car looks fantastic.”
Hamilton made a triumphant return to last year’s Indy 500 finishing ninth for Vision Racing. It was his first IndyCar race after suffering horrifying leg injuries in a crash at Texas Motor Speedway in 2001.

• Despite published reports, Larry Foyt will not compete in this year’s Indianapolis 500. He is listed on the official entry blank, but that was done to get additional garage stalls for A.J. Foyt Enterprises, which currently plans on running Darren Manning in this year’s race.