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Wheldon ready for Indianapolis 500

Briton Dan Wheldon is gearing up for his first drive in the prestigious Indianapolis 500, after completing his rookie orientation programme at the speedway yesterday (Monday)

The Andretti Green driver looks likely to be the only Briton in the race this year, after Scottish team-mate Dario Franchitti was forced to withdraw from the event because of injuries sustained in a motorbike accident.

Speak about the rookie orientation programme, in which Wheldon was required to run a series of laps at various speeds, the driver said: "Well, I think if I didn't pass, I'd lose my job! It's going good. I'd say I'm in a good position with the Andretti Green Racing team. They've got great personnel, and everyone is very strong at their positions.

"To be honest, initially we just took our time building up to it. Tino Belli, who is going to be my engineer for this month of May, is keen on me to peak at the right time. So I think they're just keeping me on an even keel right now, so come qualifying, we should be good."

Speaking about the famous Indianapolis speedway and the challenge it provides, Wheldon said: "It is different because, it sounds stupid, but it's got four corners rather than the usual two. It's a real good place. When you look at a circuit map you think, 'Oh, four corners, pretty similar.' But when you get out there, they are completely different.

"It just takes a little while to adapt to what each corner wants and here, since you're going so fast, there's just less margin for error. So, everything has to be right to be fast, and that's what we're working on."

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