From the archives: A Miata ran by a future Indy 500 tech specialist

Written By Colin Wood

Photography Credit: Tony Neste

  • Entrant: Gracie Hackenberg, Aly de Silva and Jess Wert

  • Event year: 2017

  • Budget spent: $1725.23

From the $2000 Challenge to the Indy 500? Yep. Gracie Hackenberg (in front of the car) and her Smith College Racing crew–Aly de Silva and Jess Wert formed the team’s nucleus–joined us in 2017 with a salvage-title 1999 Miata. They kept the build simple–mostly sticky tires, upgraded suspension and the spoiler–but still finished seventh overall.

Why the strong finish? A terrific story. When their school didn’t offer the team a dedicated workspace, they built their own roll cage out on a loading dock. 

Since then Gracie has been working in motorsports, with stints at Lux Performance, Peerless Pattern Works and Donovan Motorcar Service. She now works as a damper specialist for Arrow McLaren SP and went over the wall as a tire changer for Juan Pablo Montoya at the Indy 500.

Colin Wood
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