Jan 28 2012
CELEBRATION OF AUTOMOBILES EXPANDING IN 2012
Popular event returning Saturday, May 12 on opening weekend of 96th Indianapolis 500
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012 - The second annual Celebration of Automobiles, scheduled for Saturday, May 12 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will feature an expanded lineup of events that continues to pay tribute to the rich heritage of automotive development at the track for more than 100 years.
A Vintage and Historic Car Show featuring some of the most beautiful and rare cars from 1920-70 once again will be the focal point of the 2012 Celebration of Automobiles, with an Emerging Tech Showcase also being integrated into the event. The new addition is an Automobile Festival, featuring hundreds of current and late model vehicles, and displays from aftermarket accessory and automotive product companies.
"It's a great thrill for everyone at IMS to welcome back an expanded Celebration of Automobiles," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "Last year's inaugural event during the 100th Indianapolis 500 was such a rousing success with car owners and enthusiasts that we wanted to grow this event into another wonderful annual tradition of the Month of May at the Speedway."
The Celebration of Automobiles takes place from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Opening Day for the 96th Indianapolis 500, with the new IZOD IndyCar Series car also making its IMS competitive on-track debut. All activities are included in public gate admission of $10, with children 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
All three components of the Celebration of Automobiles offer intriguing sights and sounds for car fans of all ages:
•Vintage and Historic Car Show: This year's show will feature 200 vehicles from 1920-70 produced by manufacturers participating in the Indianapolis 500 during that era and other manufacturers. Vehicles on display around the Pagoda Plaza area will include winners from prestigious Concours competitions at Pebble Beach and Amelia Island.
Owners of cars from such marques as Alfa-Romeo, Auburn, Bentley, Bugatti, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Duesenberg, Ferrari, Fiat, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Stutz and many more have been invited to participate. Special tribute will be paid to passenger cars from Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus, the three engine manufacturers participating in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500 starting in 2012.
Question-and-answer sessions with vehicle owners and legendary Indianapolis 500 winners will take place throughout the day.
A panel of judges, including classic/vintage car experts, past Indianapolis 500 winners and other auto racing legends, will evaluate each car in an automotive beauty competition. Awards in various categories will be presented at a gala dinner Saturday evening, open to participants and a select number of public enthusiasts. Legendary Indianapolis 500 team owner Roger Penske will serve as the honorary head judge and also be a special guest at the awards gala.
Winning cars and other vehicles of distinction will be displayed and take a special lap of honor around the IMS oval Sunday, May 13.
•Emerging Tech Showcase: This event, which moves to the Celebration of Automobiles after taking place a week earlier in 2011, features many activities showing the future of automotive sustainability.
Competition - a hallmark of IMS since it opened in 1909 - will be seen in the Purdue Collegiate evGrand Prix. The event, sponsored by IMS and Purdue University, will feature many teams of students from colleges and universities across the United States competing in electric-powered karts on a course near the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. Teams from the United Kingdom and Ireland competed in this event in 2011 and may return this year.
Owners of electric-powered passenger cars can participate in the EV Rally, which includes driving their cars on a lap around the famous IMS oval.
Manufacturers of electric-powered cars also will offer Ride and Drive opportunities for consumers interested in taking these unique vehicles for a spin at IMS.
•Automobile Festival: This exciting new segment of the Celebration of Automobiles will feature hundreds of current and late model vehicles on display in manufacturer- and model-specific groups inside Turn 4 of the famous IMS oval.
American sports, muscle and pony car models on display will include Chevrolet Corvette, Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. Foreign cars will include models from BMW, Porsche, Lotus, Aston Martin, Bentley, Lamborghini, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Honda, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Mazda and more.
Rare, exotic and unique marques and models also will take center stage, including DeLorean, Corvair, Mini and Smart Car.
Many automotive aftermarket and accessory companies also will display their products at the Festival, creating an incredible corral of activity for car buffs.
For more information on the 2012 Celebration of Automobiles, visit www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/celebrationofautomobiles.
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2012 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2012 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
Jan 10 2012
LYNYRD SKYNYRD TO HEADLINE MILLER LITE CARB DAY CONCERT
byMedia J. Douglas Boles, IMS,
INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 - Legendary American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will headline the Miller Lite Carb Day concert Friday, May 25 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The concert, free with Miller Lite Carb Day admission of $20, will take place on the Miller Lite Stage in the IMS infield. Miller Lite Carb Day tickets are available now at www.IMStix.com.
"It's very exciting to welcome Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band Lynyrd Skynyrd for the Miller Lite Carb Day concert," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "The band's incredibly powerful live show will help to keep the good times rolling at IMS all the way through Race Weekend."
Lynyrd Skynyrd is the definitive Southern rock band, with a catalog of more than 60 albums and sales beyond 30 million. The band is a cultural icon that appeals to all generations with its backbone of rock and country, passionate vocals and trademark layered guitars. Among the band's popular hits are "Free Bird," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Saturday Night Special" and "What's Your Name?"
The band has persevered with indomitable will and spirit through triumph and tragedy, including a plane crash in 1977 that claimed three band members. Lynyrd Skynyrd's latest album,"God & Guns," continues to feature a muscular, three-guitar attack led by original band member Gary Rossington.
Lynyrd Skynyrd consists of Rossington (guitar), Johnny Van Zant (vocals), Rickey Medlocke (guitar), Mark "Sparky" Matejka (guitar), Michael Cartellone (drums), Robert Kearns (bass) and Peter Keys (keyboards), with Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Chase providing backing vocals as the Honkettes.
The Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd will be the finale of an action-packed day at IMS. Also scheduled are the final practice for the 33 starters in the Indianapolis 500, the Freedom 100 race for Firestone Indy Lights and the popular IZOD Pit Stop Challenge.
The 2012 Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for noon Sunday, May 27.
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2012 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 96th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 27, 2012 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2012 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
Nov 9 2011
LONGTIME IMS MEDIA CENTER OFFICIAL YORK WINS RACING PR AWARD
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 - Longtime Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center official Bill York was announced as the winner of the 2011 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.
The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named Indy Car racing's "most influential man" of the 1980s. Chapman died in 1996 at age 80.
"I admired everything that Jim Chapman stood for and tried to emulate all of his skills," York said. "He was the real, true professional PR man. I'm elated that I even had the opportunity to know him and to work with him for many years. The things that I learned by watching Jim through the years certainly influenced how I worked with the media."
York has been a fixture at the Speedway, especially with journalists in the media center, for more than 50 years. He began working in the Indianapolis 500 press room in 1958, fulfilling many roles, including gathering statistics and managing the media center through 2008. He continued to serve as an IMS media center liaison in 2010 and 2011.
York also was instrumental in creating the Stark & Wetzel Indy 500 Rookie of the Year award.
A longtime friend to journalists around the world, York has earned many other auto racing awards, including the 2010 Bob Russo Founders Award for lifelong contributions to the sport and the STP Unsung Hero Award.
York also has worked in the media rooms for the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers, with the Pacers' media room in Conseco Fieldhouse named in his honor.
The Chapman Award is determined by a vote of media members, most of whom knew Chapman, and is authorized by the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are eligible for consideration.
"It is impossible to think of anyone more deserving," said Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, longtime journalist/publicist and one of Chapman's closest friends. "Bill York is more than one of Jim's countless friends and admirers. Bill's professionalism is in the example and spirit of Jim Chapman's.
"Over many decades, Bill has shown he understands the value of actually talking to people and getting to know them, and that having those professional relationships best serve clients in good times - and bad."
York will receive the 2011 Jim Chapman Award on Jan. 8, 2012, at the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association (AARWBA) All-America team dinner in Indianapolis. Broadcaster Paul Page, a longtime Chapman friend and a member of the award selection committee, will make the presentation.
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2012 IMS tickets: Tickets for the three events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2012 - the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27, the Super Weekend at the Brickyard from July 26-29 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP from Aug. 17-19 - are on sale now.
Tickets can be purchased now by visiting www.imstix.com, calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday
Nov 4 2011
INDY 500 FAN
HANDED KEYS TO 2011 CHEVROLET CAMARO SS PACE CAR REPLICA
Indianapolis 500 Driver Ed Carpenter made presentation to Andrew Walker
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 - Andrew Walker of Brentwood, Tenn., was awarded the keys to a 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible Pace Car Replica by Indianapolis 500 driver and team owner Ed Carpenter Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Walker was awarded the Camaro after winning a sweepstakes designed to promote the sale of 2012 Indianapolis 500 tickets. The sweepstakes took place the two weeks immediately following the 2011 Indianapolis 500. The 2012 Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The grand prize Camaro SS Convertible Pace Car is a mirror image of the car in which four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt paced the historic 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 to the green flag, with IMS Chairman of the board Mari Hulman George as his passenger.
The color combination of the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible Pace Car is similar to the design used on the 1969 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas - cars which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.
The Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible is fitted with the 2SS equipment package and RS package, including a 400-horseposer V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. The retail value of the car is approximately $53,432.
A lifelong Indianapolis 500 fan, Walker has attended every "500" since moving from California to Tennessee in 2004, and of all the races he's witnessed in person, this year's 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 is his most memorable.
"It was great," Walker said. "When JR (Hildebrand) crashed, I actually thought he crossed the finish line first, so I thought he won in a broken car and a ball of fire. Then we realized that Dan (Wheldon) won and it was amazing. It was the most exciting race I've seen."
Walker, who rarely takes the time to enter contests, is very happy he entered this one and excited he renewed his Indianapolis 500 tickets for 2012.
"I think it's great and I'm so excited," he said. "I have a big spot it in my garage when I get home with it on Saturday, and all my friends are excited to come over and take a look and go for a ride. So yeah, it's going to be a fun weekend! And, I'm looking forward to the 2012 Indianapolis 500."
The 2012 Indianapolis 500 will feature competition among engine manufacturers for the first time since 2005, as Chevrolet and Lotus are joining Honda as engine suppliers in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series. An all-new chassis also will race at Indianapolis for the first time since 2003, as the new Dallara Safety Cell is scheduled to be on track at the 2012 edition of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
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2012 IMS tickets: Tickets for the three events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2012 - the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27, the Super Weekend at the Brickyard from July 26-29 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP from Aug. 17-19 - are on sale now.
Tickets can be purchased now by visiting www.imstix.com, calling the IMS ticket office
at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Nov 3 2011
100 YEARS LATER - CHEVROLET NAME STILL INVOLVED AT IMS
On Chevrolet's 100th anniversary,
IMS finishes job left undone for 65 years
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011 - Today, November 3, marks the official 100th anniversary of Chevrolet. To help celebrate this milestone and a relationship between IMS and the Chevrolet name that pre-dates Chevrolet's official start date, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has completed a project that has been left undone for 65 years.
Many people don't know, but the three Chevrolet brothers so appreciated the Indianapolis community that they all requested to be buried here. Gaston, Louis and Arthur are all buried next to each other at Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery just south of downtown Indianapolis.
Until just recently, only Gaston (the 1920 Indy 500 winner) and Louis had head stones at the location. Arthur, who competed in the 1911 Indianapolis 500, died without family or the ability to pay for proper graveside markings and was without a headstone since 1946.
In memory of Arthur, and to honor the Chevrolet name on this 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 and the Chevrolet brand, IMS, Chevrolet and Indianapolis businessman David Ring arranged to have a proper headstone placed on Arthur's grave site. Ring, who owns Harry W. Moore Funeral Care on Indianapolis' northeast side, is an Indianapolis 500 fan and is a student of the history of the event and the sport.
"When I heard that Arthur did not have a head stone I worked with IMS to arrange for one to be created and placed," said Ring. "Especially in this year that is so important to the Indianapolis 500 and Chevrolet, I was honored to be asked to spearhead this project and see to it that Arthur was properly recognized."
Between the three brothers, the Chevrolet name was represented eight times in the starting field of the Indianapolis 500 between 1911 and 1920.
Holy Cross and Saint Joseph Cemetery is located just south of downtown Indianapolis on the northeast corner of Pleasant Run Parkway Drive and Meridian Streets.
2012 IMS tickets: Tickets for the three events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2012 - the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27, the Super Weekend at the Brickyard from July 26-29 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP from Aug. 17-19 - are on sale now.
Tickets can be purchased now by visiting www.imstix.com, calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Oct 6 2011
INDIANAPOLIS 500 CREW CHIEF TEAM PRINCIPAL INCANDELA DIES
by J. Douglas Boles
INDIANAPOLIS, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 - Former Indianapolis 500 crew chief and team principal Sal Incandela died Monday, Oct. 3 in Las Vegas. He was 61.
The Italian-born Incandela was raised in France but spent the majority of his adult life working for racing teams based in England and then the United States. He was part of at least two Formula One World Championship-winning efforts. He was a mechanic for McLaren when James Hunt won the world title in 1976 and again for Brabham when Nelson Piquet won his second world title in 1983.
In 1980, Incandela was part of the Toleman team which finished one-two in the Formula Two championship with drivers Brian Henton and Derek Warwick.
One of many former F1 mechanics drawn to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Incandela spent 1986 with Dick Simon and Raul Boesel before stints with Vince Granatelli (driver Roberto Guerrero), Frank Arciero and Bernard Jourdain.
Incandela formed an Indy Lights team, Indy Regency, for 1991 and two years later entered the Indianapolis 500 with Formula One driver Olivier Grouillard. The Frenchman was bumped from the starting field in his only attempt, but the following year Arie Luyendyk qualified in the middle of the third row for Indy Regency. Luyendyk dropped out with engine failure after 179 laps, having run as high as fourth during in the early stages.
The final Indianapolis 500 run for Indy Regency was with Native American Cory Witherill in 2001.
The multi-talented Incandela wrote a highly regarded technical book "The Anatomy and Development of the Formula One Racing Car from 1975," which was first published in 1983. With forewords by old friends Patrick Tambay and Gordon Murray, the book was twice updated and later translated into French.
Incandela is survived by his wife, Lesley, son, Daniel (Director of Online Strategy for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), and daughters, Chantal and Stephanie.
Services in Las Vegas will be private, but the family is planning a celebration of life in Indianapolis sometime in the future. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Sal Incandela be made to the Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary (CARA) organization, www.caracharities.org.
Sept 10 2011
McQUEENEY'S HARD WORK PUT IMS GREATS INTO FOCUS FOR 40 YEARS
Legendary IMS photography director retires
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Sept. 9, 2011 - Ron McQueeney stood adjacent to Turn 4 on Opening Day for the 1972 Indianapolis 500, snapping pictures of cars with a sleek, new 35-millimeter motorized Minolta and a boxy, traditional 3 x 5 Speed Graphic camera.
He was on top of his world on his first day as an Indianapolis Motor Speedway track photographer, seemingly at the peak of his creative abilities as a racing photographer.
Then he was assigned to shoot the Garage Area on Race Day, away from the action on track. McQueeney, who took up photography as a U.S. Army motorcycle policeman in Okinawa in the 1960s, was mad.
"First of all, I thought I was better than that," McQueeney said. "Secondly, I thought it was not a very good assignment because not much goes on after the race in the garage area other than people being not too happy."
Veteran IMS photographers Chuck Duffy and Bob Scott told McQueeney that he needed to improve his technique and buy better equipment if he wanted to stay on the job for the 1973 Indianapolis 500.
"It turned out that I look back on the photography that I did earlier in my career, and it wasn't quite as good as I thought it was," McQueeney said. "They obviously saw that. But they also saw potential."
So McQueeney got to work. He bought expensive, top-of-the-line Nikon equipment and traveled extensively through the summer and fall of 1972, shooting races featuring USAC Champ Cars, Can-Am, Formula 5000 and more.
McQueeney returned to the track in 1973 with better gear and improved skills, and he was hired in 1974 as a full-time IMS photographer.
That driven, focused work ethic during 1972 and 1973 paid off. And it hasn't stopped for McQueeney at the Speedway - until now.
McQueeney, 66, retired Sept. 9 after a legendary, 40-year career behind the lens at IMS, including serving as director of photography since 1977. He will continue to shoot races and selected other events, and participate in various historical photography projects at IMS.
He has been seemingly omnipresent and tireless during his Speedway career. Look high above Turn 1 in the crow's nest above the grandstands at the start of the Indianapolis 500 - you'd see McQueeney. Look at the starter's stand during the Brickyard 400 - you'd see McQueeney. Look at a guy with four cameras slung over his back, scurrying around Gasoline Alley to shoot drivers and teams or climbing the grandstands at sunset to capture a perfect shot after a test session at the track - you'd see McQueeney. Look into the photo shop or photo office in the Media Center from sunrise to often after sunset - you'd see McQueeney.
It has added up to what he estimates are more than a million presses of the shutter button at IMS. He has photographed Indy cars. NASCAR. IROC. Formula One. MotoGP. Sports car tests. Celebrity visits to the IMS Hall of Fame Museum. Various scenes and landmark Speedway structures.
"I would say almost every event that I've been to here at the Speedway, I've enjoyed one way or the other," McQueeney said. "For me, this has just been a labor of love."
It's an apt description. McQueeney will be the first to admit that there's nothing like the thrill and inside access of shooting pictures of racing vehicles at speed or shooting legends of the sport at the most iconic track in the world.
But there's also been an endless amount of work that doesn't involve lenses, camera bodies and flash bulbs. McQueeney has organized and led teams of photographers for IMS events since the mid-1970s and all INDYCAR events from 1996-2010. He also has spent hours with his staff placing slides and negatives into a detailed organization system and also has led an ongoing project to convert approximately 5 million negatives in the IMS photo archives into digital images.
"These are things people don't see," McQueeney said. "It's behind-the-scenes work."
But McQueeney and his staff have stayed on top of every major project during his tenure. And they've also adapted to the ever-evolving technology of photography.
McQueeney created a huge technological leap in his photography career when he upgraded from his $300 motorized Minolta - still a very pricey camera in 1972 - to professional-grade Nikon gear early in 1973. That risky investment helped him flourish in May 1973 during the Indianapolis 500 and led to full-time employment at the Speedway.
But perhaps the biggest overall technological change during his 40 years at IMS came in the transition from film to digital photography from the late 1990s through the early 2000s.
McQueeney first shot digital images at IMS in 1998, with a Canon camera that cost $20,000. It shot 1-megapixel images, lower quality than photos from a typical cell phone today.
From 1998-2002, McQueeney carried three or four different kinds of cameras in a juggling act as the tectonic plates of photo technology collided. He shot slide film for magazines, negative film for photos to sell to the public from the IMS Photo Shop and digital images for the rapidly emerging World Wide Web.
IMS abandoned film photography and shot all-digital starting in 2003. That eliminated the camera shuffle for McQueeney and his staff, but it created other challenges.
"Always before we had a delay of a day or two between when we turned our film in and we got to see the images," McQueeney said. "Now you could see the images not only in the back of the camera, but you could work with those images and send them to the magazines and people who needed them around the campus here almost instantly.
"So it came to where they expected that instant gratification. We were out shooting, we'd have to come in more often, download them to the computer and upload them to the media sites and the websites where people could see them."
While technology is an important marker to frame the eras of McQueeney's career at IMS, he savors the personal relationships he has made as much as any discussion of ISO speed, depth of field or color saturation.
He has been a part of the fabric of the Speedway since the days when winged Indy cars were still considered a new trend. He is a familiar face to everyone around the grounds and in Gasoline Alley, even if his desire to get that next great picture caused him to never stand still in one place for very long.
"These people are my co-workers," McQueeney said of race drivers and team members. "They're my friends. I don't know many people in my neighborhood, but I know all of these people. At least if they don't know me real well, they know me by name. That's always a thrill to me, that I have this relationship with not only the drivers but the team members and the people involved in the sport.
"I cherish all of that and the 40 years of memories I have from that, too."
McQueeney has shot 40 Indianapolis 500s, 18 Brickyard 400s, eight United States Grands Prix and four Red Bull Indianapolis Grands Prix at IMS. He has photographed hundreds of the world's most famous motorsports competitors. He also has shot CART, INDYCAR and USAC races, and drag racing, motorcycle racing and boat racing - more than 1,000 events overall.
Yet he is coy about choosing any favorite races or drivers. But his pride as a longtime Hoosier eventually seeps through.
"I would say that my favorite race of all time would be any Indy 500 that I've been involved in," McQueeney said. "That's where I shine, and that's what I feel I do best. I've been fortunate that I've been to a lot of events around different parts of the world and seen a lot of things, and I still come back here and you can't express what the enjoyment is and how I feel about this place.
"There is no other place like Indy."
And anyone who knows Ron McQueeney understands there's no way he will get Indy out of his blood or his camera lens any time soon, even in retirement. He's only traveled on three vacations during his 40 years at IMS, the last in 1987.
There's been too much work, too much sweat, too many pairs of worn shoes and too much joy at the Brickyard to simply put the place into the rear-view mirror of his life.
"I have no hobbies," McQueeney said. "This was my hobby before it became my career. One of the reasons I think I stayed around long enough was that I was afraid of what the heck I was going to do after I retired because I have no hobbies."
He plans on visiting a few car shows with his wife, Marsha. He might even enter his beloved 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indianapolis 500 Pace Car into a few shows.
But IMS still will fill the shutter of his life's eye as large as ever. Not just every day.
"I couldn't think of anything I'd rather been doing with my life," McQueeney said. "It's been wonderful for me. The people. I've been blessed with good health and blessed with a place to come every day where it doesn't feel like a job."
2012 IMS tickets: Tickets for the three events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2012 - the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27, the Super Weekend at the Brickyard from July 26-29 and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP from Aug. 17-19 - are on sale now.
Tickets can be purchased now by visiting www.imstix.com, calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area or visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street. Ticket office and phone hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
May 31 2011
100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRESS CONFERENCE, JR Hildebrand
May, 2011
MODERATOR: Obviously JR, I don't even know where to start.
JR HILDEBRAND: I don't, either.
Obviously, we decided we were going to take an alternate fuel strategy. If we could save fuel at the beginning of the stint, we could make it with that sort of extended caution. We were looking good to be able to do that. You don't have a lot of time to look up at the podium driving down the front straight at 230.
I was entirely aware of where we were at until five or six to go, when it started to shuffle out. I had just gotten by Dario and was informed that we were leading the race.
At that point, it was a fuel and kind of tire strategy game trying to get the car to the end. We were looking OK on fuel, but obviously having to run rather slow from a relative pace standpoint to keep the mileage where we needed it to be.
On the last lap, the cars that previously been cycling around in the lead that had pitted were all coming out of the pits and were up to speed. I was aware there were some cars coming with some heat towards the end of the race, like the 98 and the 9 were the two guys quickest toward the end.
Certainly, I was aware of the fact that I had some gap on them. But I then, on the last lap, started catching some other cars coming out of the pits as I was cycling through (Turns) 3 and 4. I guess as it happened, I ended up catching the 83, I think, going into Turn 4, a fairly inopportune area.
I quickly decided, knowing that the cars in second and third were coming pretty strong, that rather than downshifting a bunch, you know, sort of risking slowing the car way down coming onto the front straight to stay behind him, I thought I'll breathe it and go to the high side because it was a move I used earlier in the race to get around some slower cars in a fairly similar situation.
I guess just with the tires as worn as they were, the run being as long, that sort of stint of the race being as long as it was, there were a bunch of marbles on the outside. Once I got up there, there wasn't a lot I could do.
MODERATOR: We'll take questions.
Q: We can only imagine what sort of emotions you're going through. How bad do you feel?
HILDEBRAND: I mean, this is not really about me at this point. You always show up to try to win. But for me, my disappointment is for the team and for National Guard as a sponsor. It's one of the those things, as a driver, you never really know what you're going to expect. We knew we had a fast race car. We knew if the race came to us, we may be in a position to sort of finish top three, top five, wherever that might be, depending on how it panned out.
But as a driver, I'm smart enough as a rookie to not expect, no matter what's going to happen, I'm going to come to the Indianapolis 500 my first year and be in a position to win the race.
As it turned out, we most certainly were. We were in a position that we should have won the race. So for me, it's not so much that I'm pissed off or disappointed that my face isn't going to go on the Borg-Warner. Just with this team, Panther Racing has finished second three years in a row now with the National Guard sponsorship, I felt like we had an incredible opportunity to get on a big stage for those guys.
Q: As you made that move around the 83, suddenly you realized you were in the marbles, what was the thought?
HILDEBRAND: Is this over the public PA (smiling)?
Q: No.
HILDEBRAND: There were a few choice words going through my head at that moment, really fast and frequently until I hit the wall. They were still going through my head there, I guess.
I guess I was fortunate to have hit the wall far enough around that I could still -- I mean, I was like Flat Chad after I hit the wall to try to get the thing across the start/finish line.
It's a helpless feeling driving the race car when you get in a situation like that. It can happen on road courses, it can happen at other places. It's most extreme at a place like this where it truly does turn into a one-groove track towards the end of the-race. That was certainly my mistake to have judged it otherwise.
Q: This is four straight second places for the Panther team. What were John's words to you at the end?
HILDEBRAND: John was great. I mean, he's just so proud of this group of guys for putting up such a tremendous effort throughout the day. That was certainly a welcomed face and emotion for me walking down the pit lane. Sometimes you never know what you're going to get from a team when you've just lost the Indy 500 by a spot or whatever.
But he's a real driver's owner from that perspective. He's ultracompetitive, but at the same time he can understand I think the emotions of what the driver goes through, as well.
Q: You kept the car going. Did you still think you might have a shot of getting there before Wheldon caught you?
HILDEBRAND: I did for a second. The mirrors on our cars really aren't that great. It was tough to tell down the back straight. I took a glimpse to see where he was at. He wasn't anywhere near the near vicinity around the car, where the mirrors are more suited to be able to see. There was certainly a split-second where I thought, "Oh, shoot, maybe I'll pull a Terry Labonte at Martinsville or Bristol or whatever it was that year (smiling)." Obviously, no such luck.
Q: How close did you think Wheldon was to you on the back straight? You said you couldn't see him. Never mind the finish, would you do the same move again? Would you do it differently?
HILDEBRAND: Well, I mean, to answer the first part of your question, I knew coming out of Turn 2 that he was in the short chute between 1 and 2. At that stage, I obviously knew that he was rather close.
In terms of distance on the track, that's a little bit tough. Spotter could have said car lengths to give me maybe a little bit more information about where he was at. But I knew that he was close, relatively close, and I knew that he was going a lot quicker than we were, as well.
Then to the second part of your question. Is it a move that I would do again? No. I think the only reason I did it in the first place was that it had worked at different stages earlier in the race. But in hindsight, I think with the tires being as used as they were at that stage, that last run after the caution being for so long, it's obviously a learning experience for me, that the marble buildup is quite severe.
Q: As you were sliding down the fence toward the finish line, was there anything you were able to do to hurry the car along?
HILDEBRAND: I was flat on the gas, man. What are you gonna do at that point?
Q: (No microphone.)
HILDEBRAND: I mean, after I hit the wall, I was not slowing down to the start/finish line. Obviously, I got to the point that I couldn't steer it anymore. I was making every effort at that point to try to lessen the blow.
Q: It's been an odd month in that the Penskes haven't performed. Ganassi was there. Panther has taken on the biggest teams, like Andretti. How do you feel about the little guy coming on? What was it about May that allowed the little guys this year to compete against the big guys
HILDEBRAND: I mean, I could give you a fairly complicated answer to that in terms of what I would really say. I think in a general sense, and this is just speculation on my part, it has nothing to do with anything.
But, you know, I think that with these cars, we've gotten to a point that, yeah, you can kind of rub on them and make changes all day long. But they're effectively kind of the similar formula that we've been running for quite some time here.
I guess as I've experienced a little bit on the road-course side, it's not difficult to overcomplicate what you're doing. In the end, it's still just another race car.
I can't say that's what's made other teams do more poorly than you might expect, but I think that's a part of what's allowed us to continue staying up toward the top of the sheets all month. We had a fairly simple outlook on what we were going to do, and we stuck to a game plan.
I'd certainly give some credit to Buddy Rice coming along for this weekend, that he's obviously quite a low-anxiety personality. Between the two of us, it's kept the mood of the garage area sort of relaxed. I think that's an environment that you make better decisions in, so...
That would be my two cents.
Q: You seem remarkably composed for someone who lost the Indy 500 by crashing on the last corner.
HILDEBRAND: I'm pretending well, I guess (smiling).
Q: It must be churning you up.
HILDEBRAND: Yes. If that's a question, yeah.
You know, like I said, it's not really like a personal thing right now. Maybe down the road it will turn into a personal thing that I'll just be pissed off at myself for not doing whatever. In the end, it's really more about the people, for me at least, this team has worked so hard, it's such an integral part of being here at Indianapolis and being successful at Indianapolis, that's really where the sort of heartbreak is for me right now.
I certainly wasn't planning my victory speech. But being here on Memorial Day weekend, driving the National Guard car with so many servicemen and women out here for this weekend, it's really a treat to be a part of that. It would have been an outstanding feat to be able to get up on the top step of the podium for them, as well.
Q: Is there a glimmer of hope?
HILDEBRAND: I heard something about the yellows, blah, blah, blah. You know, yellow flags have determined this race in the past, if you would recall. I'm sure Mr. Paul Tracy would be happy to come in here and talk to you a little bit more about that (smiling). We'll discuss how it shakes out.
I would have to say, for whatever it's worth, Dan obviously must have done quite a job because he was a few steps behind those cars that were up at the front prior to that stint. So good on him to get up there, as well.
MODERATOR: Thank you for coming in, JR
May 30 2011
WHELDON WINS 100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500
AS HILDEBRAND CRASHES ON FINAL LAP
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 29, 2011) - JR Hildebrand stood beside A crumpled car and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to discern just what transpired on the final lap of the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.
The 23-year-old Californian was a few hundred yards from being the first rookie to win the race since Helio Castroneves in 2001 and creating a storyline that would follow him into the record books. But, as all veterans will say, nothing is for certain in 200 laps of racing on the 2.5-mile strip of asphalt.
Hildebrand's No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car drifted up the track exiting Turn 4 and smacked the SAFER Barrier. Dan Wheldon, the 2005 race and IZOD IndyCar Series champion, was Danny on the spot for the victory.
Wheldon's No. 98 William Rast-CURB/Big Machine car for Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian overtook Hildebrand's sliding car and crossed the start/finish line under yellow. Chief steward Brian Barnhart said there's no requirement for cars not involved in an accident to stay behind those involved/disabled.
"It's a fantastic achievement everybody at Bryan Herta Autosport," said Wheldon, his voice choking with emotion. "I love everything about Indianapolis - the tradition, the fans, the history."
A Panther Racing car has been the Indy 500 runner-up the past four years (including 2009 and '10 driven by Wheldon).
Wheldon, who started sixth, said his surprise of seeing Hildebrand car make heavy right-side contact with the SAFER Barrier turned to "relief." Wheldon was running fifth with 10 laps remaining, but jumped into contention when race leader Bertrand Baguette pitted for a splash on Lap 197 and he overtook Scott Dixon a lap later.
"I was just trying to go as hard as I could," continued Wheldon, who was competing in his first race of the season. "I knew it was the last lap and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel (he pitted on Lap 177). I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up. It's an incredible feeling."
Hildebrand, who inherited the lead when Baguette pitted, said he was trying to conserve fuel (he last pitted on Lap 164) on the white flag lap.
"I knew we were really tight on fuel coming to the end, and the spotters were in my ear saying, 'The guys are coming and they're coming hard,' '' said Hildebrand, who qualified 12th (the fastest rookie). "We had to conserve a little fuel and the tires were coming to the end of their stint. I was hanging a little on to get the thing around.
"I made a judgment call catching up on the 83 (the lapped car driven by fellow rookie Charlie Kimball) and I thought I don't really want to slow down behind him and pull out on the straightaway, and I've been able to make this move on the outside before and so I went to the high side and because it was at the end of the stint I got up in the marbles and that was it.
"I'm OK, but this is not really about me at this point. You always show up to try to win. My disappointment is for the team and for National Guard as a sponsor. It's one of the those things, as a driver, you never really know what you're going to expect. We knew we had a fast race car. We knew if the race came to us, we may be in a position to sort of finish top three, top five."
Graham Rahal, who started 29th, finished third for his second consecutive podium, and Tony Kanaan charged from 22nd to finish fourth. Dixon, who started in the middle of the front row and led a field-high 73 laps, faded to fifth, and Oriol Servia, who started on the front row, was sixth.
Franchitti, the 2010 race winner, led 51 laps and was running second on Lap 195. But he had to pit for a splash of fuel on Lap 199 and finished 12th.
Tomas Scheckter advanced 13 positions to finish eighth and Marco Andretti picked up 18 spots to finish ninth. Andretti Autosport teammate Danica Patrick was 10th.
There were 23 lead changes among 10 drivers and seven cautions for 40 laps. Patrick led 10 laps late in the No. 7 Team GoDaddy car, but had to pit with 10 laps left.
RACE DAY NOTEBOOK:
INDYCAR issued this competition bulletin today for the Indianapolis 500:
Rule 7.5(A) and Bulletin 2011-10
The following is added and shall appear as Rule 7.5(A)(6):
"Indianapolis 500 Mile Race - All of the standard restart procedures shall apply with the following exceptions:
After the starter gives the 'one (1) lap to go,' the Safety Car will pull off at Turn 1.
Cars must line up in double-file format on the back stretch 'nose to tail.'
The leader is required to maintain the pace lap speed until reaching a cone located on driver's right entering Turn 4.
All car(s) must maintain their respective track position for the restart, including without limitation not changing lanes, until the green condition is declared. After the green condition is declared, passing may occur."
Car sponsor updates:
•CDW, a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government, education and healthcare, will be a major sponsor of Newman/Haas Racing's No. 2 Telemundo program with Oriol Servia for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
•An IZOD IndyCar Series car will bear the seal of a U.S. Presidential Foundation for the first time during the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. Dan Wheldon, 2005 Indy 500 winner, will drive the No. 98 William Rast - CURB/Big Machine entry with the Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration seal on the nose to observe the 100th anniversary of Reagan's birth.
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Bill Marvel, a key figure in the motorsports corporate and media industry for more than 50 years, Saturday was honored with the Bob Russo Founders Award for dedication to auto racing.
The award was presented by previous Russo Award recipients Bill York and Michael Knight during the annual American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association breakfast meeting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, site of Sunday's 100th anniversary Indy 500. Marvel has attended every Indianapolis 500 since 1941.
Russo, the late racing journalist/publicist/historian, founded AARWBA in 1955. He died in 1999 at age 71. The Russo Award is presented for "profound interest, tireless efforts and undying dedication to auto racing as exemplified by Russo throughout his lifelong career."
Marvel, a charter member of AARWBA, was unanimously chosen by other members of the Russo Award committee.
Marvel's numerous roles in racing included serving as general manager at both Pocono International Raceway and Texas World Speedway and in key positions at Trenton Speedway, the Houston Astrodome, Winchester Speedway, and Indiana State Fair. He also acted as a news media liaison at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indy Car team/sponsor PR representative and consultant on the movie "Winning," which starred Paul Newman. Marvel also served as corporate affairs vice president and benevolent foundation executive director for the U.S. Auto Club and performed many roles, including journalist, public address announcer and TV and radio broadcaster.
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Yellow Driver, who was revealed as rally and stunt driver Tanner Foust, set a world record distance jump today of 332 feet in the Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500 stunt located on the infield between Turns 3 and 4. The previous record was 302 feet.
TANNER FOUST: "We just crushed the world record!"
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Honorary starter Retired Col. Bruce P. Crandall, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, talked about his Race Day experience this morning.
BRUCE P. CRANDALL: "I certainly am honored to be starting this race. Anybody would be. It's my second time here. I was able to be here in 2007. I love the great atmosphere, the buzz, here at the Speedway, except for one thing: I want to be driving that 34th car, but I want to be at the back, so I won't cause any problems. One lap would be OK." (About receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor): "The Medal of Honor is something you don't ever expect. It just happens because someone took the time and someone saw it among the survivors. You don't ever go out looking for the medal. We don't win anything; we receive it. Everyone who has the medal prefers being called a recipient, not a winner. Once you receive it, you have to live up to it."
***
WINNER'S QUICK QUOTE:
DAN WHELDON: "I was just trying to go as hard as I could. I knew it was the last lap, and I knew some of those guys were struggling with fuel. I want to thank my wife. For Bryan Herta and everyone at Bryan Herta Autosport, such a dream ride. It's been absolutely phenomenal. I love Indianapolis. I love the people, I love everything about it. The tradition, the history. I just felt a lot of relief. It's an incredible feeling. I've been runner-up two years before this, but I never gave up." (About his mother, who was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease): "I want to say hi to my family back home, my mother. The Alzheimer's Association, the chance to represent them." (About his victory plans): "I'm taking my kids to Disney, taking my kids to Disney. It's just an incredible day."
RUNNER-UP, THIRD PLACE QUICK QUOTES:
JR HILDEBRAND: "Well, I knew we were running a little tight on fuel coming to the end, and I had spotters in my ears saying, 'Guys are coming, and they're coming hard because we were having to conserve a little bit of fuel,' and the tires are at the end of their stint. I was just hanging on to get the thing around. I made a last minute judgment call on the 83 car (Kimball). He was out of the pits, and I thought, 'You know what, I don't think I want slow down for him around the wrong part of the track. I would have to slow down a lot to stay behind him, then pull out a lot to pass on the straightaway so I thought, 'Well, I've been able to make this move around the outside before,' and so I went to the high side and just got caught up in the marbles, and that was it." (Were you aware that you might still be the leader, since you can't pass under caution?): "I was not aware of that, but honestly, that aside, I owe this run entirely to the Panther Racing team and the National Guard team. These guys have done an awesome job year after year after year. We've been the bridesmaid, and I didn't come to Indianapolis this year expecting to be in a position to win the Indy 500. But we were, and I guess that's why it's a little bit frustrating right now. But here on Memorial Day, I'd just like to say thanks to all service men and women that are here. We put up a heck of a fight for you out there."
GRAHAM RAHAL: "It feels good, that's for sure. I mean, this is what it's all about, you know? We needed to ride the momentum, and we did. And this is obviously a lot better than second place in Brazil, and we'll just keep going on from here. But I'm so proud of the Service Central boys, because starting where we started and to end up here, we passed 26 cars, and that's fantastic."
***
POST-RACE OWNERS' QUICK QUOTES:
JOHN BARNES (Co-owner, Panther Racing): "We came here with a rookie driver, and everybody says we're going to have trouble and everything. But I can tell you that he (JR) did a great job. He drove to a fuel number I didn't think was going to be attainable. We're so proud of him and the people at Panther and the crew."
INDIANAPOLIS 500 HISTORICAL NOTES:
•Dan Wheldon is the 18th multiple winner of the Indianapolis 500. His other win came in 2005.
•Dan Wheldon led only one lap, Lap 200. That's the fewest number of laps led by an Indianapolis 500 winner. The previous record was two, set by Joe Dawson in 1912.
•Dan Wheldon is the first multiple winner from England.
•This is the second time that a driver lost the lead of the Indianapolis 500 on the last lap. Rookies were victims both times, Marco Andretti in 2006 and JR Hildebrand in 2011.
•Dan Wheldon is the fifth driver to win the race starting from the sixth starting position. The others: Gaston Chevrolet (1920), Ray Keech (1929), Louis Meyer (1933), and Rodger Ward (1959).
•This is the third time that car number 98 has won the Indianapolis 500. The other two years were 1952 with Troy Ruttman and 1963 with Parnelli Jones.
•This is the fourth consecutive year that Panther Racing has finished runner-up in the Indianapolis 500. Vitor Meira was second in 2008, Dan Wheldon in 2009 and 2010.
•In the last three years (2009-11), Dan Wheldon recorded two second-place finishes and a victory in the Indianapolis 500 yet has led only one lap during that span.
•Will Power was the highest-finishing driver for Team Penske, in 14th. The last time Penske competed at Indianapolis and had all of its cars finish outside of the top 10 was 1992, when Paul Tracy led Penske with a 20th-place finish.
•There were 25 cars running at the finish today, the second-highest total for an Indianapolis 500 that went the full distance. The record is 26 in the inaugural event in 1911, which had 40 starters.
•The winning average speed of 170.265 mph for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 is the fourth-fastest in the 100 year history of the race. The record is 185.981 mph by Arie Luyendyk in 1990.
•There were 23 lead changes, which ties for the fifth-highest total in Indianapolis 500 history. The record for most lead changes is 29 in 1960.
•The 2011 Indianapolis 500 had 10 different lap leaders, which is the second-highest total in race history. The 1980, 1995 and 1998 fields also had 10 different lap leaders. The greatest number of different lap leaders for a race is 12 in 1993.
•The top lap leader of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 was Scott Dixon with 73 laps led. Dixon was also the top lap leader in 2008 (115 laps led) and 2009 (73 laps led).
•A Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver had led the most laps of the race for the last four consecutive years:
2008: Scott Dixon, 115 laps, won.
2009: Dixon, 73 laps, finished sixth.
2010: Dario Franchitti, 155 laps, won.
2011: Dixon, 73 laps, fifth.
•Dario Franchitti ranks 15th on the all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leader list with 306 laps led.
•Scott Dixon ranks 19th on the all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leader list with 293 laps led.
•The 2011 Indianapolis 500 set the record for the greatest number of lap leaders (nine) to finish on the lead lap. The previous record was eight in 1993 and in 2004 (180 laps were run due to rain).
•Of the 10 lap leaders, nine were running at the finish. The greatest number of lap leaders to be running at the finish is 11 in 1993.
•The greatest position advancement in the 2011 Indianapolis 500 was by Graham Rahal, who started 29th and finished third, a gain of 26 positions.
***
Sam Schmidt, owner of the pole-winning car of Alex Tagliani and the car of Townsend Bell, talked about his team's Month of May. Schmidt's team also had a technical relationship with the race-winning Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian team.
SAM SCHMIDT (Owner, Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "They dug all month. The 77 (Tagliani) and 99 (Bell) worked really well together and had fast cars. Unfortunately, they both got a little out of sequence. We probably should've finished at least second or third when all was said and done. You can't second-guess what happens in the race, and that is what this place is all about. At least we got a little piece of that car rolling up on victory circle right there. It was Bryan's (Herta), and that's cool."
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The 96th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 27, 2012.
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The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the Firestone Twin 275s on June 11 at Texas Motor Speedway. The event will be telecast live in High Definition at 8 p.m. (ET) by VERSUS. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, XM channel 94, Sirius channel 212 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the David Hobbs 100 at the Milwaukee Mile on June 19.
May 29 2011
Double-file restarts for Indy 500 adjusted
By CLIFF BRUNT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) IndyCar has compromised with drivers who were worried that double-file restarts would be particularly unsafe at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After considering marking the restart zone for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 about 900 feet from the start/finish line, officials decided instead to move it back to the entrance to turn four. The change will give drivers more room to adjust to traffic.
"The owners, along with the IndyCar series, decided to make a compromise and move it into the north chute starting so they can be more single file as they enter turn one," said two-time Indy winner Al Unser Jr., an IndyCar driving coach and consultant. "Indianapolis is very unique as far as single groove. It's not a banked track like, say, Texas, where they run two abreast comfortably."
Race officials also will add two sweepers at each end of the track. Before the race restarts, one set of sweepers will drive through the first two turns at the north end of the track, while the other two will clean up the two turns at the south end. The intent of staggering the sweepers side-by-side is to create a clean track.
Double-file restarts debuted in IndyCar this season, and Sunday will be the first time they're used at an oval. The drivers have spoken out against the move all month, calling it a terrible idea. But when Unser Jr. mentioned the double-file restarts during the public driver's meeting on Saturday morning, a cheer went up from the crowd.
May 28 2011
DIXON LEADS FINAL PRACTICE; BRISCOE TAKES PIT STOP CONTEST; NEWGARDEN WINS FIRESTONE FREEDOM 100
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 27, 2011 - Scott Dixon hopes Miller Lite Carb Day is again a good indication of Indianapolis 500 Race Day.
Dixon, who will start the 2010 Indianapolis 500 from the middle of the front row, topped the speed chart for the final practice session, the final opportunity for teams to fine-tune their cars before Race Day.
Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, topped the speed chart with a quick lap of 225.474 mph and was the only driver over 225 mph. Pole sitter Alex Tagliani (224.739 mph) and defending race winner Dario Franchitti (224.658 mph) were right behind. Franchitti led the final practice in 2010 before winning the race.
Ryan Briscoe hopes that winning the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Competition could be a good omen for him.
Briscoe, driving the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone, defeated Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing in the championship round. His pit crew received the $50,000 first prize for its speed and accuracy.
The winner of the competition has gone on to win the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Team Penske's Helio Castroneves in 2009. Penske Racing teams have won the pit stop competition a record 13 times, including the last six times that it has been contested.
Also on Miller Lite Carb Day, Josef Newgarden led a Sam Schmidt Motorsports 1-2 finish in the Firestone Freedom 100 beating his teammate Esteban Guerrieri.
The victory for Newgarden, driving the No. 11 Copart/Score Big/Robo-Pong/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, gave team owner Sam Schmidt his sixth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in nine Firestone Freedom 100 starts.
Newgarden was the first American winner of the Freedom 100 since Ed Carpenter won the inaugural race in 2003 and leads Guerrieri in the point standings by 26 points (151-125). Victor Garcia finished third in the No. 22 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car.
Staind and Papa Roach headlined a concert to conclude the busy day.
MILLER LITE CARB DAY NOTEBOOK:
Fifteen-time Full Throttle NHRA Funny Car champion John Force visited the track today for the first time during the Indianapolis 500.
JOHN FORCE: "It's unbelievable. You know, I raced in the Long Beach Grand Prix in the celebrity race, but I had to go to our race so I had to leave the next day. So I never got to see the race. This is my first. I'm going to stick this thing out to the end. I'm excited. I got my traveling road show here, showing our race cars and comparing them to IndyCar and NASCAR. I'm excited. My driver, Mike Neff, Robert Hight, and my youngest daughter, Courtney, they came in. I wanted them to see something a little bit different. Tom Compton, the president of NHRA, he came in. He's been here before, but I wanted him to see the road show. It's pretty cool. I got to see (Chip) Ganassi, I hear (Don) Prudhomme's here walking around, A.J. Foyt - boy that's something. If I get to see Mario (Andretti), I'll be in heaven." (Would you like to take an Indy car for a spin?): "Oh, yeah. I love any kind of hot rod, you know what I mean? I watched them, and I watched the teams. We got a lot of fans here. Robert and I, Neff and Courtney - we're having a lot of fun."
***
Indianapolis 500 veterans Donnie Allison and Roberto Moreno visited the track today. Allison raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 1970-71, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1970. Moreno raced at Indianapolis in 1986, 1999 and 2007.
DONNIE ALLISON: "Well, it's really phenomenal for me because I don't get to many functions at Indy because of the stock car, you know. But it's a great honor. I mean, I was really, really happy when I was contacted about this." (What's your favorite memory about the Speedway?): "Well, I have a lot of them. Naturally, my first year here in '70 when I won Rookie of the Year, I went to Charlotte; we flew to Charlotte that night in a Purolator plane. And I ran the World 600 the next day, won it. I got back in the airplane that night and flew back here for the Victory Banquet to get the award for Rookie of the Year." (That's a throwback to the old days, isn't it?): "Yeah, these guys now, they think they've accomplished something. I think I accomplished quite a bit."
ROBERTO MORENO: "It's fantastic. Always, it's good to be here. It's a great event. I'm glad I was part of it three times. It's amazing how much I miss when I come here. I wish I was in a car. I'm not done yet. I'm doing races in Europe. I'm 52 but still I have all the enthusiasm and speed that I need."
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Team Penske and driver Ryan Briscoe won the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge today. Team Penske and Briscoe beat Target Chip Ganassi Racing and driver Dario Franchitti in the final with a stop of 7.882 seconds. Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Franchitti completed their stop in 8.481 seconds.
This is the 13th Pit Stop Challenge victory for Team Penske, extending its record. It's the first time Briscoe has won the event as a driver. This is the second time Matt Jonsson has won the event as a chief mechanic, as he led Team Penske to victory in 2005 with driver Sam Hornish Jr.
The last time the winner of the Pit Stop Challenge also won the Indianapolis 500 was 2009, when Team Penske and Helio Castroneves achieved the "double."
Team Penske and Briscoe earned $50,000 for winning the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge. Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Franchitti earned $30,000 for finishing runner-up.
RYAN BRISCOE: "I think what you saw now is a taste of what these guys are going to be doing for me in the race, and it's so important. I put so much pride in their pit stops, and I'm just lucky to have the best guys in pit lane. Helio has definitely been the favorite over the past few years, but I've got this guy (Matt) and I was never looking at who was beside me. We were really consistent, and after the first one we just wanted to keep repeating. They did it all. The Penske pride in the competition goes back a ways, so we don't want to show up here and not be in the competition."
MATT JONSSON (Crew chief): "This win means a lot. It adds confidence for Sunday, of course, and we're planning on doing the same thing on Sunday and trying to move up through the field. We win as a team and lose as a team, and that's our job on Sunday, to try to move up the field. Ryan came in on a consistent speed, stopped right on his marks. That's key for us. We don't have to adjust; we just do the same thing every time. If everyone stays calm and collected, that's the way it turns out to be: consistent."
HVM Racing chief mechanic Brian Fellows was announced as the recipient of the Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award today for his work in leading the team to prepare the backup car for Simona De Silvestro to qualify this year after her primary car was destroyed in a crash in practice.
Fellows received a $5,000 check and a plaque, and his name will be added to a permanent trophy housed in the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.
The Brawner Award, celebrating its 25th anniversary, recognizes an Indy 500 chief mechanic who "exemplifies the mechanical and scientific creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, dedication, enthusiasm and expertise" of its legendary namesake. The award winner is selected by the Clint Brawner Foundation committee. Firestone underwrites the award.
BRIAN FELLOWS: "It means a lot to win this, especially with it the 100th anniversary of the race and the 25th anniversary of the Brawner Award. I've only been in this industry for 11 years, so I feel like I'm a rookie still compared to some of these guys. It's probably one of the best things that's ever happened to me."
William Rast, the "New America" denim culture brand founded by Justin Timberlake in 2005, has signed a multi-year endorsement agreement together with its eyewear license partner, Viva International Group, with 2005 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick to endorse William Rast Eyewear and William Rast Racing Eyewear.
DANICA PATRICK: "It's funny, actually. I was laying by the pool. It was less than two months ago. I had just stopped in an airport and bought some sunglasses with some time off. And I was at home, and I was laying by the pool, and I was putting them on and I was thinking, 'Why am I buying sunglasses?' There's got to be somebody out there. An hour later, my agent called and said: 'OK, don't freak out. I've got a good deal for you.' And he told me about this. And I was like, 'I need to start saying things like that more often.' So I'm very, very excited for them to want me to represent their products and their line of sunglasses. And William Rast Racing being the name of their sport collection, I think sounds really great. A lot of lines have so and so sport, but William Rast Racing just has a great sound to it. Thank goodness, because it means I fit in a little bit better, I think. I just think we're going to have a lot of fun with it." (On what a good fit William Rast is for her): "I have the great luxury to be able to really like and enjoy and wear the products that I represent. I feel really lucky for that, and this is definitely one of them."
d channel 212 on Sirius Premier.
The IMS Radio Network broadcast team: Mike King, play-by-play; Paul Page, analysis; Donald Davidson, historical information; Davey Hamilton, driver analysis from in-car; Jerry Baker, Turn 1; Jake Query, Turn 2; Mark Jaynes, Turn 3; Chris Denari, Turn 4; Kevin Lee, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young, pit reporters; Dave Wilson, garage/medical center.
***
American Honda and its Honda Performance Development (HPD) subsidiary will power all IZOD IndyCar Series entries fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing as manufacturer competition returns to the series in 2012, HPD and Ganassi officials announced today.
The Ganassi organization will be Honda's "anchor" team, as set forth in the regulations for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series, and HPD will provide its new, turbocharged 2.2-liter V6 engines to the Ganassi team.
ERIK BERKMAN (President, HPD; vice president, product planning, American Honda): "We'd like to take this opportunity to announce this association with Ganassi Racing team, and let me take just a second to reflect a little bit on the background and what brought us to this point. We've been supplying as the sole supplier of engines here for the sixth year, and we've had some great success in that we've been able to power the teams with high-quality engines, manufacture in a competitive environment in very competitive racing on the track among the teams. But we've been strong advocates with the INDYCAR folks to let's change it back to the era of competition with more manufacturers, so we're very happy that it's culminated and coming back for competition here. So with that, we've had great success with the Ganassi organization. Chip's won championships for us by himself and for his drivers, and we're had a lot of great success together, and you'll recall those awesome years back in the 90s when we were running together. We're so looking forward to this chance to name Ganassi as our anchor team and, along with the other manufacturers, put on a pretty good show. So we're well on our way to prolong that development and with the start of testing on track here very soon with the new chassis and the new engines, we're ready to roll. Having high technical capability on both sides, having good people working hard, good chemistry, good management and leadership we can be very successful. Without it, we would just fight and struggle and all that. In our experiences in racing, both here and abroad, we've learned a lot on how to keep that in balance. The technical component is key."
CHIP GANASSI (Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing): "I can tell you that I feel honored that they've chosen us. There's a bit of testing that needs to be done, and I think that, and again I don't want to speak for them, but I don't think they can give anything to a team that they can't give to anyone else and their team, but they need someone to try these things out. And I think that's partially the great relationship over the years with Honda. It even surprised myself when I realized it's seven more championships with Honda-powered cars, and we're very proud of that. So we feel honored to be chosen as the anchor team. This is a partnership. In terms of what the team will be able to do, it's not about them serving us. It's really not about us serving them. We have to work together. We both want to win as much as each other and so does the other Honda-powered teams - they're going to want to win. This has been prudent for us in our sports car program that we ran in the (American) Le Mans Series. We have multiple teams. But if you come out with a new development and you've gone through the virtual world and now it's time to go to the track, you want to get there fast because you don't have a lot of time and you want to try it out. The partnership is so we can prove things out as efficiently, effectively and quickly as possible. And then the other Honda-powered teams will have the opportunity to benefit from those developments."
MIKE HULL (Managing director, Chip Ganassi Racing): "Can we drop 'anchor' and call this a partnership? We think it's exciting that IndyCar racing has been instrumental in bringing three manufacturing into the series. Because what that then does is bring back the reality of innovation. Innovation is what needs to drive this to another level. Partnering with Honda, we know what that means for us internally as a team, we know what that means to our drivers, we know how important it is. But we think it's going to be more important for the fan base, for places like the Speedway here and for other places that we race, because as we go forward, the definition of technology and innovation is the most important item for what we are."
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The U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) demonstrated the Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV) as part of special events leading up to the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The U.S. Army labeled the CERV as one of the "greenest technologies" and demonstrated how its advanced hybrid electric powertrain developed by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. and TARDEC saves taxpayer dollars and soldiers' lives.
In support of the U.S. Army's drive for energy efficiency, Quantum developed the Military Aggressor, a first-generation fuel cell hybrid electric alternative mobility vehicle (AMV) several years ago. This high-performance vehicle was designed for quick-paced mobility operations such as reconnaissance, surveillance and target designation. The CERV is a newer-generation stealth vehicle that incorporates Quantum's Q-Force all-wheel drive diesel hybrid- electric technology and a light-weight chassis to produce a torque in excess of 5,000 foot-pounds. The unit has a top speed of 80 mph and can climb 60 percent grades, while reducing fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent compared with conventional vehicles of comparable size.
Officials from the Mazda Road to Indy program met with the media today. The Mazda Road to Indy is the official development ladder of INDYCAR, consisting of three ladder series leading to the IZOD IndyCar Series: Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda.
The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights champion will receive a scholarship to compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series; the 2011 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear champion will receive a scholarship for a full season in the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights, and the 2011 Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda champion will receive a scholarship for a full season in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.
JOHN DOONAN (Director, Mazda Motorsports): "It's unbelievable for our drivers, it's that boyhood dream (to one day drive in the Indianapolis 500). These American kids have grown up watching 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing' and watching those icons like A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Rick Mears and Dario Franchitti compete for the big prize.Finally now we have this ladder system in place that helps solve the problem that a driver can have the most talent in the world but if you don't have the funds to go forward, you're not going to be able to do so. What (Mazda) has tried to, as a brand and now in partnership with the IZOD Indy Car Series, is provide the funds - a real budget - for that driver, from karting to the USF 2000 to Star Mazda to the IZOD Indy Car Series. It's a real check that allows them to showcase that talent even though they didn't have the budget. It becomes reality for them. To see the starting grid and the kids - Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Jay Howard, and Simona De Silvestro, who was in our Atlantic series - those drivers are like family to us. They've chosen at least once in their careers to use Mazda as a stepping stone."
GARY RODRIGUES (Owner, Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear): "We're in our 23rd consecutive year of promoting drivers. We have been longtime partners with Goodyear. The Mazda Road to Indy concept is starting to increase the number of young drivers in open-wheel racing. The lower we can keep the cost of the car, the more kids we can attract to the series. We do that through rules stability. We stick with one car design; we're not out to redesign the car each year. When you give these young drivers and teams a level playing field, the driver's talent can begin to show."
DAN ANDERSEN (Owner/CEO, Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda): "We have a clearly defined ladder where drivers from America and from all over can see the progression, where young drivers can see where they can start. We attract kids right out of go-karts from all countries and from all types of racing and start them up the ladder. We are very proud that we have five drivers (Dan Wheldon, Buddy Rice, JR Hildebrand, Jay Howard and Charlie Kimball) in the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 lineup."
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF INDIANAPOLIS 500 FINAL PRACTICE:
Pos. Car Name Time Speed
1. 9 Scott Dixon 39.9159 225.474
2. 77 Alex Tagliani 40.0464 224.739
3. 10 Dario Franchitti 40.0609 224.658
4. 14 Vitor Meira 40.0927 224.480
5. 98 Dan Wheldon 40.0999 224.439
Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, 11th, 223.830
***
All 33 drivers combined to turn 1,406 laps during final practice. Drivers have turned 10,265 laps - a distance of 25,662.5 miles - overall this month. The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles.
***
FIRESTONE FREEDOM 100 POST-RACE NOTES:
•This is the second career Firestone Indy Lights victory for Josef Newgarden. He also won the 2011 season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla.
•Sam Schmidt Motorsports now has won six of the nine Firestone Freedom 100 races.
•SSM has won three consecutive Firestone Freedom 100 races, an event record.
•This is the first 1-2 finish by one team in the Firestone Freedom 100, as Josef Newgarden and Esteban Guerrieri are Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammates.
•This is the third time the Firestone Freedom 100 has finished under caution. The other years: 2004, 2007.
•Josef Newgarden, from Hendersonville, Tenn., is the first American driver to win the Firestone Freedom 100 since Ed Carpenter won the inaugural event in 2003.
•2010 USAC National Drivers Champion Bryan Clauson finished fifth in his Firestone Indy Lights debut.
•Chase Austin finished ninth in his Firestone Indy Lights debut. He is the first African-American driver to compete in the series.
***
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director:
•Brandon Wagner, James Winslow, Juan Pablo Garcia and Anders Krohn were evaluated and released without injury from the IU Health Emergency Medical Center. They are cleared to drive.
•Gustavo Yacaman was transported via ground to IU Health Methodist for further evaluation of neck pain. He is awake and alert.
•Jorge Goncalvez was transported via ground to IU Health Methodist for further evaluation. He is awake and alert.
***
FIRESTONE FREEDOM 100 POST-RACE QUOTES:
CHASE AUSTIN (No. 75 Willy T. Ribbs/Starting Grid Inc./BAR): "It was pretty cool. We had little issues. The gearing was a little off, so I couldn't really pass anybody by myself. The only way I'd get to pass anybody is when they'd check up in the corner. I just kind of had to be more ballsy than they were, which worked out for the most part. The car started going away a little bit in the end before we took that right rear tire. And just the cautions hurt us a lot on the restarts. But besides that, I have to thank American Honda, because without them we wouldn't be here; Chris Miles and Willy T. for putting me in the car." (On the competition and racing): "You could kind of tell a lot of the guys who haven't run ovals that much from some that have just by how comfortable they were in race situations. Some of them were great by themselves, but as soon as you got outside or inside of them, that's when they tended to lift or something like that. I really capitalized on that, my experience from doing stuff his compared to what they have." (On his partnership with Willy T. Ribbs this week): "It's been good. It's been fun doing interviews with him. I'm just glad he gave me the opportunity."
JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 11 Copart/Score Big/Robo-Pong/SSM): "This is unbelievable. Look at how fired up my team is because they have worked so hard the past two weeks on getting this car ready. This is a wonderful achievement for my team, and it means so much to me and Sam Schmidt. This race means a lot to Sam, and I am grateful to give him the victory. I think we are going to have a good shot with the Indy 500, as well. I have to thank Esteban Guerrieri for helping me the whole race. He is a great teammate to work with. The team was able to make me quick, and I got up to speed right away. It is unfortunate for my other teammates that weren't able to be up here with us, but this is just a showcase as to what this team can do and how powerful they are. This is the biggest win I think I have ever had. To win the Firestone Freedom 100 in front of this crowd at this famous racetrack is incredible. This has been a really fun experience trying to come in and absorb all of the information that my team has to offer. This has been a huge effort by everybody, and this is a win for the entire team."
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 FINAL PRACTICE QUOTES:
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "Yeah, it was an amazing week that we had last week. We're really fortunate that we rolled the car off the trailer fast. The team has done a great job to fine-tune it. Every day we were out there, and we were strong. So it's been a pleasure for me to drive a very competitive car. Today it was nice to be back on track. Obviously, we have a very different car that we're going to drive in the race. And I feel the car is very racey. I love it in traffic. It got some consistency out of the car on the older tires. So I don't know. It seems to me to be unreal and too good to be true sometimes. But I want to think that we deserve it. We did everything better than everyone else, and hopefully it will continue. All winter long, the team fine-tuned the car. They just put their love into it, brought it back this year. Same car, same aerodynamic package, same track, and the car did better. So Penske and Ganassi have done that 10 years in a row. They have done the particular program that we have done for one race 10 years in row: Have a good car and keep improving it every year. And we're trying to close the gap in a year and a half. It's not an easy task." (How will you feel leading this race in the first turn on the first lap for the first time?): "A very high heart rate. I've been very appreciative of what's happened to me as a driver. But what we don't want to forget is that we have the chance to participate in a historical event. And to just have the chance to qualify in it is already a big thing. Leading the field, I think it's going to be something I'll remember for the rest of my life."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "It's more of just a systems check. The car's obviously been in a million pieces since we last drove them. It's just to make sure they're all functioning. We came in and did a few pit stops. Because of the lack of on-track time that we've had, we made a few changes. We tried some dampers, aero downforce levels, things like that. It's obviously very cold and probably not very close or in line with what we're going to run in on Sunday. All in all, it was pretty decent. The car was good. There was loads of traffic. There was lots of action going on out there with people speeding up and slowing down. It was pretty good for both Target cars." (You're a champion and you're on a defending team, but this Tagliani guy just won't go away). "Yeah, it's good. Tag has done a hell of a job this month. It's good to see that it's been working so well. You know, you're never going to know until you get to the race. He's a good friend, and I'm definitely proud to see what he's achieved, obviously, with a start-up team and to be able to mix it up with the big teams."
TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): "The car feels great. We still have a few little adjustments we want to do, but overall it felt really good. We were pretty racey out there. Now we start thinking about how we want to race and see what we learned from that last run and keeping an eye on the weather."
DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We can always learn something from today. It will be a lot different on Sunday. We think we know how to turn the car around for those conditions. It will be a tough race. I think there is less grip than last year, and that's going to make it really interesting. The slower speed (start and restarts) will be better. We may be going 190 into the first turn on the start. Turn 2 will be Turn 1 speed from years past. Restarts, I still don't agree with side-by-side, I think we're just asking for a bit of marbles. Whatever happens will be interesting, it will be slick and interesting. Dixie (Scott Dixon) looks strong. He's going to be tough. We're pretty strong, but just like the month I had last year, he (Dixon) has been on a rail all month. I followed (Alex) Tagliani, and he looks pretty average in traffic. But when he gets off the corner, he really goes. He will be plenty tough to beat. There are a bunch of people you just know who will be there (challenging for the win). (Dan) Wheldon will contend, the Penske cars will be strong, and there will be others. It's wide open."
BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): "It was a short session for us to see if everything was OK with the car, but we couldn't work on much because the conditions will be so different on Sunday. We did some running in traffic, and the car felt good. The Firestone tires gave me great grip and performance today and helped to boost our confidence for the race."
JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): "This is the first time that I have run full tanks in this car, and I was very happy with the way the car handled. We are still looking for a little balance on the car, but we got some good information and we should be able to make the necessary adjustments to be good in the race. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan guys have been working very hard all month to get this Service Central car toward the front of the grid, and I am confident that we will have a good car on Sunday."
JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): "Everything's going well from our perspective. The car felt really good today, and it was important for me as a rookie to get out there and run in traffic a little bit. The entire month has gone really well in the National Guard car, and it's been such a huge help for myself personally, but also for the team, to have Buddy Rice around. We feel good going into Race Day, and I know everybody here is pumped for Sunday to get here."
BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Fuzzy's Vodka/Panther Racing): "It's all good. I just have to thank John Barnes and everybody at Panther Racing for giving me this opportunity, and having Fuzzy's Vodka come on board when they did has been a big help to our program. Panther has a great oval program, and their history here at Indianapolis speaks for itself so we feel really good about how the entire month has gone."
DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): "I really feel like the practice hour was good for the GoDaddy car. I wish we could have got some more laps in, but I was happy. I think it was a productive session. I feel confident in myself and the crew to have a strong finish on race day."
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 41ABC Supply/DHL/Sun Drop): "It felt really good. Both teams did a great job preparing it. I went out, was flat right away, running in traffic, was happy with it and am the highest (on the speed chart) we've been all month. It's not the way we wanted to do it. This isn't the way we wanted to get here. I wish Bruno (Junqueira) was here today, but that's not the case and we've got to get on with the job. The guys did a great job - both the Foyt and Andretti guys - did a great job. To get me in a car I've never driven and for it to run like that is just excellent work by both teams. Thanks to the boys on the crew."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom Energy): "The Venom car was very comfortable today, but I'd still like a more speed. We're still just a bit too slow. But 500 miles is a long time and a lot can happen - we'll do whatever we can to work our way to the front on Sunday."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "It was a good practice for the Shell-Pennzoil car today, I am very optimistic about our chances in the race. I'm so excited and I can't wait for the green flag to wave on Sunday. I am little sad that our run of pit stop competition victories came to end, but it had to end sometime. It is great that Ryan's crew was able to bring home the victory for Team Penske and I'm glad because winning the pit stop competition is a great way for him to turn around what has been a tough week for him."
JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): "We were really happy with the Window World car today. The guys had it in pieces at the shop just a few days ago getting it prepped for this weekend, and today when I got in, it was just as comfortable as before. They've done a great job and today we feel confident with our practice. I'm looking forward to getting out on track again on Sunday for the big show."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "
Great job to Ryan and the No. 6 IZOD team on winning the Pit Stop Competition. The Verizon guys gave it a good go, we just didn't make it to the end. We had a good practice today - the car had a nice balance and we should be good in the race. Now we will just have to wait for the green flag and see what comes our way."
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SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8:45-9 a.m.
Chase Rookie of the Year Q&A, Coca-Cola Stage
9-10 a.m.
2011 Starting Field/Indy 500 Winners Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza
9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 Memorabilia Show, Pagoda Plaza
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Red Bull BMX Event, Flag Lot
10:40-11 a.m.
Public Drivers Meeting, Tower Terrace
11:30-11:45 a.m.
A.J. Foyt Q&A, Coca-Cola Stage
11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m.
A.J. Foyt Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza
Noon-4 p.m.
Indy 500 Veterans Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza
INDIANAPOLIS
- Results Friday of the Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights event
on the 2.5 mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway,
order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps complete and reason out (if any):
1. (2) Josef Newgarden, 40, Running
2. (5) Esteban Guerrieri, 40, Running
3. (4) Victor Garcia, 40, Running
4. (3) Stefan Wilson, 40, Running
5. (1) Bryan Clauson, 40, Running
6. (6) Peter Dempsey, 40, Running
7. (16) Rusty Mitchell, 40, Running
8. (9) David Ostella, 40, Running
9. (17) Chase Austin, 40, Running
10. (7) Mikael Grenier, 40, Running
11. (10) Jorge Goncalvez, 34, Contact
12. (8) Anders Krohn, 34, Contact
13. (14) Duarte Ferreira, 29, Contact
14. (18) Brandon Wagner, 28, Contact
15. (12) Gustavo Yacaman, 20, Contact
16. (15) Juan Pablo Garcia, 20, Contact
17. (11) James Winslow, 20, Contact
18. (13) Victor Carbone, 7, Contact
Race Statistics
Winner's Average Speed: 107.817
Time of Race: 55:38.9881
Margin of victory: Under caution
Cautions: 4 for 22 laps
Lead changes: 6 among 4 drivers
Lap Leaders: Newgarden 1-2, Wilson 3, Newgarden 4, Krohn 5-11, Newgarden 12, Guerrieri 13-14, Newgarden 15-40.
Point Standings: Newgarden 149, Guerrieri 125, V. Garcia 121, Wilson 121, Dempsey 111, Conor Daly 109, Grenier 102, Ostella 95, Krohn 94, Goncalvez 90
May 27 2011
CREWS Feeling Need For SPEED, BIG PRIZE in IZOD PIT STOP CHALLENGE
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 26, 2011 - The fastest pit crews in the Indianapolis 500 will compete for a $50,000 first prize in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge during Miller Lite Carb Day on Friday, May 27 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Competition among 12 teams starts at 1:30 p.m. on pit lane at IMS. Four rounds of action are scheduled, with the runner-up team earning $30,000 and the third-place team earning $20,000.
Teams will change four tires and perform a simulated fuel hookup during each round of the competition. The quickest time wins, with time penalties added for various infractions, such as loose wheel nuts or running over air hoses.
Nine teams previously qualified based on pit performance between the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle earlier this month. Three teams earned the final spots during time trials last week at IMS.
VERSUS will televise the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge live as part of its Miller Lite Carb Day coverage from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Team Penske and Helio Castroneves are the two-time defending champions of the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge. Team Penske has won a record 12 times and Castroneves five times, also a record.
Challenge brackets:
FIRST ROUND
#3 Team Penske (Helio Castroneves) vs. #28 Andretti Autosport* (Ryan Hunter-Reay)
#19 Dale Coyne Racing (Alex Lloyd) vs. #06 Newman/Haas Racing (James Hinchcliffe)
#82 KV Racing Technology-Lotus (Tony Kanaan) vs. #26 Andretti Autosport (Marco Andretti)
#5 KV Racing Technology-Lotus (Takuma Sato) vs. #22 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Justin Wilson)
QUARTERFINALS
#3-#28 Winner vs. #12 Team Penske (Will Power)
#19-#06 Winner vs. #10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Dario Franchitti)
#82-#26 Winner vs. #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon)
#5-#22 Winner vs. #6 Team Penske (Ryan Briscoe
May 26 2011
MORE THAN 100 INDY 500 VETS SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS SAT. AT IMS
Son of inaugural winner Ray Harroun also on hand to greet fans, sign
INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, May 25, 2011 - The most impressive gathering of Indianapolis 500 veterans in history - more than 100 drivers - will sign autographs at "The World's Largest Autograph Session" during A.J. Foyt Day festivities Saturday, May 28 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
An added attraction to the autograph session will be the participation of 95-year-old Dick Harroun, the son of inaugural Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Harroun. Dick Harroun's father drove the famed Marmon "Wasp" to victory in 1911.
All activities during A.J. Foyt Day are free, including the autograph sessions. Public gates open at 8 a.m.
Thirteen retired Indianapolis 500 winners will sign autographs with this year's starting field of 33 drivers, which includes five active past winners, from 9-10 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza.
More than 100 retired Indianapolis 500 veterans and Dick Harroun will sign from noon-4 p.m. in the Pagoda Plaza.
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt will sign in an exclusive autograph session from 11:55 a.m.-12:25 p.m. in the Pagoda Plaza. One-hundred wristbands will be distributed for the autograph session at 9 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza, with one per person.
No wristbands are required for the other two autograph sessions.
Other fan-friendly activities Saturday at IMS include:
•A public question-and-answer session with Chase Rookie of the Year candidates on the Coca-Cola Stage in the Pagoda Plaza from 8:45-9 a.m.
•A full-scale memorabilia show from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the IMS infield already so popular that vendor space sold out within 48 hours.
•The annual drivers' meeting from 10:30-11 a.m. on pit road adjacent to the Tower Terrace grandstand, which includes awards presentations and last-minute instructions to the starting field.
•Live music by Nadine Bernecker from 11-11:30 a.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage.
•A.J. Foyt will participate in a question-and-answer session from 11:30-11:45 a.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage.
•An all-day display of 19 vintage sprint and midget race cars in the IMS infield, with several driven by the greatest legends of the Brickyard: Foyt, Andretti, Rutherford and the Unsers.
•The Red Bull Battle at the Brickyard will showcase top bicycle motocross riders from around the world competing on a concrete playground from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Flag Lot. The Flatland BMX competition is similar to break-dancing on a bicycle.
•A display of cars from the Mazda Road To Indy that is grooming the future stars of the Indianapolis 500. Cars from The Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda, the Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and Firestone Indy Lights will be on display starting at 11 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza.
•Book signings featuring authors of new books about the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and its history.
•A "Virtual Indy 500" that will feature fans across the world racing in a full-length Indianapolis 500 on the PC simulation iRacing.com at noon. Selected fans also will compete at 3:30 p.m. against Indianapolis 500 drivers in an iRacing.com sprint race appearing on the large video boards at IMS, with prizes including Race Day packages to the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and more.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum will be open with its incredible new exhibition of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars. Museum admission is just $5 for adults and $3 for ages 6-15, with children under 6 free.
WORLD'S LARGEST AUTOGRAPH SESSION PARTICIPANTS
(Participants subject to change)
Past Winners Signing from 9-10 a.m.*
Mario Andretti Kenny Brack Eddie Cheever Jr.
Gil de Ferran Emerson Fittipaldi Parnelli Jones
Arie Luyendyk Rick Mears Johnny Rutherford
Tom Sneva Al Unser Al Unser Jr.
Bobby Unser
* -- Also signing from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Friday, May 27 at IMS Hall of Fame Museum
Veterans Signing from Noon-4 p.m.
Donnie Allison Bill Alsup Jeff Andretti
Eric Bachelart Tom Bagley Patrick Bedard
Donnie Beechler Raul Boesel Claude Bourbonnais
Buzz Calkins Tyce Carlson Pancho Carter
Michael Chandler Steve Chassey P.J. Chesson
Wally Dallenbach Derek Daly Dominic Dobson
Paul Durant Don Edmunds Billy Englehart
Wim Eyckmans Teo Fabi Dennis Firestone
Spike Gehlhausen Phil Giebler Paul Goldsmith
Scott Goodyear Stephan Gregoire Mike Groff
Roberto Guerrero Dan Gurney Janet Guthrie
Jim Guthrie Dean Hall Pete Halsmer
Bob Harkey Scott Harrington Shigeaki Hattori
Jon Herb Jack Hewitt Andy Hillenburg
Mike Hiss Howdy Holmes Chuck Hulse
Stefan Johansson Bobby Johns Herm Johnson
John Jones PJ Jones Bernard Jourdain
Mel Kenyon Jimmy Kite Steve Knapp
Phil Krueger Lee Kunzman Bob Lazier
Jaques Lazier Greg Leffler Joe Leonard
Randy Lewis Jeff MacPherson George Mack
Art Malone John Martin Hideshi Matsuda
Hiro Matsushita Jim McElreath Robby McGehee
Roger Mears Jack Miller Rocky Moran
Roberto Moreno Tero Palmroth Max Papis
Johnny Parsons Ted Prappas Scott Pruett
Bill Puterbaugh Eldon Rasmussen Hector Rebaque
Willy T. Ribbs Billy Roe Lyn St. James
Eliseo Salazar Joe Salda Vern Schuppan
nall Simpson Jerry Sneva George Snider
Didier Theys Brian Till Johnny Unser
Bill Vukovich II Bruce Walkup Chuck Weyant
Bill Whittington Don Whittington Cory Witherill
Denny Zimmerman
May 24 2011
Statement from Andretti Autosport
'5.23.11 – Ryan Hunter-Reay will replace Bruno Junqueira in A.J. Foyt’s No. 41 Dallara/Honda in the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29, 2011.
Michael Andretti, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer:
“I can’t thank A.J. enough for giving Ryan the chance to drive for his team in the Indy 500. We also appreciate his willingness to allow our dedicated sponsors to have a presence on the 41 car.”
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Driver:
“There has been an incredible range of emotion these past few days. I know this is not the first time this has happened in Indy 500 history but I feel terrible for Bruno and I thank him for his efforts and I hope he understands. It’s cool to be driving for A.J. again, especially with Michael’s support and encouragement. This is not how I envisioned the month of May this year but we are still committed to winning this race.”
May 23 2011
INDIANAPOLIS 500 FIELD SET WITH DRAMATIC BUMP DAY
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 22, 2011) - Marco Andretti and Alex Lloyd bumped their way into the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 with dramatic qualifying runs in the final 10 minutes of Bump Day qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The two were among 14 drivers seeking to secure one of the nine spots on the 33-car grid in a six-hour session interrupted twice by rain.
With 75 minutes left, Danica Patrick put the No. 7 Team GoDaddy car solidly in the field with a four-lap average of 224.861 mph. But that left teammate Andretti on the bubble while Ryan Hunter-Reay sat 32nd.
Eight drivers failed to gather the necessary consistent speed to force Andretti to re-qualify until Lloyd of Dale Coyne Racing, who finished fourth in the Indy 500 last May, put together an average speed of 223.917 mph. Teammate James Jakes sought to knock Hunter-Reay out, too, but his attempt was waved off after two laps.
That left Andretti as the final contestant. As the gun went off to end the session, so did Andretti on his qualifying attempt. Three minutes later, and with an average speed of 224.628 mph, he jumped to the inside of Row 10. That left his teammate and close friend on the outside for the May 29 race.
The fourth Andretti Autosport driver, Mike Conway, who recovered from a season-ending crash in last year's Indianapolis 500 to win at Long Beach in mid-April also was among the entrants who failed to find the consistent speed.
Also not making the show were Raphael Matos, Sebastian Saavedra and Jakes. Dragon Racing's Ho-Pin Tung and Scott Speed did not complete qualifying attempts.
Lloyd is joined on the last row by rookie Pippa Mann of Conquest Racing and Ana Beatriz of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Andretti will start on Row 10 with rookie Charlie Kimball and Graham Rahal, while Paul Tracy will share Row 9 with Patrick and Ryan Briscoe.
This is the closest matched field by time in Indianapolis 500 history -- 2.5399 seconds separate fastest qualifier Alex Tagliani and slowest qualifier Beatriz. The record was 3.0622 seconds set in 2010.
BUMP DAY NOTEBOOK:
Panther Racing rejoined an old friend and will have a familiar look in the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, as the team announced today that Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka has partnered with the team to be the primary sponsor on former Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice's No. 44 entry. Rice, who won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 from the pole position, qualified seventh yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Panther's second-best starting position at the historic 2.5-mile race track.
"It's great to have Fuzzy Zoeller and Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka back home with Panther Racing," Panther Racing Managing Partner and CEO John Barnes said. "Fuzzy is the kind of guy we like to have on our team - he's a champion, a fierce competitor and somebody who wants to win the Indianapolis 500 just as badly as everybody on our team. Buddy Rice hasdone an unbelievable job for us this month and we're happy to find a great partner like Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka to help get us one step closer to victory lane at the Brickyard."
Zoeller is the winner of two Major Championships, as the golf legend won The Masters in his first appearance in the event in 1979. He won the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club and won the Senior PGA Championship in 2002 and is a native of Indiana.
"In racing, like golf, sometimes you play two balls," Zoeller, winner of 12 tour victories on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, said. "We're looking forward to rejoining last year's partner Panther Racing and sponsoring the No. 44 Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka driven by Buddy Rice. We had a great run last year with Panther and we look forward to another exciting Indianapolis 500 together."
Rice is the 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner and is returning to the Indianapolis 500 this season after a two-year hiatus during which he won another of the world's most prestigious auto races - the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In his career Rice has a total of three IZOD IndyCar Series victories and finished a career-best third in the series championship in 2004.
"I'm just really happy to have Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka on the No. 44 car for the race next weekend," Rice said. "All the guys on the team talked about how great it was to have Fuzzy around last season and I'm looking forward to meeting him and putting the Fuzzy's Vodka car at the front of the field in the 500. We've had a great month so far, and the car's been quick out of the gate and, for me, I'm just excited to be back at Indianapolis - especially for the Centennial. This only comes around once and thanks to John Barnes, Panther Racing and Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka we're going to have a great package for next Sunday."
Indianapolis 500 veteran Willy T. Ribbs served as the honorary starter today. This is the 20th anniversary of Ribbs becoming the first African-American driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, in 1991.
Ribbs announced May 12 that he has formed Willy T. Ribbs Racing to field an entry for 21-year-old African-American driver Chase Austin, starting in the Firestone Freedom 100 on Friday, May 27. The team was created in partnership with Starting Grid Inc. principal Chris Miles.
WILLY T. RIBBS: "Well, this place, to say it's special for me is an understatement. It is where my most important happening in my life took place. I could say career but what happened in 1991 was the most special moment in my life, apart from my three kids being born." (Have your feelings changed in 20 years compared to how you felt that day?): "Every time you walk in here, it feels the same. It's an unbelievable experience. The Hulman-George family has been very good to me. The Speedway has been very good to me. The city of Indianapolis has been good to me. I don't live in Indianapolis, but it's my home." (On being a Firestone Indy Lights car owner with driver Chase Austin): "Well, it's no secret my long-term goal is to be an IndyCar team owner in the big championship (IZOD IndyCar Series). I've got a one-race deal with Chase Austin. I think he's going to be a hell of a driver. He's young, and if he has the right resource around him, he'll be able to do real well."
Riley Hoffman, from Greenwood, Ind., was crowned 500 Festival Queen on Saturday during the annual 500 Festival Breakfast at the Brickyard.
Hoffman, a student at Indiana University, will receive a $2,500 educational scholarship from the 500 Festival and Indianapolis television station WTHR.
Laken Kurtz of Muncie and Alexandra Norman of Zionsville were selected as members of Hoffman's court from the field of 33 Festival princesses.
Members of the Indianapolis 500 starting field will disperse across the United States and Canada on Monday for a media tour promoting the 100th Anniversary race. Drivers will visit these markets: Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ohio, Dallas, Dayton, Ohio, Las Vegas, Louisville, Ky., Miami, Milwaukee, Nashville, Tenn., New York, Orlando, Fla., Tampa, Fla. and Toronto
100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500
PRESS CONFERENCE
Marco Andretti, Michael Andretti
Sunday, May 22, 2011
(I Think the moderator is Pat Sullivan, editor aXe)
MODERATOR: Well, just another day at the track, eh, Marco?
MARCO ANDRETTI: Not exactly. That was new for me.
MODERATOR: Wow, talk about it. Watching, I was surprised that Lloyd put up the time he did. He went out and did it, and all of a sudden the pressure was on you.
MARCO ANDRETTI: I wonder if the track just got better, or what. I knew we were going to be hanging it out at the end there. Our approach was we're going home anyway. Really, I mean, the way we went out, it was either stick it in the fence or stick it in the show. So luckily we were on the upside of that.
MODERATOR: I should hope so. What a weird day. You're in a situation where it's your own teammate, as well, which has to be brutal.
MARCO ANDRETTI: Yeah, I'm feeling for Mike, as well. But I think the pair of them are two of the best in the business. Ryan has had terrible luck this year. Fortunately, Mike got a win, but Ryan has been in a position to win a lot of races this year and came short for whatever reason. I was just so fortunate to be on the upside of the circumstances. We were at Mother Nature's mercy for a while there. It was a roller coaster day. When I woke up today, I was ready. I was just ready for it, and I was expecting to be -- luckily we were in line at the right place at the right time. But I was expecting it to come down to the wire because I knew we didn't have the speed. We came up with it at the end there, but we were really risking it.
MODERATOR: I've just got to ask more, VERSUS coverage, what our coverage was on, did you wink at one of your people before you went out?
MARCO ANDRETTI: I don't know, maybe.
MODERATOR: Looked pretty confident.
MARCO ANDRETTI: Yeah, but I don't want to come across cocky, either. To be honest, I was happier that we got bumped, you know, because that justifies us going out again. You hate to withdraw your time and then you have to lift, or you crash the thing and you're out of it. So many things could have gone wrong. Somebody was looking over me today. I was lucky.
MODERATOR: Questions.
Q: Marco, what did No-No [?] have to say?
MARCO ANDRETTI: He told me I was leaving too much track at the exit. So I had to trim it out more and just hang on to it, and that's what we did.
Q: Marco, how excruciating was it to be in that cockpit when Jakes went out there and you knew there was no chance that he was not going to be able to be fast enough, and all that was doing was ticking away the time that could have kept you from making a run?
MARCO ANDRETTI: Exactly, but at the same time it was almost like a common courtesy. If I went out and did that speed, I would call it just to let somebody have another go. But I was fortunate things worked out, like I said.
MODERATOR: Other questions?
Q: What's it like to get shot at, but what's it like to just sit in the cockpit that long waiting?
MARCO ANDRETTI: That's my favorite place to be, man. (Laughter)
Q: But were you sweating? What was it like?
MARCO ANDRETTI: You know what? I was in the mindset whatever is going to happen is going to happen. I think coming into like my first run of the month, I knew we were going to be in this position, unfortunately. If we didn't find that big jump in speed that we were down, even my teammate Danica, I knew we were going to be in this position. So I think we were just kind of prepared for it, and we showed up when we had to.
MODERATOR: When Danica came in, she said that she couldn't figure out any rhyme or reason for when you were faster or slower, and that's got to be really disconcerting to a driver.
MARCO ANDRETTI: Yeah, I mean I knew if I could keep it off the wall we were going to have a shot at it because we went pretty risky there at the end, but that's what you have to do, I guess. But, yeah, we've been confused with a few of the speeds out there, but it's not always the fastest car that wins this race. You have to have a good car in the race, and we'll be coming.
Q: Marco, could you talk a little bit about maybe your strategy, if you took any tips from TK last year, he came from 33rd and was in race contention last year, that's kind of the mindset that you'll be in this year. And I know you're just fresh off just getting in the field, but talk a little bit about what Race Day is going to be like fighting through traffic and maybe competing for the win.
MARCO ANDRETTI: Well, I mean studying last year's onboard in preparation for this year, I mean it took me three-quarters of the race to get it toward the front, starting 16th last year. So we know we have a challenge ahead of us. I think it's going to be two different types of races. We're going to need some grip in the field and stuff like that. But, you know, double-file restarts, maybe that will shake it up a bit. From there, I mean it is 500 miles, so Dad could do some magic for us, and hopefully we can be up front and stay there.
Q: Marco, you said yesterday that all you wanted to do was get the car in the race because you thought you could win wherever you were. That's still your mindset?
MARCO ANDRETTI: Darn right. We wouldn't show up, otherwise. I think it would have been nice to be able to work on the race car today, but not a lot of people did weather-wise, they kind of got caught out. I saw yesterday they got a bit of a jump on us, but we have good cars in the race this year. I don't want to jinx us: I was thinking about this last night when I wasn't sleeping; I think this team has been in the top three of this race since '03 or '04.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Ever since we started the team, yeah.
Q: This is for Michael. Just the balance of emotions you've had to go through, I mean, are you happier that Marco got in or are you more bummed that Ryan and Mike aren't?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: I knew it was going to come to that. I knew I wasn't going to be happy either way. I'm ecstatic for Marco, and I'm heartbroken for Ryan and DHL and heartbroken for Mike and the Hired Heroes guys and 7-Eleven. It was not a good day. It was probably my worst day as an owner, for sure. Had some real tough times here, and as a driver that probably would have been worse, but as an owner this probably ranks up there as the worst. You know, because I felt so bad for those guys. You know, there for a while I was feeling bad for Danica and GoDaddy, and then it turned to bright for them and then dark for Ryan and Mike. So it was just -- I just knew somebody wasn't going to be happy in this team, you know, at the end of the day. We were too close together.
Q: Mike, at 5:00 did you give any consideration to pulling Marco's time down and sending him out right then?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: We talked about it. And it was because of this scenario that happened. I just had a feeling it was going to come down to that Ryan was not going to get a chance to defend himself. But then, you know, the rule is you don't pull a time. So it was a tough decision.
MARCO ANDRETTI: Probably a good thing you guys weren't listening on the radio.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Yeah, in the end it's easy to say now. I wish we would have done it because I think Ryan was going to get enough speed to get in. But that's easy to say right now because we would have looked really stupid had Marco gone out and not gone as quick. So it was just one of those deals. We weren't confident enough that he was going to be able to do what he did. If I had known he was going to do 224, he's been holding back all this time, if I had known he was holding back, I definitely would have run at 5:00.
Q: Michael, is your mind just swimming right now what went wrong this week?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: This month. From the moment we unloaded, we had two fast cars, and we had three slow cars. And we've gone through everything to try to figure it out. And we have not figured it out. That's just for speed. I really think once the race rolls around, that doesn't matter and it comes down to handling. That's why I feel confident with the cars we have in the field. I think Marco is going to be the guy to beat, I really do. We just felt that, you know, we've got to get him in the field first, and we're struggling with that speed all week. We knew it, you know, a few days ago. So it's been very frustrating because we can't put our finger on why. It doesn't make sense. I mean, everything theoretically is the same.
Q: Michael, it wasn't that long ago where there were just enough cars entered in this race to form the 33-car starting line.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: I wish it would have been like that this month.
Q: Today we sent the last two Long Beach Grand Prix winners home.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Thanks for reminding me of that.
Q: Is it back to the '95?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: '95 it wasn't this competitive, in my mind. I just feel that the team and the quality that was out there this year was just unmatched in the history of this Speedway, in my mind, from the drivers to the teams. I think this was the toughest it's ever been.
MODERATOR: Other questions? Michael, I'd assume it would have been darn disappointing not to have an Andretti in the 100th anniversary event.
MARCO ANDRETTI: John is in.
MODERATOR: John is in, but from your side of things.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: Yeah, from a dad's side, I'm ecstatic. But I'm going crazy on one side and crying on another side.
MARCO ANDRETTI: We were torn, when it was raining, we were sitting under the timing stand. I wanted it to rain all day, but for him I don't because Danica doesn't get to go out. So that's the balance we have to deal with.
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: That's what comes with having five cars out there. It finally bit us, you know. We've been pretty lucky all these years, and we've had our bad year. At least we have three solid ones in now. Penskes have been here before and missed the whole field and gone home. At least we have some guys out there fighting for Andretti Autosport.
Q: Mike, what specifically happened with Danica's missing tach earlier?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: I don't know quite the details on it, but I guess there was a part that was changed from the day before and they threw it out, or they made her go to the back of the line to fix it. It was something in the back of the car, around the brake ducts or something.
Q: Chuck Edwards is not here, but if he was, he would probably say this. You take the Andretti team, the Penske team and the Ganassi team against the field, does that hold up in your mind?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: I think we're going to be really strong Race Day. Our history is not qualifying here; our history is the race. I really feel like we're going to have good race cars and be really competitive. I think last year we had a similar type qualifying effort, if you remember Tony started 32nd and Marco started deep in the field, and they were both contending for the win. So, you know, I think we're there, and unfortunately I think we're going to be contending for the win with either a Ganassi or a Penske. It's probably the way it's going to come down. There are other good cars, I think Tag and those guys, but they've shown speed. We'll see how they are when you have 33 cars out there because it's a totally different day.
Q: You do have two people in the race that have been in the top five, one in the top two and didn't quite make the Winner's Circle. Do you want to comment on that?
MICHAEL ANDRETTI: They're ready to win.
MODERATOR: Very good. Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Thanks, guys.
100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500
PRESS CONFERENCE
Alex Lloyd, Dale Coyne
Sunday, May 22, 2011
MODERATOR: probably Pat Sullivan
Alex, we have been watching all day, and when the heat was on, boy, did you deliver a scintillating series of laps. Congratulations.
ALEX LLOYD: Yeah, thank you. I mean, it's been probably one of the most stressful weekends I think I've had in my career. I remember it last year, we had to qualify on Bump Day last year. I remember that being pretty stressful, and I didn't want anything to do with it this year. Fortunately, last year we got in comfortably on Bump Day; we had the speed. This year, since Fast Friday we've lost a mile an hour each day. Honestly, I was pretty worried. I think we all were. I think the chances of us making the show seemed pretty low. We came back out this afternoon with a completely different setup on it. Went out there, did a run, 222.7, aborted the next lap because we were about to hit the wall. There's no way I could have driven another lap. At that point we were all a bit worried. When we got out for that final run, I mean the guys didn't have time to do much to the car. We had a couple tire pressure adjustments, trying to get the thing that it would get a little bit more grip in it. On the warm-up lap, we nearly lost it because we didn't have the grip in the tires at that point, that's what we were going for. But I had to lift so badly in (Turn) 3, I thought there's no way we can do this now. I saw the time for the first lap and thought you know what? Maybe, maybe. At that point I'm holding it flat, or I'm in the wall. There's not going to be a lift. The only lift that I am going to be doing is when I'm backward flying into the SAFER Barrier. So it was all or nothing, and that's what Indy's about. You know, it's just all credit to the guys. They work so hard and it's a never-give-up attitude that I think we all have, and we all kept the faith, what little of it was left at the end there. But we didn't stop believing. We had a tough run there, not just the fact of trying to hold it off the wall for those four laps, the oil temperature went sky high and on the third lap the engine was vibrating so much, by the fourth lap I couldn't see where I was going. I was absolutely convinced the thing was going to blow up. I thought there's no way this thing will last. I've never felt this way; I was looking in the mirror to see if I could see smoke. But it held on, and we made it happen.
When we saw the crew guys' face when I pulled up and you see not just what it means for myself but what it means for the whole team, for the crew guys, for their families, all the effort they put in all year long, for Dale over there, it felt better than finishing fourth place.
DALE COYNE: I didn't see you when you came in. How did you do? (Laughter)
MODERATOR: Well, Dale, when I was watching it, I swear, I was thinking to myself, Alex is going to put this thing in the field or he's going to put it in the fence, which race drivers are a different breed, and that was a moment of that. Did you have the same sense?
COYNE: For both of them. In fact, the other one did brush the wall. But no, I think that last run was all Alex. We didn't have a car that was perfect here. You know, we had times when we were good, but when it counted, we weren't that good. But that run was all Alex. The car we gave him, he said, 'This is it, it's time to go,' and he got the job done. He did a great job last year, finished third, arguably fourth, if I said it right, but no, we're proud of what this kid can do. We're pleased to be in this position right now.
MODERATOR: We'll open it up to questions.
Q: Alex, you had to have a huge range of emotion throughout the day. Not just those last four minutes. What was it like at quarter to three when it's raining, were you thinking at that point, "Maybe I don't have to worry anymore today"?
LLOYD: No, my attitude since the moment we finished that first run, we're going to have to go back out there. I saw the rain, saw it was going to pass, knew it was going to dry quickly, knew Danica was going to have the speed to get in. We made a decision during that break when we knew it was going to rain for a bit to change the setup completely and go back to where we have been quickest during this week and just see. Because we somehow lost speed the last couple of days from being pretty good on Fast Friday. We changed everything, went back, and probably I wasn't too stressed at that point. At that point it's still business. It's not crunch time. We went out and did a run, 222.7, as I said before, and that was it. Then you're starting to get -- it's not a panic; you don't get in that situation. You can't let yourself panic. But there's a realization at that point, hey, we might not make this field. Then we found out, when we pulled out of line, we found we only had the one run left. That was it, this was our attempt. At that point you get to a point where it's all or nothing, you're going to give it every last bit you had. The one thing I learned today that I thought I had already figured out in my three years of racing this race, I honestly believed that I knew what Indy meant, what it means to race this race and go through some of the emotions you do. This to me is why I'm over in America, why I want to race IndyCar. Every race is important, but Indy is what gets me up in the morning. All of a sudden when you have that realization that we might not actually make this race, and when we actually crossed the line and knew that I was safe, the feeling was beyond anything I've ever felt in my career. And it just shows what this race actually means, how special it is just to be a part of, to qualify 31st. I mean, it's not a good qualifying position, but to just be a part of it, to get ourselves in the show, for myself, for Dale, for the crew, as I said, for all their families, there's nothing like it. I mean, it's a very sweet end to a very difficult weekend.
But we're in, and we're looking forward to getting this thing in race trim, going out there next Sunday. We had a difficult qualifying last year, and the race went pretty good. So I don't think you should count us out for next Sunday just yet. We're going to work hard. We showed we can work hard and pull things out of the bag, and that's what we plan to do next Sunday.
Q: Dale, do you feel pretty much the same?
COYNE: I'm pretty pleased. We came here, knew how tough the field was going to be this year. I really can't say enough about Alex, but I think for James, and you guys know better than we do, this is the first -- there aren't very many drivers who come here and this is the first oval they see. The whole world knows who Scott Speed is, but this is a tough place to conquer mentally. He didn't make the show, but I think he did a good job. Never been on an oval, never run Indy Lights on an oval, and I don't know when that's happened. I know he's bummed right now, but he shouldn't be. He should be holding his head up high for coming here and going as well as he has. We've done some things this winter with our team and engineering staff, I think that's going to bode very, very well for the future. We're excited about next year having a chassis that's going to be on a par level to start with. I think that's going to be good for us and we're already planning towards that.
Alex is good. He gave great input back to the engineers, and I think a lot of things happened in the last 48 hours when it comes to engineering, but his input was great and worked out good here at the end. He's right: This place gets you going. It's days like this, you know, the Andrettis, their two winners are going home. We've seen it before with Penske and Rahal. So you realize how hard it is to get in this race sometimes, and this race can get in your head. But that's what makes it great, with the pressure of what this is. It gets us all up in the morning and keeps us up at night. (Laughter)
MODERATOR: Other questions for our two very relieved men?
Congratulations, guys.
COYNE: Thank you.
LLOYD: Thanks.
100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500
PRESS CONFERENCE
MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): "It's a tough break - both me and Ryan, not in the show. I'm pretty gutted. Danica spent some time with me, putting me back together, after I got back to the garage. I'm obviously happy for Danica, Marco and John to be in, but gutted for me and Ryan. I never wanted to experience this feeling. You see it happen every year, and you hope it's not you. It's not nice."
May 22 2011
J. STEWART, Jim McGEE to be INDUCTED into AUTO RACING HALL of FAME
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 2011 - 1966 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Sir Jackie Stewart and legendary chief mechanic and race strategist Jim McGee are the 2011 inductees into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame, officials announced May 12.
The induction ceremony will take place Thursday, May 26 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. An esteemed panel of nearly 150 electors, comprised of Hall of Fame members, leading auto racing participants, motorsports journalists and officials, votes annually for Hall of Fame inductees.
"It's a great honor to welcome Jackie Stewart and Jim McGee into the Hall of Fame," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "Their skills and achievements are a significant part of the history of IMS and, in particular, the Indianapolis 500. They're both very deserving of motor racing's highest honor on this 100th anniversary year for the '500.'"
Stewart, from Scotland, only made two Indianapolis 500 starts, in 1966 and 1967, but came within a few laps of finishing first and second.
He dropped out while leading with just nine laps remaining in 1966 and was running just behind Parnelli Jones and eventual winner A.J. Foyt when his engine failed at 168 laps in 1967.
Three-time Formula One World Champion Stewart stayed connected to "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" by serving as a commentator during ABC's television coverage for 13 years between 1971-84.
Stewart has been a tireless advocate for racing safety during and after his driving career. He was knighted for his numerous accomplishments by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.
McGee has contributed to more than 90 major open-wheel victories in the U.S. during his illustrious career, including four Indianapolis 500s.
He entered the sport in 1960 as a protégé of legendary chief mechanic Clint Brawner on the Dean Van Lines team in 1960. Brawner later promoted McGee to co-chief, where he became an integral part of many of Mario Andretti's race victories in the late 1960s, including Andretti's 1969 Indianapolis 500 triumph.
McGee also worked as a chief mechanic for Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing and Team Penske. He also worked as a race strategist for Patrick Racing and Newman/Haas Racing.
During his career as a mechanic and strategist, he worked with some of the sport's most outstanding drivers, including Andretti, Tom Sneva, Bobby Unser, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Nigel Mansell, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi and Danny Sullivan.
TAGLIANI WINS PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE AWARD
AT the INDIANAPOLIS 500
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS - (Saturday, May 21, 2011) -Alex Tagliani earned the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone in a winner-take-all "Fast Nine" segment -- in which seven different IZOD IndyCar Series teams were represented -- on a wild Pole Day for the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500.
Twenty-four starting positions were filled on the first day, and the remaining nine will be determined on Bump Day. That also portends to be another drama-filled day as at least 15 drivers are expected to make qualifying attempts to secure a spot in the May 29 race. Once 33 spots are filled, bumping begins. Each entrant receives three attempts.
Tagliani, the final driver to go out in the Fast Nine, is the first Canadian to earn the pole for the 500 Mile Race. He recorded a four-lap average of 227.472 mph to swipe the award from Target Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon (227.340). Oriol Servia will join them on the front row.
"I'm probably going to be pinching myself until I go to bed," said Tagliani, whose No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports topped the speed charts in practice throughout the week. "It's been an amazing team effort. We have a great group of people, and the additions with the other cars. I had good input from Townsend (Bell) and Dan (Wheldon) and it's been nice to work as a big group this week.
"I wanted this one so bad."
That's understandable, especially after being bumped from the field in 2009. He did start the race, however, replacing Bruno Junqueira in the Conquest Racing car and went on to earn Rookie of the Year (advancing from 33rd to finish 11th).
"This is a reward for Sam as well," Tagliani said about Schmidt, who is celebrating his 10th year as a team owner at Indianapolis. "He got involved and helped to continue it. He's an amazing team leader and this is a great result for him. I hope there's more to come."
Bell, IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power, who started from the pole in the first four races, and 2005 Indy 500 winner Wheldon will share Row 2. Buddy Rice, the '04 winner, will be on Row 3 with Ed Carpenter and reigning 500 Mile Race champion Dario Franchitti.
Franchitti looked to be on pace to grab the provisional pole with an average of 227.043 mph through three laps in the Fast Nine, but the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car ran out of fuel on the final lap. Dixon said his car also ran out of fuel -- just after completing the 10-mile run. Four Indy 500 winners participated in the Fast Nine.
"We were pretty close on setup with the Target car, but not good enough for the pole today," said Franchitti, a two-time race winner. "We were definitely good enough for third place. We obviously ran out of fuel at the end of the third lap and that was it. It's disappointing for us, but I'm happy for Sam Schmidt, Allen McDonald (Franchitti's former engineer), Alex Tagliani and their whole team."
A brief shower cut short the first round of qualifying by 23 minutes and limited the scheduled 90 minutes of the Fast Nine to one attempt by each entrant. After Rice posted a four-lap average of 225.786 in the No. 44 Panther Racing car, Servia popped in at 227.168 in the No. 2 Telemundo entry to move to second, where he sat until begin supplanted by Dixon and Tagliani.
"I couldn't believe we were in the top nine and then we decided to go all out at it and the Telemundo car was really fast," said Servia, who didn't compete in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010. "I'm just very proud of the whole crew. The work they put in over the winter, even with the uncertainty, when we didn't know 100 percent what the program was going to be. To be on the front row is just unbelievable."
It is the first time since 2004 that a Penske Racing car didn't qualify on the front row. Castroneves, a three-time race winner, will be on the inside of Row 6 in the No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske car -- his lowest in 11 starts.
Rookie Ho-Pin Tung sustained a minor concussion in the only incident during qualifying when he No. 8 Dragon Schmidt Racing car made hard contact in Turn 2.
DAY 8 NOTEBOOK:
More than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars are appearing today and Sunday at IMS. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. today, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.
Quotes from owners of selected Pace Cars on display:
GREG WILSON (1969 Chevrolet Camaro Supersport Convertible Pace Car): "This particular car was used in the Festival parade. It's wonderful bringing this car out for the 100th anniversary. It's awesome. What better opportunity is there to bring a Pace Car to a Pace Car reunion at the '500?' It's going to be a great race and qualifying. You can't beat Indy. I've had this car for 11 years, and I've put 10,000 miles on it - so not a whole lot. I drove it here today."
DAVE HUBER (Gasport, N.Y., 2007 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car): "This car was a festival car. It was a pole sitter's car, Helio Castroneves' car. He's a three-time winner and winner of 'Dancing With the Stars.' That's what most of the women know him for. General Motors gives the cars to the drivers, and this was one he had for two or three months. He put 4,000 miles on it. We like being here. We both enjoy it. There's quite a collection of cars here."
Fifteen-time Indianapolis 500 starter Roberto Guerrero is working with Conquest Racing's Sebastian Saavedra this month as a driver coach. Guerrero finished runner up twice at the famed 2.5-mile oval, had five top-five finishes and held the qualifying speed record from 1992-96.
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA: "It's an honor to have Roberto here. His experience at Indy really gives us a different view of what we can do and what can we improve. He's a team player and brings such a positive energy. He has so many Indy 500 starts that the 100th anniversary is big for him, as well, getting together with other pole sitters. I'm very happy to have him around this month."
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The new trackside Public Address stand was dedicated in the memory of legendary IMS Public Address Announcer Tom Carnegie, who died Feb. 11 at 91. Carnegie was the voice of the track from 1946-2006, announcing 61 consecutive Indianapolis 500-Mile Races.
A plaque is affixed to the stand featuring many of Carnegie's famous sayings and the inscription, "In Loving Memory of Tom Carnegie, 1919-2011."
Carnegie's son Bob Kenagy was the honorary starter today on "Tom Carnegie Day," honoring his father, who was born Carl Kenagy before using the name Tom Carnegie when working in radio in the early 1940s.
BOB KENAGY: "It's truly a special day for our family. This has always been a special place for Dad. He loved this place, and I know he's watching. Mom is doing very well, and I know she was watching."
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INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE QUALIFYING NOTES:
•This is the first Indianapolis 500 pole for Alex Tagliani. His previous best start was fifth in 2010, with the FAZZT Race Team.
•Alex Tagliani is the first Canadian-born driver to win the Indianapolis 500 pole. The previous best starting spot for a Canadian driver was third, by Scott Goodyear in 1995. Tagliani is a native of Lachenaie, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal.
•This is the sixth career Indy car pole for Alex Tagliani. His last pole came in 2003 at Montreal, while competing in Champ Car.
•This is the second Indy car pole for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. The team's other pole came in 2001 at Richmond, Va., with Jaques Lazier driving.
•This is the first time since 2005 that three different teams occupy the front row for the Indianapolis 500, with Sam Schmidt Motorsports (Alex Tagliani, pole), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon, second) and Newman/Haas Racing (Oriol Servia, third). In 2005, the front row was comprised of Andretti Green Racing (Tony Kanaan, pole), Marlboro Team Penske (Sam Hornish Jr., second) and Delphi Fernandez Racing (Scott Sharp, third).
•Scott Dixon earned his second career front-row start for the Indianapolis 500. He won from the pole in 2008.
•This is the fourth consecutive year that a Target Chip Ganassi Racing car will start the Indianapolis 500 on the front row.
•Oriol Servia is starting third, his career best in the Indianapolis 500. His previous best was 25th, in 2008 and 2009, his only two prior starts.
•Newman/Haas Racing qualified a car on the front row of the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 1993, when Mario Andretti started second.
•This is the first Indianapolis 500 since 2004 that a Team Penske car is not starting on the front row. Helio Castroneves started eighth and Sam Hornish Jr. 11th that year.
•Helio Castroneves is starting a career-low 16th in the Indianapolis 500. His previous low was 13th in 2002, when he earned his second victory. This will be Castroneves' 11th Indianapolis 500 start.
•Townsend Bell is starting fourth, his career best in the Indianapolis 500. His previous best was 10th in 2010.
•Buddy Rice qualified seventh, his best Indianapolis 500 starting spot since he won the race from the pole in 2004.
•Ed Carpenter is starting eighth, tying his Indianapolis 500 career best set in 2010.
•Dario Franchitti is starting ninth, his lowest Indianapolis 500 starting position since 2006, when he qualified 17th. Franchitti started third in each of the last three years he has participated in the Indianapolis 500, in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
•Takuma Sato qualified 10th, an Indianapolis 500 career best. His previous best was 31st in 2010, his only previous start.
•JR Hildebrand is the highest-qualifying rookie, in 12th. It's the best starting position by a rookie since 2009, when Raphael Matos also qualified 12th.
***
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.
INDIANAPOLIS - Results of qualifying Saturday
for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series
car number driver, chassis-engine,time and speed
1. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.2613 (227.472)
2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.3528 (227.340)
3. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.4727 (227.168)
4. (99) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.6696 (226.887)
5. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.7493 (226.773)
6. (98) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.9477 (226.171)
7. (44) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4431 (225.786)
8. (67) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.9137 (225.121)
9. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.0253 (226.379)Ran out of fuel
First Nine locked in
10. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4785 (225.736)
11. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5814 (225.590)
12. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5895 (225.579)
13. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5942 (225.572)
14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.7973 (225.285)
15. (11) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8223 (225.250)
16. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8464 (225.216)
17. (43) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0133 (224.981)
18. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.1907 (224.732)
19. (41) Bruno Junqueira, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2203 (224.691)
20. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3488 (224.511)
21. (88) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3685 (224.483)
22. (07) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4040 (224.433)
23. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4156 (224.417)
24. (78T) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4335 (224.392)
May 20 2011
CASTRONEVES TOPS "FAST FRIDAY" PRACTICE FOR INDIANAPOLIS 500
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 20, 2011) - Helio Castroneves laid down a marker of 228.611 mph that roused the sun-soaked crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and raised a few competitors' eyebrows on Fast Friday, the six-hour session in which 39 drivers prepared for Pole Day by recording 2,254 laps on the 2.5-mile oval.
Alex Tagliani (228.327) remained strong in the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, while Scott Dixon in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car was third (228.181) on the speed chart. Ryan Briscoe, driving the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car, was fourth (228.029) and Bertrand Baguette cracked the top five (228.028) in the No. 30 RACB/Aspria Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Special.
Eight different teams were represented in the top 10 of the speed chart, and the field was separated by 1.0729 seconds.
The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be available through traditional four-lap attempts from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Each car will have up to three attempts, and bumping begins when the 24 spots are filled. The times of the top nine drivers from this first segment of qualifying will be erased at 4 p.m., with all of those competitors guaranteed to start no worse than ninth.
From 4:30-6 p.m. the "Fast Nine" will be required to make at least one four-lap qualifying attempt and additional/optional attempts are available if time permits. Each driver's best run will set their position on the starting grid.
Indy qualifications also have an impact on the championship, with 15 points awarded to the pole sitter through three points for starting 25th-33rd. Only the PEAK Performance Pole Award winner in the other 16 IZOD IndyCar Series races receives the bonus (one point).
Castroneves won the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone in 2010 with a four-lap average speed of 227.970 mph. Sebastian Saavedra (223.634) was the slowest of the 33 starters, and the field average was 224.974.
Positions 25-33 are available on Armed Forces Day/Bump Day (May 22). Bumping begins once 33 cars have qualified.
FAST FRIDAY NOTEBOOK:
Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro was evaluated this morning for the second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand and has not been cleared to drive. Further updates on her condition and driving status will be provided when available.
Ray Harroun, winner of the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, began racing his Marmon "Wasp" through the nation's mail stream Friday, May 20 in the form of 50 million First-Class Mail Forever stamps to celebrate 100 years of racing at the iconic Indianapolis 500.
The first-day-of-issue dedication ceremony took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Fast Friday practice for the 100th Indianapolis 500.
Joining Donahoe in dedicating the stamp were Greg Ballard, Indianapolis mayor; Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer and Pancho Carter, 1985 Indianapolis 500 pole winner.
The Indianapolis 500 Forever Stamp is always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce rate.
PATRICK DONAHOE (U.S. Postmaster General): "At the Postal Service, we understand the power of our stamps in celebrating American history and culture - in this case, the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. I won't be so bold as to predict the winner of the race, but I will predict that 50 or 100 years from now the U.S. Postal Service will issue another stamp to commemorate the next milestone anniversary of this great event."
JEFF BELSKUS (President and chief executive officer, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation): "We've eagerly been awaiting this day since the United States Postal Service announced the commemorative stamp honoring the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 last December. It's a great honor and an important part of our Centennial celebration that the iconic image of the Marmon 'Wasp' will be seen on mail sent from coast to coast."
James Goodloe, Roger Griffiths, Marcelo Martinelli and Robert Bell of Honda Performance Development (HPD) received the 45th annual BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award on May 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for their development of the Honda Refueling Safety Interlock System.
The Honda Refueling Safety Interlock System prevents a racing car from leaving its pit with the refueling hose attached.
Presented to engineers by engineers, the Louis Schwitzer Award rewards individuals with the courage and conviction to explore and develop new concepts in racing technology. BorgWarner sponsors this prestigious $10,000 award, which is presented by the Indiana Section of SAE International. The winners' names are added to the Schwitzer trophy on permanent display at the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.
The award was initiated in 1967 to recognize automotive pioneer Louis Schwitzer.
The heart of the Honda Refueling Safety Interlock System is an off-the-shelf LED photoelectric sensor, reworked by HPD to improve its reliability, heat-resistance, and general suitability for motorsports. It is installed in the Dallara IndyCar chassis adjacent to the fuel receiver "buckeye" and is connected to the chassis wiring loom.
***
U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe was the honorary starter of Fast Friday practice. Donahoe visited the Speedway today to issue the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 U.S. stamp.
PATRICK DONAHOE (U.S. Postmaster General): "Man, that was a thrill! I'll tell you what, when you see them come out of the pits, they're moving, but it's amazing how they go by in a blink." (About issuing Indianapolis 500 stamp): "It's been a great day with the kickoff of the stamp, and we're really proud to be here. Seeing the first car to win (1911 Marmon Wasp), that was exciting, then getting a chance to meet Johnny Rutherford and A.J. Foyt and coming out with the flag, it's a great day."
The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) raised nearly $300,000 to support medical research to find a cure for paralysis at its 12th annual Racing to Recovery Gala Wednesday, May 18 in downtown Indianapolis,
Schmidt and four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears presented Roger Penske with the Legends of Racing Award.
Penske is the founder of Penske Racing, one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports.Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have produced 332 major race wins, 396 pole positions, 23 national championships and a record 15 Indianapolis 500 race wins.
Numerous IZOD IndyCar Series drivers also were on hand to support SSPF and watch Penske receive his award, including Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe, Will Power, Danica Patrick, Dan Wheldon, Alex Tagliani and Bertrand Baguette. Indy 500 legends also celebrated at the Gala, including Mears, Bobby Unser and Arie Luyendyk.
Knowing that tire/wheel changes were difficult and time consuming, Ray Harroun asked Firestone Racing engineers how fast he could drive without a tire failure. He was told 75 miles per hour.
Sure enough, on May 30, 1911, Harroun crossed the finish line first with an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour - and he only had to change one tire for the whole race - in winning the inaugural Indianapolis 500. In the 100th Anniversary Indy 500, the 62nd driver to take the checkered flag first will be on Firestone tires.
For many years, Firestone would advertise in newspapers around the nation after the race with artwork featuring all of their Indy 500 victories, proclaiming its Indy success. This ad typified the "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" mentality.
That ad has been re-created, and fans can pick who they think will win May 29 on www.indycar.com.
2010 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro talked today about the crash Thursday in which she suffered second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand. She has not been cleared to drive and will be re-evaluated Saturday by INDYCAR Medical Director Dr. Michael Olinger.
SIMONA DE SILVESTRO: "Something broke on the rear suspension, and when that happens, you're just a passenger. You can't really do anything about it, especially when you're going about 220 mph. I hit the wall and it took forever to land, it seemed, and then it started getting pretty hot out there (because of flames). It was pretty shocking, actually, especially to be on fire. It's kind of weird because the fuel is splashing on you and you don't really know what to do. A lot of things go through your head, but you want to get out of the car as quickly as possible. Everyone is working hard to get me back in the car, and I think it's important for me to get back in the car quickly. It just shows how safe the car is. I don't think a crash like that in any other car I would be standing here. When I got out of the car, I couldn't believe it because it was so crazy being along for the ride and being on fire - again. I was pretty shocked, but it was nice to be standing. I don't think I was a good patient in the infield medical center because I was in a lot of pain and I was screaming for water to cool my hands down. They took good care of me and then we went to the hospital, where they said it was second-degree burns. We took the bandages off (this morning) and they were really blistered, and tonight we're going to check them again and see what they say. They don't look pretty, so I don't want to look. I can say I'm pretty lucky to be here. It is my goal to get back in the car as quickly as I can. It will be (INDYCAR's medical team) decision and also mine because it's pretty shocking. I can move my hands, but it is pretty tight because it pulls the skin. We'll get some gloves that can fit."
2011 INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE DAY QUALIFYING PROCEDURE:
Format:
•11 a.m.-4 p.m.: The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be available through traditional four-lap attempts. Each car will have up to three attempts during this time. The times of the top nine drivers from this first segment of qualifying will be erased at 4 p.m., with all of those competitors guaranteed to start no worse than ninth in the Indianapolis 500.
•4:30-6 p.m.: "The Fast Nine" then will be required to make at least one four-lap qualifying attempt, with optional attempts if time permits. Each driver's best run during the 90-minute session will set their position within the top nine spots on the starting grid. If inclement weather prevents the 90-minute shootout for the "Fast Nine," their times from the opening session will determine starting positions.
INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE DAY QUALIFYING PROCEDURE Q&A:
Q: What happens if weather washes out the Fast Nine shootout before every driver gets a chance to make at least one attempt?
A: The position in the top nine starting spots for those nine drivers will be determined by their fastest runs during the 11 a.m.-4 p.m. segment.
Q: Can any drivers other than the Fast Nine make qualifying runs from 4:30-6 p.m. on Pole Day?
A: No.
Q: Must a driver in the Fast Nine withdraw their time from the mandatory attempt during the final segment if he or she chooses to make a second qualification attempt during that segment?
A: No.
Q: How will the qualifying draw for the Fast Nine segment be determined?
A: The driver with the ninth-fastest run during the 11 a.m.-4 p.m. segment will make their initial Fast Nine attempt first, with the eighth-fastest second, and so on.
Q: Where does one of the Fast Nine drivers start if he or she can't complete a run in the completed shootout due to a crash or a mechanical problem?
A: All nine drivers who qualify for the Fast Nine shootout based on their best runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. are guaranteed a starting spot in the top nine. The shootout from 4:30-6 p.m. determines their position in the top nine. If they don't complete an attempt in the shootout, they will start ninth. If two drivers don't complete an attempt in the shootout due to a crash or mechanical, then they will start eighth and ninth, respectively, based on their best run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Q: What happens if a driver crashes in the Fast Nine, and that car is destroyed? If that driver is forced to a backup car for the rest of the event, will he or she start ninth or 33rd?
A: All drivers who qualify are guaranteed a starting spot in the top nine on Race Day, even if they must change cars.
Q: What happens if Pole Day is rained out?
A: One day of qualifying would take place from noon-6 p.m. Sunday, May 22, with all 33 positions up for grabs. Each car would get the traditional three attempts that day. The pole shootout for the Fast Nine would not take place.
Nine-time Indianapolis 500 participant Tom Bigelow was in Gasoline Alley today. Bigelow also competed in the USAC Sprint and Midget series during his career. He is an inductee in both the National Sprint and National Midget Hall of Fame.
TOM BIGELOW: (About the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500): "It's just fabulous. It was neat being a part of this. This is the greatest spectacle in the world. I am really pleased to be here." (How much different is it now compared to when you first came here?) "A whole lot. These new garage areas are nothing like the old ones. I think we may have had a little more atmosphere with those old garages, a little more camaraderie. Everybody would kind of go visit each other. Today, you have to go knock on their door and ask to come in." (What is your favorite experience here?) "Probably finishing sixth in 1977 with A.J. Watson and Ralph Wilkie. That was a really fabulous time."
1981 Indianapolis 500 veteran Bob Lazier visited the track today. Lazier is the father of 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier and Indianapolis 500 veteran Jaques Lazier.
BOB LAZIER: "Hey look, I think I brought the weather. I wasn't here, and it was cold and rainy. I arrive, and it's gorgeous. It is one of those spectacular days in Indianapolis." (Do you have your helmet bag?): "The way they have developed these cars, I think I could qualify. The engineering side of this sport is really good these days." (About Buddy and Jaques' future plans): "They both are looking, and as a family we are looking at developing a team. The only thing we are lacking is a sponsor and somebody to do it with us because I think we could add an owner to the organization, our organization, and it would be a nice situation. We would like to do it for the full season and as soon as we could put it together. We really have been working on this for a couple of years, and it is very difficult to do. But we have the shop, and next year there will be new cars, so it is a perfect entry time." (Where is the shop?): "We built a couple of shops in Indianapolis for Buddy and Jaques. They are rented out now, but they are always available for us to come back to, and that was the whole idea when we built them." (How close do you think you are to getting this done?): "I think, because of the economy, we are quite a ways away, but we really offer an opportunity to somebody who wants to come in and honestly get involved in racing and just work the problem every day and get there hopefully." (What do you think of Buddy and Jaques' chances of getting in this year's race?): "At the most, 60/40 against, and it might be as little as 20/80." (What about Buddy's chances of getting a ride with Sarah Fisher Racing's second car?): "That's one of the things, because of the two sons I never get into any of that. Jaques will ask me a question, and I will say, 'That is forbidden ground,' and Buddy will be the same way. Because of that, I can keep an honest relationship with both of them."
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Indianapolis 500 veteran Jaques Lazier visited Gasoline Alley today.
JAQUES LAZIER: "Obviously, this is Indy, and the fact that it is the 100-year anniversary makes it that much more special. It puts that much more pressure on every single team owner and every single driver to make the show. There's always an opportunity. We got in (a car) at the last second for (A.J.) Foyt and just barely missed the field last year. I'm ready to give it another attempt this year. Right now, I would say there isn't that much going on. Obviously, things can change between now and 6 o'clock on Sunday."
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1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti visited the Speedway today and talked about the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
MARIO ANDRETTI: "I'm happy to be here. There are not too many centennials that you can celebrate, and this is an iconic event. It has meant so much to me personally, to my life, to my career and also to my family. So I am just delighted, happy and fortunate to be here. Times change, but as much as it changes, things remain the same. I think the lure of the event is still there. The track and the layout is the same. Physically, sure some things change, but it's just the evolution of time. That is the only difference."
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Andretti Autosport announced today it has signed Grime Boss, a brand of heavy-duty hand-cleaning wipes manufactured by Nice-Pak, to a sponsorship agreement in support of the team's salute to America's armed forces, which begins with the 100th anniversary edition of the Indianapolis 500 and continues through the remainder of the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season.
Andretti Autosport has incorporated all of its Indianapolis 500 entries into the tribute program, which highlights five different units of the United States military. Each of the team's cars feature a specific unit within a branch of the U.S. military. Each Andretti Autosport entry prominently displays an associated military emblem just above the numbers on the race car.
Nice-Pak, founded in 1957, is the global leader in the design, manufacturing, marketing and distribution of premium quality branded and private label wet wipe products. Headquartered in Orangeburg, N.Y., Nice-Pak has a track record of introducing innovative products for personal care, baby, health, hand sanitizing, beauty and household applications. The Grime Boss logo will also be displayed next to the military emblems on each Andretti entry.
The branches of the service saluted by each Andretti Autosport driver:
#28 Ryan Hunter-Reay: Navy and Coast Guard-specific version of the Centennial of Naval Aviation logo.
#7 Danica Patrick: Marine-specific logo of the Centennial of Naval Aviation logo.
#26 Marco Andretti: U.S. Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE).
#43 John Andretti: 16th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
#27 Mike Conway: Air Force Reserve Command.
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IZOD IndyCar Series driver Takuma Sato continues to expand the 'With you Japan' program he founded with the announcement and release of the new communications center at www.WithYouJapan.org.
Concerned individuals can more closely follow the program's progress in three languages; English, Japanese and Chinese. Through 'With you Japan,' people will learn various ways to help provide special care to thousands of children in Japan as they begin to rebuild their lives after the devastating earthquakes and tsunami in March.
This newinformation center provides parents, teachers, teenagers and children complete program information to keep them current on all aspects of the program. Visitors will be moved by Sato's personal video message expressing his concern for the children in Japan, whose lives were so traumatically and tragically changed.
TAKUMA SATO:"As a parent, when I see the faces of the innocent Japanese children who have lost family and friends, as well as their homes and possessions, I am so moved to do whatever I possibly can, as I would hope others would do for my children, if it was them who had lost virtually everything", said Takuma Sato. "I'm with you Japan, and I know so many others are too."
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FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:
Pos. Car Name Time Speed
1. 3 Helio Castroneves 39.3682 228.611
2. 77 Alex Tagliani 39.4172 228.327
3. 9 Scott Dixon 39.4424 228.181
4. 6 Ryan Briscoe 39.4686 228.029
5. 30 Bertrand Baguette 39.4688 228.028
Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, 14th, 226.939
***
Helio Castroneves will attempt to win his fifth Indianapolis 500 pole tomorrow and his third consecutive pole.
Rick Mears has won a record six poles. Castroneves is tied for second at four poles with A.J. Foyt and Rex Mays.
No driver ever has won three consecutive Indianapolis 500 poles.
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "I think we did pretty well today. The car seems to be pretty quick. Against our competition, we're right there. We're in the top cars. It's going to be tight. It's going to be a lot tighter than I was expecting. There are a lot of good cars. I've seen some amazing speed from the Rahal car (Bertrand Begue), Dario (Franchitti) is strong, (Scott) Dixon is strong and obviously the Penske cars are really strong as well. So, if we make it in the 'Fast Nine' again, it would be an amazing accomplishment because I think the field is a lot tighter this year than we've seen it in the past. And if we come up the car that gives us the chance to make a run at the pole then we'll throw everything we have at it and see what we come out with. I'm fairly pleased with our week, the boys did a great job, the engineer group that we have is great. Hopefully we can make it happen."
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "Our team continues to rise every weekend. When we are in the window when we roll off the truck, we have a great group of people who make it easy to fine-tune the car. Being a one-car team, when we are off the window, it's not easy, but this week, the car has been strong. With a few aerodynamic changes from last year, the car has been very consistent. It's been nice just to fine-tune and not reinvent the wheel on our setup. I need to take my hat off to the guys. They have been very meticulous in preparing the car and on a track with high speed like this, it's crucial. As a driver, you need to be comfortable in the car, and you need to drive it well, but you need to have the car, but if you don't there's nothing you can do." (Do you have any more left in your car?) "We have a couple of things left. I think we were conservative this afternoon. We made some changes on the car without pushing the limits aerodynamically. I think it's going be very difficult to do a 228.3 (mph), but it will have to be up there for a one lap go. It's all about how consistent you can be and what's your draw. We feel that we are strong, but on the charts, there are a lot of cars that are strong. It's very difficult to have a good read. We ran very few laps this week, and we tried to run by ourselves to evaluate the right gearing and right downforce and make the right call on ride heights and all of that. I think we can go to bed tonight feeling we have a strong car, but the Ganassis and Penskes look tough. Hopefully when we pull everything out that we think we can, we'll be right there with them."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "Anything is possible. Right now Shell V-Power is working really well in not only the race setup but also the qualifying setup. Qualifying tomorrow will be very tight. I can see that my teammates will be strong ones, and there are other guys doing fast times out there, too. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Fast Nine. I think we will see speeds in the 228 range tomorrow. It is going to be similar weather as today, but if it is a little bit humid, we may lose a little bit of power. I think everybody has something more. Today was a fast Friday. Everybody started laying out the wings and going fast. I'm very happy with my boys with the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car. It was very smooth, especially in the race trim, so I was very happy. We did a lot of laps today, and I wanted to make sure I was happy with the race car. It will probably be the last chance before we go into the race to run in those kinds of conditions. All of my boys were on the same page. As soon as we felt happy with the race trim, race setup, we decided to change and go for it. We had some moments out there. I've got to keep moving forward and have a good lap out there tomorrow and have a good day for the entire Team Penske." (What would it mean to be the first person to win pole three years in a row?): "Just starting pole position would mean a lot. This place is fantastic. It's awesome and tough. It would be great. Records are made to be broke, so I'm not going to focus on that. I'm going to focus on what I need to make it work so we can put the Shell V-Power in the number one spot."
A total of 59 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 58 have passed technical inspection.
Thirty-nine drivers were on track today, turning 2,254 laps. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 7,127 total laps.
There were two cautions for 22 minutes today.
***
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
6 a.m.
Garages open
8-10 a.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice (Group 1 8-8:30; Group 2 8:30-9)
11 a.m.-4 p.m.
First segment of Indianapolis 500 qualifications
4:30-6 p.m.
Fast Nine Indianapolis 500 pole qualifying
6 p.m.
PEAK Performance Pole Award, Yard of Bricks
***
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.
May 20 2011
MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT CRANDALL TO SERVE
AS HONORARY STARTER of 100TH ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 19, 2011 - Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Bruce P. Crandall has been named honorary starter for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 29, waving the green flag to begin racing for the field of 33 drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Retired Col. Crandall, who flew more than 900 missions as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, received the Congressional Medal of Honor - the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government - in 2007.
"I'm thrilled and honored to be selected as the honorary starter for the Indianapolis 500 in its 100th anniversary year," Crandall said. "The race is an American tradition, and I'm very grateful for the continued tributes to the U.S. Armed Forces during the pre-race ceremonies every year. I can't wait to get into the starter's stand."
Crandall was honored for his leadership, heroism and courage during the Battle of Ia Drang on Nov. 14, 1965. He led the first major division operation of airmobile troops into Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley and is credited with evacuating some 70 wounded comrades with his wing man and fellow Medal of Honor recipient Major Ed Freeman. The two also flew in the ammunition needed for the 1/7th Cavalry to survive. The craft Crandall was flying was unarmed.
During his military career, Crandall also received a Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Presidential Unit Citation and a Purple Heart among numerous other citations.
"It's a great honor to welcome Bruce Crandall to serve as the honorary starter of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO. "The Indianapolis 500 has paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces since its inception on Memorial Day weekend in 1911, and it's a privilege for a true American hero to send the field of 33 on its way toward Victory Lane at such a historic race."
The 2002 movie "We Were Soldiers" was based on the operation for which Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor, with 1997 Academy Award Best Supporting Actor nominee Greg Kinnear appearing as Crandall.
***
2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
May 19 2011
AGAIN RAIN CANCELS PRACTICE
FOR 100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 18, 2011) - Rain washed out practice for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
Rain fell steadily on the Speedway throughout the day, and IZOD IndyCar Series officials canceled the day's track activities shortly after 4 p.m. (ET).
The last time two entire days of Indianapolis 500 practice were washed out in one week was May 12-13, 2006.
Since veteran practice opened Saturday, May 14, 17 hours and 58 minutes of the scheduled 30 hours of track time have been lost due to rain.
DAY 5 NOTEBOOK:
Recent Butler University graduate and basketball standout Matt Howard visited the track today. Howard, from Connersville, Ind., helped the Bulldogs reach the NCAA men's basketball final each of the last two seasons.
Howard was scheduled to wave the green flag to start practice today, but had to leave the track before the rain-delayed start of the session due to prior commitments.
MATT HOWARD: (On having the opportunity to wave the green flag for practice): "Just to be a small part of this place is something really special. If we're able to go and have cars on the track, I can't wait to wave the green flag and see everybody doing their thing. I'm definitely excited about doing that. It's a very nice honor. Not a whole lot of people are able to do it, and to be selected is quite an honor." (On the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "I came to the race last year with the team, and that was a lot of fun. This place is something that holds a lot of tradition. It's a special place, and I think anyone here will tell you that this track and this event are pretty special. I think it's a big part of Indianapolis. I've tried to watch at least portions of every race for the last five years or so. I understand quite a bit about it, and I've gotten to know Ed Carpenter a bit because he's from Butler and he's someone I'll follow to see how he does. Hopefully, I'll get to see him a little bit today."
Some fun with Indianapolis 500 numbers, provided by Sam Schmidt Motorsports:
Not only has car number 77 never won the Indianapolis 500, no car with a number between 70 and 79 has ever been to victory lane in the race. Perhaps more interesting is that cars carrying single-digit numbers and numbers in the teens, 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's 80's and 90's all have been to Victory Lane with only the 70s left out. Alex Tagliani, driver of the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins Dallara/Honda Firestone for SSM, is certainly hoping to change that in 2011.
1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal talked about the effect of rain delays this month. Rahal co-owns Rahal Letterman Lanigan LLC, which is fielded a car for Bertrand Baguette.
BOBBY RAHAL: "Well, it's the same for everybody. I think we've had time to get these cars prepared pretty well for this month. We've had some good practice so far, but it's like I said, it's the same for everybody, and we'll just have to find a way to deal with it. There are a lot of little things you can do. You get more time to look the car over, go through all of the data, find ways to make it better and really dig deeper."
A special Team Penske/Indianapolis 500 edition of the acclaimed "The Charlie Rose Show" at 11 p.m. (ET) tonight on PBS. The show will feature in-depth interviews with Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, and team owner Roger Penske.
The show also will be rebroadcast in the United States at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) Thursday, May 19 on the Bloomberg Network.
Japanese racer Takuma Sato is collaborating with local students in a project to support the With You Japan charity program, which he created to help empower local child-care professionals in Japan to provide responsive and proactive care to thousands of children as they try to move forward with their lives.
A total of 137 students from the Towne Meadow Elementary School in Carmel, Ind., are taking part in an arts project. They will assemble themselves at ground level to recreate the Japanese flag when photographed from above. The local fire department also is involved by providing a fire truck rescue bucket to serve as the elevated platform for the photograph.
The students want to send this personal and original message of togetherness and solidarity to their counterparts in Japan, many of whom have had their lives torn apart by the recent earthquake and tsunami.
Sato visited the school today to thank the school for its participation and to answer questions about the disaster. He visited the affected areas near Sendai last week and has first-hand experience of the extent of the devastation.
TAKUMA SATO: "I really appreciate the local kids getting involved in this project. There is so much work to be done over in Japan, and people there really need to know that they are not alone. The whole world is doing what it can to help them. I love the idea of the flag picture; it will make a really powerful and interesting message to Japanese kids."
TIM PHARES (Principal, Towne Meadow Elementary School): "We are extremely excited to partner with Takuma Sato and his project With You Japan. Each year it is tradition for Towne Meadow fifth-grade students to participate in a service project before heading off to middle school. We want our students to understand the importance of giving to others, and this endeavor brought a unique opportunity to connect with students through art all the way across the world. It is our hope we can make a difference by sending a message of togetherness and support to the boys and girls in Japan. Our students thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity and learned a great deal from this project. Towne Meadow is with you, Japan."
2005 Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon will team up with the Alzheimer's Association at this year's 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 to raise awareness for the disease. Wheldon will carry the Alzheimer's Association logo on his No. 98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine entry fielded by Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian.
According to the 2011 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, Alzheimer's disease is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States, and today as many as 5.4 million Americans are living with the disease. Every 69 seconds, someone in America develops Alzheimer's disease, and by mid-century someone will develop Alzheimer's every 33 seconds.
To learn more, visit alz.org.
DAN WHELDON: "I'm honored to announce my partnership with the Alzheimer's Association at the Indianapolis 500. My mother was recently diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at the age of 55. You can imagine the impact this news has had on me and my family. This is a cause very dear to my heart, and I hope that by teaming up with the Alzheimer's Association, I can help raise awareness on the toll this devastating disease has on individuals with the disease and their families as well as how important early diagnosis is for this population."
(More)
DAY 5 - WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 2011
Page 3
The time trials to qualify teams for the remaining slots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge were rained out today. They will take place Thursday morning.
INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:
PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "Welcome to Groundhog Day! Actually, today wasn't quite Groundhog day because we did get as far as pit lane, and I actually got as far as being strapped into my car before it started to rain again. One minute to green - I'm sitting there, and suddenly the rain started coming down all around me, so we headed back to the garage area. We only wanted to get out there and do a couple of runs today, to see if we finally had a handle on this small niggle we've got going on, but unfortunately the weather is just not playing ball. It's going to make the next few days pretty insane, not just for us but for everyone. the track is going to be extremely busy, and it's going to be fairly intense. But, to use an American phrase, it is what it is!"
SCOTT SPEED (No. 20 Dragon Racing Fuzzy's Vodka): "As a rookie, having less track time is definitely not the best thing in the world. It definitely makes things a little more difficult. We'll do our best to take it in stride. I think we'll be OK with it. We have a lot of resources here. There's nothing extra you can really do to prepare for the race, but I feel good right now. I think we're making good moves and going about everything intelligently. I can't ask for anything more right now. At this point, it's all about track time. I mean, we're just waiting."
TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): (About sitting through rain delays): "I'm used to it now. As long as I've driven a little bit this month, I feel fine at least in terms of knowing what I've got and knowing that we're strong. So, the anxiety is much less, especially having done this for a few years. You learn rain is always going to be an issue." (What advice would you provide to a younger driver during delays?): "I don't know if it'd be so much the younger guys as it would be the guys who in their first couple of runs felt they really needed to work on the car a lot more. If I was in that situation, I'd really be hoping to get out there and keep making adjustments."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "It's kind of like the same story all over again. We came close to getting on track today, but once again, Mother Nature had something else in mind for us. We'll just work a little harder when we do get a chance to run - hopefully tomorrow. Things are looking good on the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske car and we'll be ready to go as soon as we get the opportunity."
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "Unfortunately the weather hampered our chances of getting back out on track again today, which tests our patience with not being able get more laps done here in Indy. It's frustrating, but knowing we have such good data to fall back on here at Team Penske keeps us from getting too anxious just yet. Hopefully tomorrow provides better weather and we can get back to work in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "It was just a waiting game today. We almost had the chance to run. Two days in a row of not getting on track is kind of a bummer. The Verizon car is in great shape and I have every confidence that the team will give me a fast race car. It is definitely going to be busy when we finally do get on track. On a positive note, I've had plenty of time to meet with the media and our sponsors over the last couple of days. Let's hope we can get on track Thursday for fans and drivers alike."
JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Z-Line Designs/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "Another wet day. We tried to get out there and we took the Z-Line Designs car out to pit lane, but every time it looked like we were close to going out, it would start raining again. It's not good conditions. You didn't want to be caught out on track when it started to sprinkle like that. It's disappointing because it's another day gone, but hopefully from here the weather will get better and we will be able to get some good running in. At least this way we are not going to be restricted on miles or tires; we can do all of the running we want once the weather clears up."
PAUL TRACY (No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "It is what it is out there today; we can't control Mother Nature. I'm just thankful that I'm with the team that I'm with in Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. We've got a solid car and a solid foundation, and we already know where we're at. We know exactly what we want to do. In terms of not being on track, I would be more upset if we were struggling, but I think that we are in a pretty good position to put it in on the first day. I think our cars are strong, and I'm not overly upset about not being able to get out on track. We can't control what the weather does, and like I said, I'm just glad that I'm with the team that I'm with because we have great cars under us."
ANA BEATRIZ (No. 24 Team Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "It's just disappointing, another day without running. We got so close to being able to go out, but as soon as we started the engine it started to rain again, and it takes forever to dry up the track and we are done for the day because of it. It's disappointing, but we just have to breathe and wait for tomorrow, and maybe we can finally run more."
DAVEY HAMILTON (No. 11 HP/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): "It's another rain day at Indy. We made some changes to the HP car, and we were anxious to go try them. On the program that we have, we are getting back on pace with everybody else with our tire allotment, so I'm not sure if this helps us or hurts us or what, but it's the same for everybody. Tomorrow, Friday, Saturday and Sunday all look good, so we will shoot for that."
A total of 59 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 59 have passed technical inspection.
No drivers were on track today. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,479 total laps.
There was one caution for four hours, four minutes today, due to rain.
THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8 a.m.
Garages open
Noon-6 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.
May 18 2011
WEATHER CAUSES ANOTHER SHORT DAY AT TRACK
FOR INDIANAPOLIS 500 TEAMS
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 17, 2011) - Mike Conway shook down the No. 27 Hire Heroes car on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after some tweaks overnight, and Andretti Autosport teammate Marco Andretti got in five laps "to get the feel of a different setup."
That was the extent of on-track action - save for crews tuning up on pit lane for pit stop competition qualifications May 18 - on a day more reminiscent of mid-autumn than mid-spring. The green flag flew at noon for the start of the six-hour session, but light rain sent the flagman packing at 4:05 p.m. The track opens for all cars at noon (ET) May 18.
"We just wanted to feel some of those (changes) and see what we had," Conway said. "These were certainly not ideal weather conditions and aren't representative of what we're going to see in a few days, so it didn't make too much sense to log a lot of laps."
It was the second session of preparations for Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on May 21 cut short because of weather conditions, which impacts team strategy relating to setup testing and tire/engine conservation. For some, a day lost to the weather is built into the plan. For others, such as Andretti, who's chasing speed, the lap counter needs to rise.
He has a quick lap of 224.215 mph (40.1163 seconds) in his No. 26 Team Venom primary car with a tow, which is 15th on the combined speed chart. Still, he's concerned.
"It makes a difference (that he didn't get in a full session). Who knows if we would have gained or they would have gained on us," said Andretti, who has three top-five finishes in his five starts at Indy. "I'm really worried about the speed of our car. I've driven exactly Danica's setup 3 miles an hour off of her (lap time). I can't explain why. I'm worried about qualifying for this race. It is still early days, but I honestly think if you're not going to be qualifying in the top 10 you should be worried."
There are 40 entrants who have recorded laps, with 33 starting spots available on May 21-22. Alex Tagliani's lap of 225.878 mph in the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, posted a day earlier, stands as the quickest of the month.
DAY 4 NOTEBOOK:
Biff Henderson, stage manager for "The Late Show with David Letterman," toured the Speedway today. Henderson and a crew were filming humorous segments for the show.
Henderson met with Indianapolis 500 veterans Bobby Unser, Helio Castroneves, Al Unser Jr., Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Graham Rahal. He also toured the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.
BIFF HENDERSON: (On the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "The Speedway is classic. It's really top-shelf all the way. Even as I'm sitting in the Museum, I'm looking at all these past winning cars and thinking of the drivers, and I know it's a lot of history. It's an incredible facility. It's just great." (On his interactions with drivers and teams): "Obviously, today isn't the best day for track activity, but getting into those prep garages is quite an experience. It's not my first time out here. I've done a few things here for David Letterman. I've been out here a few times. Talking with the drivers like Helio and past drivers like Little Al and Bobby Unser is just great. I've enjoyed talking to the younger guys, but there's nothing like talking to a legend. Having that experience and being out here for the 100th anniversary is something very special for me. It's a very impressive place."
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser already has arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to celebrate the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 over the next 12 days. Unser will be one of 11 Indianapolis 500 winners driving 11 Indianapolis 500-winning cars during pre-race ceremonies Sunday, May 29.
Unser will drive the No. 8 National that Joe Dawson guided to victory in the 1912 Indianapolis 500. The car features a second seat for a riding mechanic, which will be filled by Unser's wife, Lisa.
BOBBY UNSER (On being a part of the 100th anniversary pre-race festivities): "It's going to be a great honor to drive the 1912 winning car. They had riding mechanics in those days, and my wife is going to ride in the mechanic's seat. So she's got to know that if that thing runs out of gas, she has to get out and push. But it really is going to be nice to drive that car. I mean, this is the 100th anniversary of the greatest race course in the entire world. It's been around for a hundred years. That's a lot of history. You look at the Museum, all these winning cars, it's just awesome."
Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe and his wife, Nicole, are conducting an Indianapolis 500 contest on Twitter for the second consecutive year, with the winner receiving an all-expenses paid trip to the race May 29.
The follower of Briscoe (@RyanBriscoe6) who guesses his four-lap qualifying average to the thousandth of a mph (three digits past the decimal) will win round-trip airfare for two from anywhere in the country, four nights' hotel accommodations, tickets to the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and other "cool swag," Briscoe said.
To enter, followers must post their guess at Briscoe's average qualifying speed on his Twitter feed (@RyanBriscoe6) by midnight (ET) Friday, May 20. The "tweets" must contain the hash-tag "#BriscoeIndy500" to be eligible and also must include Briscoe's qualifying position as a tiebreaker.
The winner will be selected from all proper entries following the completion of Indy 500 qualifying.
DAY 4 - TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011
Nine Indianapolis 500 teams will compete Wednesday morning for the final three spots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 27. The three quickest teams from this lineup will earn a spot in the 12-team Challenge:
KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#59 Viso), KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#82 Kanaan), Team Penske (#3 Castroneves), Newman/Haas Racing (#2 Servia), Andretti Autosport (#7 Patrick), Andretti Autosport (#27 Conway), Andretti Autosport (#28 Hunter-Reay), A.J. Foyt Enterprises (#14 Meira), KV Racing Technology-SH Racing (#07 Scheckter).
Nine teams already have qualified for the Challenge based on pit performance between the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle earlier this month:
KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#5 Sato), Team Penske (#6 Briscoe), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#9 Dixon), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#10 Franchitti), Team Penske (#12 Power), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (#22 Wilson), Andretti Autosport (#26 M. Andretti), Newman/Haas Racing (#06 Hinchcliffe), Dale Coyne Racing (TBD).
Alfe Heat Treating has signed as an associate sponsor of A.J. Foyt Racing for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The sponsorship marks the company's first venture into motorsports.
The "alfe" logo will appear on the nose of the No. 14 ABC Supply Indy car driven by Vitor Meira and on the engine cover of the No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing car driven by Bruno Junqueira.
Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., Alfe Heat Treating, Inc. is the largest commercial aluminum heat treating operation in the United States. The company operates plants throughout the Midwest and Southeast serving aerospace, automotive, military and commercial customers with both ferrous and non-ferrous facilities. For more details, visit www.al-fe.com.
KURT WESTMAN (President, Alfe Corporate Group): "Growing up here in Indiana, the Indianapolis 500 and time trials was something I looked forward to every year. Along with the race came the drivers you always wanted to win, your heroes, and A.J. Foyt was one of mine. What an honor for me and Alfe Heat Treating to be a small part of the A.J. Foyt Racing team. Everyone here at Alfe is excited and hoping that this year we can help bring the team to victory."
A.J. FOYT: "I'm real proud to welcome Alfe Heat Treating to our team. I think we have a good chance in this year's 500 to post our best finish in quite a while. I appreciate the support that Alfe is providing toward that goal."
A total of 59 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 59 have passed technical inspection.
Two drivers were on track today, turning 13 laps. Mike Conway turned eight laps, most of any driver. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,479 total laps.
There were three cautions for a total of 82 minutes today.
***
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:
Pos.
Car
Name
Time
Speed
1.
27
Marco Andretti
40.7875
220.656
2.
27
Mike Conway
40.9259
219.910
INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:
MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): (On practicing in the cold weather): "When it's that cold, unless the race is going to be like that, it's not really worth running out there. We won't learn too much in it. Not much to be gained today. It does kind of give us more tires to use for the rest of the week each day. Hopefully it warms up a bit tomorrow." (On the shortened amount of practice time before qualifications): "It's not far away. We always think we have loads of time at the beginning of the week, and then it's always the same thing. You get to the last couple of days, and if you haven't quite got the car right, then you're going to be rushing a bit more. As long as the car is good and you keep chipping away at it, I think that's the main thing. I think we're really close. I think we've got a good balance, and I think the speed is there. We've just got to take our time and know that qualifying isn't that far away." (On his reason for practicing and having Marco Andretti in the car): "We made some changes overnight, and we wanted to get a feel for what it felt like. It's good for me to let (Marco) have a feel and see if I'm feeling the same things as him. We had the same comments, and we got some good back-to-back running."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): (On practicing in the cold weather): "I think I have a little bit of my grandfather in me to where I was probably the only one on the team that thinks we can learn something. At the same time, though, I think I was just trying to convince them so that I could go drive. I just wanted to feel out a different setup and thought, 'Why not?'" (On his goals for the day): "I was able to try a setup that I haven't run yet. I just kind of got my thoughts on it and a second opinion. You always learn. If we were going through pretty extensive test items and stuff like that, it's different. I just wanted to feel out an overall package." (On the shortened schedule before qualifying): "I think guys like me, we could be in trouble if we slip a little bit. I'm not sure it's experience because I'm going to be flat those four laps, and it's whether the car wants to do it or not. It's going to be super-competitive out there. We're going to try to get what we can get."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "It is always great to be at Indy, just walking through the garage area and seeing the fans that show up braving the elements. It is a shame that the weather hasn't been cooperating with us much this week. The Verizon guys have been staying busy preparing the car and my engineer, and I have had plenty of time to discuss our strategy moving forward. I am really looking forward to getting back on track."
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "This weather has been a factor here at the Speedway, and even though I would rather be out on the track, it is really special just coming to the track every day. The fans are amazing. The fact that they show up in this damp, cold weather really shows how dedicated they are. Our No. 6 IZOD car is all polished up and ready to run. Now, we just need the weather to give us a chance so we can get out there and see what we can do."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "Man, it's tough just sitting and not having a chance to run, especially at this place because it's so awesome. We did a lot of media today and stayed as busy as we could, but there's nothing like getting out there and running 220 miles an hour. Hopefully we can get things going tomorrow in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car and work on preparation for qualifying as well as the race."
TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): (About passing time during weather delays): "You just kind of relax on a day like today. It's a lot easier (not to run today) than Sunday, since I didn't get to run on Saturday. It's tough when you haven't run yet (like on Saturday) and it rains (on Sunday). You haven't even driven yet. At least we got some decent laps yesterday, and we know our cars are very strong. I'm quite a bit more at ease than I was on Sunday." (Are you starting to think about qualifying?): "I think because of the field this year, you're thinking about qualifying all the time. I think we're going to be good, but we haven't even gotten anywhere close to qualifying setup yet. I'm feeling very positive." (About alliance with Brian Herta Autosport): "We had a car yesterday that was P1 in practice and they had a quick car, so we get to work with those guys and figure out what they were doing and if it was much different and see what we could do to improve ourselves. Hopefully that just rises the tide. If one side decides to go down the road of experimentation, it's very useful to be able to look at that and analyze the data and know what that experiment generated."
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "We did two good runs yesterday with a change in between. It was valuable to have some data for today and to look back at last year's data and evaluate it. With that we could see today if the changes we made over winter paid off. Having that data is important for a day like today when you have a lot of down time to burn. It's nice to see that our car is up to pace and we're on top of the chart so far for the week. Even if it's early, the weather plays a really important part. If you don't need to run very much, and your car is already right there, it's a relief for everyone on the team. The teams that are very concerned are the teams that have a plan to run many, many miles. The weather, obviously, makes them very frustrated and disappointed because it interferes with their plan. For us, we had a plan. We knew we weren't going to run the first day. The second day, we wanted to run, but it rained. The third day, we finally ran and were pleased with the number of laps we were able to run and the information we have."
WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8 a.m.
Garages open
Noon-6 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.
May 17 2011
TAGLIANI TOPS FIRST FULL DAY OF INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE
INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 16, 2011) - Three hours before the green flag flew to start the six-hour practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Alex Tagliani bounded into the Sam Schmidt Motorsports garage and started preparing for the day's activity.
"He's amped up," team owner Sam Schmidt laughed following the daily engineering meeting.
Stretching out the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car on the 2.5-mile oval for the first time was the best remedy for two weeks of on-track inactivity since the IZOD IndyCar Series race in Brazil for the Quebec native, and he enjoyed the ride. Tagliani topped the speed chart with a best lap (of his 17) of 225.878 mph -- the best of the nine-plus total hours of track time.
Seven different teams were represented in the top 10 as 39 drivers recorded 1,379 laps in a stiff, cool breeze without incident. Rookie Jay Howard was the lone entrant not to make an appearance -- by design based on tire management. The field was separated by a scant 1.2 seconds.
Scott Dixon (225.124) of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Graham Rahal (225.071) of Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, Ryan Briscoe (225.016) of IZOD Team Penske and Oriol Servia (224.903) of Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing filled out the top five.
A year ago, preparations for the Indianapolis 500 didn't kick off as Tagliani would have planned.
As the one-day snapshot of track activity revealed, there will be a number of strong teams rising for Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day (May 21) and the 100th anniversary race May 29. Dixon, Rahal, Briscoe, Dario Franchitti -- the reigning Indy 500 champion of Target Chip Ganassi Racing -- Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport, Vitor Meira of A.J. Foyt Racing, and Team Penske's Helio Castroneves have been in the top 10 both days of practice as teams progress through their test programs.
DAY 3 NOTEBOOK:
Owners of more than 250 vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will have the opportunity to take a ceremonial lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21.
Held in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and a month-long celebration of great race and passenger cars at IMS, more than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will appear May 21-22 at the Racing Capital of the World. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. Pole Day, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.
Headlining this amazing array of automobiles will be a Stoddard-Dayton, the same type that paced the inaugural Indianapolis 500 won in 1911 by Ray Harroun, who drove the legendary Marmon-Wasp to victory. The 1911 Indianapolis 500 was the first major auto race to use a Pace Car, which is now a tradition at races around the world. At the wheel of the Stoddard-Dayton at the 1911 "500" was Carl G. Fisher, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Another featured car at the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Reunion will be the Chevrolet Camaro from the 1969 "500" won by Mario Andretti. The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car is painted to look exactly like its 1969 predecessor.
From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, the Pace Cars will be staged for a "Fans Choice" vote. The cars also will be on display in the infield from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22. As an added attraction, car clubs featuring muscle cars, exotics and more will provide fans plenty of eye candy.
***
Team Penske teammates Will Power and Ryan Briscoe talked about the significance of racing in the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and their prospects to win the PEAK Performance Pole Award this Saturday.
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "Every year it's a special feeling. But somehow I think this year with more cars, more good drivers - and I think there will be a bigger crowd - I think this will be something else." (On what it would mean to win the pole at Indy after capturing pole for the first four races of the season): "Yeah, for me, it would be a really big deal. It's something that I'd love to do. I sort of had a chance last year, a close chance. After the experience of last year, I know what I need to do. Obviously, the conditions are changing every year, but the car's exactly the same. I'm definitely keen to giving it everything I can to get the pole, no question."
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "Obviously, I'm grateful to be here and be able to do it with Team Penske. It's an amazing team, and Roger (Penske) is just so passionate about this race. It gives me, as a driver, a whole lot of confidence going into it with the goal of winning. That's the one and only goal coming here, to win the race. The 100th anniversary is very special." (On the importance of going for the pole as a driver at Team Penske): "It certainly felt like in the last three years I've been in a great position to fight for the pole. Sometimes it just comes down to timing or whatever. But Helio, our teammate, he's really good at getting on the pole here. But I feel we have exactly the same equipment. We've just got to make sure we put ourselves in the right position to be able to go for it on Saturday."
***
Maintenance personnel for the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, visited the Speedway on Sunday. They met with Indianapolis 500 drivers and team officials, including Ed Carpenter and Sarah Fisher Racing owner Sarah Fisher.
The Blue Angels participated in the Indianapolis Air Show on May 14-15.
AVCM(AW) VIRGIL CRAVEN (Maintenance master chief, U.S. Navy Blue Angels): (About the maintenance personnel who visited the track): "You can break it down just like the crew that maintains those race cars. You have engine guys, tire guys, suspension guys, etc. Crew chiefs are responsible for launching and recovering the aircraft and performing visual inspections after each flight. Logistics order and receive all parts required to maintain our aircraft. Avionics maintains all power distribution systems, radar, navigation, communication and instrumentation systems. Airframes maintains all hydraulically powered systems and flight control surfaces. Power plants maintains the engines and fuel systems. All shops were in attendance, and we really appreciated the opportunity. Being invited and getting treated so well by the track staff and all the teams we visited was exceptional. The team really enjoyed talking with Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter. The whole trip was outstanding. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget."
***
Purdue University and HVM Racing announced a strategic partnership Saturday at IMS.
The HVM-Purdue relationship brings to the HVM team advanced engineering technologies in aerodynamics, manufacturing and advanced materials, providing opportunities for Purdue students and faculty to participate in motorsports with HVM.
The Purdue name will be displayed on the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing car driven this month by 2010 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona de Silvestro. Purdue engineering students also will work as interns on the team, and HVM will collaborate with Purdue students and faculty to optimize the aerodynamic package for the new 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series cars under development by Dallara.
Another key component of the partnership is to develop educational programs for children, young adults and the public that uses the excitement of IZOD IndyCar Series racing as the starting point for the introduction of engineering and science. Of particular interest is to use electric motorsports as a venue to engage students and adults in a discussion on the technologies needed for economic, green and sustainable electric energy in the 21st century.
Electric motorsports are a key component of the HVM-Purdue partnership. Purdue conducted the Collegiate evGrandPrix on Saturday, May 7 during the Emerging Tech Day at IMS. College teams from across the nation and Europe designed, built and raced electric go-karts in the 100-lap event.
JAMES CARUTHERS (Reilly professor of chemical engineering, Purdue): "Our objectives are, first, use the 'cool' of IndyCar racing to attract students' attention, and then introduce the students to the incredible engineering required in these race cars. Finally, we want to encourage interested students to consider a career in engineering or technology. If these students choose a career in motorsports, great! If they choose a technology career in some other industry, great! And even if the students choose a non-technical career but have a greater appreciation of technology, that is also great!"
KEITH WIGGINS (President, HVM Racing): "This relationship with Purdue enables HVM to work with one of the premier engineering schools in the U.S. to exploit the latest technological innovations in aerodynamics, advance materials and manufacturing, as well as being able to interact with bright, fresh-thinking Purdue students in a variety of ways for the future."
***
Ryan Hunter-Reay hopes to race in his fourth Indianapolis 500 later this month, but he took advantage of the complete rainout of practice Sunday, May 15 to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum for the first time.
"I can't believe I hadn't been there," said Hunter-Reay, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year. "It was amazing. "The place is what Indy car racing is all about, and that's what makes Indy car racing special. To go there as a current Indy car driver made it even more special. To see the cars that were driven by owners of teams I've driven for and the ones driven by my heroes and know they all went to Victory Lane here at Indy made for a very special day."
The one car that that the Andretti Autosport driver wanted to see was Rick Mears' 1984-winning Pennzoil Z-7 Special. Hunter-Reay's first go-kart was modeled after Mears' race car, and seeing the real car for the first time brought back childhood memories for the IZOD IndyCar Series standout.
"The No. 6 Pennzoil car, in smaller form, was my first ride," he said. "That's what I got into a lot of trouble in. It was my neighborhood wheels, and I did my first right front wing damage in that car when I hit a stop sign.
"It was really cool to see the actual car. I've never seen it before, but to see the evolution of the Indy car was really neat to see. To see where the sport actually started and how the cars have developed over the years, and see what made these cars go faster and faster. Indianapolis has always been a proving ground as much as it is a huge race."
Hunter-Reay was far from the only driver in the Museum during his visit. 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones and Dreyer & Reinbold's Justin Wilson were visitors to the exhibit of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars.
And while Hunter-Reay told all the well-wishers in the Museum his plan was to have his Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda car join the winning cars in the Museum next year, he hopes to get another visit to see the cars on display again.
"I'm going to go back again before I leave this month," Hunter-Reay said.
Spectators holding an admission ticket to Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21 or Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can redeem them for a free general admission ticket to the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Visit the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships display in Pagoda Plaza from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. both days. Ticket redemption will continue - for those with Pole Day, Bump Day and Race Day tickets - Wednesday, May 25 through Sunday, May 29 at the INDYCAR Fan Village in the IMS Hall of Fame Museum lot.
Major Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard, placed an Indiana unit patch decal this afternoon on the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing entry driven by rookie JR Hildebrand.
MAJOR GEN. R. MARTIN UMBARGER: (About the National Guard and the Indianapolis 500): "I'm a born and bred Hoosier. The Indianapolis 500 is just part of our DNA here in Indiana. The National Guard has been a sponsor on the No. 4 Panther Racing car for the past four years. I think everyone knows that we've come in second place the last two years in this great race. We're hoping to improve one rank this year. That's all we're asking for." (On the connection between the military and the Indianapolis 500): "Memorial Day weekend is the weekend when we honor all of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this company. It's special that this race is broadcast all over the world, particularly on the Armed Forces Network. I know Hoosier Guardsmen that are over there will be watching this race regardless of the hour, and they will be very proud to see that we're sponsoring a car in this race. What I think of most is what Memorial Day means to all of us, and we should never forget. This facility is steeped in tradition, and the military is also one that is steeped in tradition. To have this race on Memorial Day, it becomes even more special for any soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine, no matter what decade you served."
JR HILDEBRAND: (About being an American and driving the National Guard car): "It's an honor as an American to be representing the National Guard, but, more than that, it's a really humbling experience. It's not like these types of things where you're representing 'Joe's Bakery' and you have to talk to people about how awesome their muffins are or something. With the National Guard, it's something really meaningful for us. We have a lot of different programs that we get involved with, like the youth challenge and things like that. It's a good deal to get involved on a much deeper level." (On carrying the Indiana unit patch on the car): "I consider myself a resident of Indiana. I from California originally, but I've been living here for the past four years now. And as a team based here in Indianapolis, we're really excited to represent them and everything they do."
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:
Pos.
Car
Name
Time
Speed
1.
78
Alex Tagliani
39.8445
225.878
2.
9
Scott Dixon
39.9779
225.124
3.
38
Graham Rahal
39.9874
225.071
4.
6
Ryan Briscoe
39.9972
225.016
5.
2
Oriol Servia
40.0172
224.903
Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, 20th, 223.201
INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:
BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): "We could have weather like this in qualifying or on Race Day, so you have to be able to run in it. The car was moving around out there with the wind, but it wasn't that tough. I like what we are doing with the car and with our plan, and I think we are getting there. I think it was another good day for us. We keep improving the car with every change, so we are headed the right way."
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): "It felt great to be back on track today. We took out our primary No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car for practice, and it felt very comfortable out there. It's nice to be in the 225 bracket. We'll keep chipping away at it for the rest of the week and get ready for qualifying on Saturday."
WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): "We did limited running again today in the Verizon Team Penske car. We're just trying to use our miles wisely. We worked on some race setup today, and the car feels good. We still have plenty of time on track this week before we qualify on Saturday, and we plan to make the most of it."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): "It was a good day today in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car. We got a chance to run side-by-side with Will (Power), and we were pretty happy with the car. We stuck with our plan to run the primary car. Hopefully tomorrow the weather cooperates, and we'll continue to work hard and get ready for qualifying."
JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): "Today the focus was on trying to run more laps in traffic and the Sprott team managed to accomplish that. It was sort of tough to find guys out there so we had to do a little collaboration and planning with a few different guys and did find some guys out there. I definitely got some good running in with Oriol. We staged some laps in front of each other, and behind each other and it was good; that's a big thing for me to learn. You only have to do four laps to qualify but you have to do 200 in the race with a lot of other cars around you. I think we got a lot accomplished and certainly, from just my perspective, I learned a lot and gained some valuable experience. I think we will carry on with this for the next couple of days and then closer to qualifying, look more into the qualifying setup. The car felt great in traffic. It was a lot more fun running out there with other guys than just pounding around by yourself. Again, it's sort of similar to the Lights car. I think the experience in the Lights car was certainly very valuable but there is no doubt that the racing is a lot different once you're going 35 mph faster. It will be an interesting race, there's no doubt. I just look forward to getting more laps under my belt and over the week and running in more packs, and bigger packs."
ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): "The day went well for the Telemundo team. It was very cold, colder than we think it will be for Race Day. We had a good run. We went through our test plan, and we ran well. I got my fast lap with a tow, so the time isn't very representative. But I have to say, tow or no tow, downforce or no downforce, it's the first time I am in the top five at the end of the day in Indy, so it feels good. I'm happy with the Telemundo car so far. We're still not where we want to be, but it is really the first test day we have had to try new things. We are happy with where we are, progress-wise."
TOMAS SCHECKTER (No. 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme - Circle K): "Yesterday's session was canceled because of rain, so it felt good to be back in the 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme car working through our program. However, we had a small mechanical issue, which is fixable, but that ended my day very early. I am looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow."
VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): "It was good. I think we evolved a little bit from where we were on Saturday when we last ran. I think the ABC Supply car is competitive, but it's hard to tell exactly how competitive we are at this point. The car is good, but we'll be able to tell how good later in the week when we really start dropping the hammer, as will everyone else. In preparation for that, today was a good day."
BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): "It was an exciting day. The second lap, the engine cover fell off, but my team did a good job to replace it and get me out for some laps at the end of the day. It felt OK. I think the balance is good. We need to work a little more to get more straight-line speed."
RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): "We just didn't get a lot of track time today. We were trying some big stuff with the DHL/Sun Drop car, so we'll see. We'll get our heads together on it - the whole team - and we'll figure it out from there. Today is just the tip of the iceberg; there is a lot of week left."
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): "It was the not the best conditions that we have seen in Indy, but it was OK. We didn't run on the first day and Sunday was raining, so today was the first opportunity for us to run. Thanks to the boys; they did a fantastic job preparing an amazing car. It is early in the week, but it is quite nice to show that the Bowers & Wilkins car is strong for an Indy run. When we came here last year, we didn't know what to expect. We came in apprehensive because it's a very tough place to get it right and very difficult to win. Obviously, we had some speed, and it worked out quite well last year. We build from it. We had a chance in 2010 to develop a good base and in the winter, the guys worked really hard on the car and cleaned it up a bit and always paid attention to details. That's what this place wants, and it's nice to start the week with a car that's quite strong. Hopefully we can build on it. You can never take anything for granted at this place. We have to stay on our toes all week and roll the car out for qualifying and hope for the best."
MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): "We were just trying to get the Hire Heroes car more comfortable through Turn 1. We tried a few things but didn't really sort it out. We just need to look at all the data tonight and figure out how we can move forward. I think our teammates tried a few different things, so hopefully we can figure out some good things for tomorrow."
MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): "We spent a lot of time today with the Venom car working on the race car, and we're getting to where it feels pretty good. But right now I'm a little worried about our speed. I think that if we had qualified today, we might have ended up on the bubble. So we'll put our heads together tonight, have a think on it and then hit it hard again tomorrow."
SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): "It was a very productive day. We did an amazing amount of changes on the development side of the car. We found exactly what we were looking for. We focused mainly on finding the right balance of the car first. Once we got there, we started taking a lot of downforce off, and that really paid off. I'm really happy how it turned out. It's still very early in the week, so we are still very conservative. As the week progresses, we'll start to push it a little bit harder. But today was exactly how we wanted the week of Indianapolis 500 practice to start."
TONY KANAAN (No. 82 GEICO - KV Racing Technology - Lotus): "Today was a normal Monday at the Speedway. We tried different things and worked on the setup to get comfortable with the car. We're making what I like to call the 'cookbook' so by the end of the week, we'll look which dish we want to cook, and hopefully it will be a good one."
TAKUMA SATO (No. 5 KV Racing Technology - Lotus): "It was a windy day, but the weather was clear and consistent, so it didn't have an effect on our program. We made steady progress throughout the day, and I am getting more comfortable each time I go out on track. It was a very productive day."
E.J. VISO (No. 59 PDVSA - KV Racing Technology - Lotus): "Today was our second day on track, and we accomplished everything we had planned for the day. We did a lot of research into the dampers and we found some valuable data. Basically, with what I did and what the other drivers on the team are doing, we are going to come up with a good package. That is the good thing about having a four-car team and the right way of working. It is always difficult to make comparisons at a place like Indianapolis because teams are working on different things and some drivers are getting tows, but I ran today without a tow so the data we collected is realistic."
JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): "Windy - that's one thing you can say about today. I think Team Window World stayed on plan and were cautious about how many sets of tires we're using. Maybe we didn't run as much as we wanted, but we learned a lot and made a lot of gains today. It seems like the things we're trying are working really well. Usually 99 out of the 100 things you try don't work, but it's working in our favor right now. I'm looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."
PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): "Today was just a pretty tough day at the office. I've heard from all the veterans that this place can do that to you sometimes, and we definitely just have one of those days. We seemed to spend it chasing our tail a little bit - both literally and figuratively. We've still got a minor handling issue but we're chasing after it, and until we sort that out we just can't risk going after speed. We also didn't run with any tows today when we were running fast, so I actually don't think the lap time is that bad for the amount of aero we had on and the fact that we weren't in the tow when we did our best lap. We still have the handling niggle, which we do need to fix, but we're going to make some fairly big changes overnight, and hopefully we can come out stronger in the morning."
DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): "I thought we were good on our own today and made a little bit of progress. We just need to stay consistent and find speed. It was a steady day."
BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Panther Racing): (On being back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his win in 2004): "It's good. I see the Indiana weather hasn't changed much. I think on that day (in 2004) with or without the weather, I thought the weather just made it more exciting. It made it a more exciting race. The 2004 race was an exciting day, for sure." (About last start at Indianapolis, in 2008): "We were in contention for a top five. Obviously, it got a little hairy there on the final restart. We dropped back a ways, and I was able to work my way back up to seventh or eighth. Our car was in contention. It wasn't too bad. We put ourselves into a hole on the very first pit stop and had to really dig ourselves out of that hole all day. It took all day to get back up there but, yeah, my last run here was good." (On his day of practice for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and Panther Racing): "For us at Panther, everything is going good. With myself and JR in the National Guard car, I think we're progressing. We're moving along like we should, and I just need to familiarize myself with the team, the car and get rolling. They have solid cars. I mean, their performance the last few years, I think speaks for itself. We know they have a strong, solid oval program, especially here at the Speedway. That's what made my decision really easy when John (Barnes) called right around Long Beach and started putting everything into motion. So I'm excited to be here. I'm happy to be here. It's good to be here and gives me an opportunity for a second win. Also, it's the Centennial. This only comes around once. There are five of us that are previous winners that are running here, and it's an exciting time to be here right now." (On his approach to securing an entry in the Indianapolis 500): "I think everybody has their own way of going about it. I wasn't going to stand around and also, the way the times were and the way things were going, some things had changed. I get paid to drive race cars. That's my job. That's what I do. So for me, it took a little bit. I wanted to make sure I came here and had an opportunity to have a good run. When I showed up, I didn't just want to show up and run. There's a lot of different things that I wanted to make sure were in place before I just jumped back in."
DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "It was a good day for the Target team.. We shook down the primary car, which seemed pretty fast. We should run more tomorrow, weather permitting."
SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): "We had a pretty decent day for the Target team. We switched to the primary car today, and it ran smooth. Hope to run a little more tomorrow."
A total of 58 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 34 have passed technical inspection.Thirty-nine drivers were on track today, turning 1,379 laps. Pippa Mann turned 70 laps today, most of any driver. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,466 total laps. There were five cautions for a total of 39 minutes today.
TUESDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8 a.m.
Garages open
Noon-6 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.
RAIN WASHES OUT PRACTICE FOR INDIANAPOLIS 500
by Amy Konrath, INDYCAR
INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 15, 2011) - Rain washed out practice for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
Rain fell steadily on the Speedway throughout this morning, and IZOD IndyCar Series officials canceled the day's track activities at 1:08 p.m. (ET).
It is only the third time in four years that an Indianapolis 500 practice day has been completely rained out. Rain washed out practice on Monday May 17, 2010 and prior to that on Thursday, May 8, 2008.
DAY 2 NOTEBOOK:
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts visited the track today.
***
Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt and 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones talked about their memories of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" today. This is the 50th anniversary of Foyt's first victory, in 1961.
A.J. FOYT: (On the Indianapolis 500): "I always say, to win this race you have to have everything go your way. I don't care who you are or anything. Everything's just got to fall in line. If it doesn't, then you're not going to win."(About Tony Hulman and family): "Well, the way I look at Mr. Hulman is it wasn't just what he did for here. It was what he did for everybody. I'm talking about drivers and fans and everything. He just could not do enough for the race drivers. He made it safer than you possibly could do. The Hulman-George's have been great here. Tony George and them came up with the (SAFER) walls. So, just like Ray Harroun with the rear-view mirror, so much stuff has happened here before it really came out on the market. You know, Tony and Mr. Joe Cloutier, they just couldn't do enough for the fans and all that. You couldn't have met finer people than the Hulmans and Georges." (Comparing competition from his 1961 '500' victory to today): "Back then you come to the race and you had 80 to 100 cars and you had your chief mechanic. You didn't have all the factories in it. It was just a different kind of combination than it is today. I mean, it was a hard combination. It was very competitive. You had to build and make everything yourself. Most of the mechanics today are just 'R and R,' remove and replace. Back then, you designed it, built it and then you tried it." (On driving the Pace Car and possibly staying out on the track to break Mario Andretti's record of most laps led): "Hell, yeah. Records are made to be broken. That's the reason they set records."
PARNELLI JONES: (On Tony Hulman): "He was a perfect gentleman. I can remember him picking up A.J. and I and making us go out and do some promotional work for the races. He was that kind of guy. He was just very pleasant to be around, and he certainly played a great part in developing the Speedway. If it wasn't for him, the Speedway might not even be here. He was really one of my past heroes." (On the future of the Indianapolis 500): "I was looking at these new cars over here, and I can see it's definitely going somewhere. You know, aerodynamics and electronics on all the new cars have changed a whole lot in racing. It's not the same. It's not going back. So where are they going from here? It's beyond me. That's like saying, where are we going with aerodynamics or anything like that? They're reaching for maximums. These cars probably have so much downforce, they could run upside down at 150 miles per hour." (About Foyt driving the Pace Car this year): "He can handle it, I think. I'm sure he's going to want to stay out there."
***
Dragon Racing drivers Scott Speed and Ho-Pin Tung passed the time today during the rain delay by having their faces painted with the team's logo during a visit to the Indy 500 Kids Club in the Gasoline Alley Suites.
***
2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon talked about his memories of racing in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, in 2003. Dixon is from Auckland, New Zealand.
SCOTT DIXON: "Coming from New Zealand, we are a long ways away and probably more European-orientated as far as Formula One. For everybody around the world, everybody knows there is one major race - the Indianapolis 500. Growing up as a kid, I always watched the race on TV, even in little New Zealand. In the early days, I hoped to be able to grow up and maybe being able to compete in some of these races. But the whole reality of achieving that was probably next to nil. I had been living here (United States) since 1999, and to actually come here in 2002 with Ganassi to watch Kenny (Brack) and Bruno (Junqueira), to see the spectacle itself as far as how many people come to the event, how massive it is, how the city changes; that's when you get the realistic side of the race. The speed of the cars, just hearing the crowd roar, is pretty special. To be able to come here and be lucky enough to compete in 2003 was definitely a dream come true. It's obviously kind of mind-boggling to look back and remember that I had watched these races on TV in New Zealand, so far away, and then to actually be competing in it. And that year we actually led laps. It was pretty cool. It's a special place that demands a lot of respect from drivers. You're always on edge as a driver, and it can bite you pretty quick. When you do well here, it rewards you tremendously. The coolest thing about this place is the history. Obviously celebrating the Centennial year, to know people have been doing this for 100 years, is the greatest thing in sporting history. To be one of 67 drivers who have won this race is a very proud moment."
***
Conquest Racing rookie Pippa Mann talked today about her impressions of the Indianapolis 500 and driving an IZOD IndyCar Series car. Mann is from Ipswich, England.
PIPPA MANN: "In England, nearly everybody has heard of the Indy 500, but strangely enough the race isn't that big of a deal to everyone in England. It's on a par to the Formula One race in Monaco, the most prestigious race of the year. It's viewed in the UK as just a big race. Until I actually came here and saw IMS for the first time, I didn't quite get it. Only when I ran on it for the first time in an Indy Lights car did I understand what this place was all about. I think Indianapolis was how I imagined an oval would look like. It's pretty much a flat oval and very interesting to drive. While the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the biggest and fastest speedway we go to, it takes so many things from oval racing and from road racing, so it's very interesting. It is a track that takes from both disciplines, and that's why you have drivers who are the best at both disciplines who excel at this track." (About driving an IZOD IndyCar Series car): "The Indy car feels like a bigger version of the Indy Lights car. At the moment, we are fighting a little bit of a handling issue, and yet as a rookie I'm supposed to be totally phased and spooked by this. However, because of my experience in the Indy Lights car, I know it's just doing that (mishandling) a bit, and we're supposed to be able to fix it. It (Indy Lights) has really helped my comfort level, how I've adapted to the car and how comfortable I am when the car moves around. Not that I'm going to be that comfortable when it moves around because, if you make a mistake, this place can make you pay for it pretty badly. In an Indy car, there is so much more to do than just drive the car. I have all these buttons, levers and knobs that I'm meant to play with and moving around all the time. I'm just now getting into that. I've run 50 laps here now in an Indy car, and that's not even the equivalent of a full day's running, so I'm on a little bit of a learning curve right now." (About the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500): "When I was with Panther Racing as an Indy Lights driver, we started getting into the 100th Anniversary festivities. That was when it really dawned on me how big this event really is. And then seeing everything ramp up over the past two years, the increased interest, the increased spectacle, it's really, really cool to be a part of it now."
***
Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Charlie Kimball talked today about his Indianapolis 500 experience so far.
CHARLIE KIMBALL: (On the whether the weather conditions change his plans): "I don't know that it changes too much. The whole week of practice, we've got a little more miles than we do tires and more time. There's a bit of cushion built in for weather. You just have to stay patient and calm and deal with it as it goes." (On his confidence as a rookie racing for Chip Ganassi): "Well, racing for the whole Chip Ganassi organization gives me a huge amount of confidence. I've got two former winners and former champions to learn from and a guy who has done this race four times to learn from, as well. There's a lot information for me to take in if I need it and want it. Around here, I'm just trying to be a sponge and soak it up as much as possible."
***
The three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 - A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser - are starting from the front row of "The Greatest 33" after earning the most votes from Indianapolis 500 fans worldwide.
Racing fans selected their dream lineup of the 33 greatest drivers in Indianapolis 500 history from March 18-May 14 at thegreatest33.com. The top 33 drivers in the balloting were revealed Sunday, May 15 during practice for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
Foyt, the first four-time winner, earned the highest score of any driver, followed by Mears and Unser.
Occupying the second row are three-time winners Bobby Unser, Helio Castroneves and Johnny Rutherford. 1969 winner Mario Andretti, three-time winner Wilbur Shaw and two-time winner Bill Vukovich are in the third row.
Three current Indianapolis 500 competitors are among The Greatest 33, Helio Castroneves (fifth), Dario Franchitti (19th) and Scott Dixon (33rd).
The Greatest 33 program and its interactive website are key components of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at IMS.
To view the entire "The Greatest 33," visit either thegreatest33.com or http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/news/show/42810-four-time-and-39-500and-39-winners-foyt-mears-unser-lead-and-39-the-greatest-33and-39/
***
IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power and his Team Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves talked about today's lack of track activity.
WILL POWER: "It's unfortunate for us and for the fans that the rain kept us from getting on track today. The No. 12 Verizon Team Penske guys worked a bit late yesterday afternoon taking the engine out of our T car and putting it in our race car. We were planning on shaking that car down today and then getting started on our process. We will be ready to go tomorrow, and I am excited to get on track and get the Verizon car up to speed."
RYAN BRISCOE: "I was really looking forward to getting back in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car today to continue checking items off our list, but the weather just wouldn't cooperate with us. My engineer, Eric Cowdin, and I were able to spend some time talking about what we'd like to accomplish when we do get back out there. I feel bad for the fans, especially. There were a lot of people here at the Speedway looking forward to seeing some cars on track today."
HELIO CASTRONEVES: "It's really too bad that we didn't get a chance to run today in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car. We did get to spend some more time with the fans today, and that was great. It's one of the cool things about racing here in Indianapolis - even though it rained all day, there were still a lot of people out here. We look forward to putting on a good show for them the rest of the month."
***
Indianapolis 500 veteran Townsend Bell talked today about racing with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in this year's race. Bell has become a "one off" specialist, finishing in the top 10 twice in the last three years in entries fielded just for the Indianapolis 500.
TOWNSEND BELL: (On how prepared and successful he has been with one-off efforts at the Indianapolis 500): "I spend basically every day of the year thinking about this race. I try to take everything we've learned in years past and apply that to the future. That includes preparation both for me and just working with the team to make sure we've got everything we need to do a good job. This year's no exception. We feel like we've got a great program. Herbalife 24 and Sam Schmidt Motorsports, everybody's worked hard to make sure we've got a nice car out there. I'm anxious to see what it's like."
***
2009 Chase Rookie of the Year Alex Tagliani today unveiled the helmet paint design that he will use in this year's Indianapolis 500.
ALEX TAGLIANI: "We knew some time ago that we were going to do a helmet for Indy, but when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced they wanted to bring all the past winners back, that triggered the idea first of all to have the Borg-Warner Trophy on the helmet and all the past winners, as well. For me, this is a great piece to remember being a part of this 100th anniversary of the race and to be one of the drivers that is a part of it. It's basically the same helmet we've run all year with the addition of the trophy and the names of all the past winners." (About drivers' unique helmets): "The helmet is the piece that represents us. Most of the people see us in the cockpit, and in an open cockpit, they see the driver's helmet. It shows who you are, your identity, what you like -- your style, basically."
***
MONDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8 a.m.
Garages open
Noon-6 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice
***
The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.
GREAT VARIETY OF LIVE MUSIC DURING MAY AT IMS
Miller Lite Carb Day performers Staind, Papa Roach lead impressive lineup
INDIANAPOLIS, Saturday, May 14, 2011 - Hard rock superstars Staind and Papa Roach lead an impressive lineup of national, regional and local music acts performing during the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 this month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Staind with special guests Papa Roach will provide a powerful bill at the Miller Lite Carb Day concert on Friday, May 27 at IMS.
The concert, free with Miller Lite Carb Day admission of $20, will start at 3:30 p.m. (ET) on the Miller Lite Stage in the IMS infield. Miller Lite Carb Day tickets are available now at www.IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com/carbday.
Other acts performing at IMS include unique funk band Here Come The Mummies at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 15, national pop-punk band All Time Low at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21, Indiana National Guard rock band Rapid Fire at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 22 and popular Indianapolis rhythm & blues band Living Proof at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 22.
All musical performances are free with admission to the IMS grounds for the day. The complete lineup (all times local; all performances on Coca-Cola Stage in Pagoda Plaza except where noted):
Date
Time
Act
Saturday, May 14
4 p.m.
DJ Orion (hip-hop, house, rock, funk DJ)
Sunday, May 15
Noon
Psychodots (pop-rock)
3:30 p.m.
Here Come The Mummies (funk)
Friday, May 20
4 p.m.
DJ Orion (hip-hop, house, rock, funk)
Saturday, May 21
1 p.m.
Sixteen Candles (80s pop/rock)
3:30 p.m.
All Time Low (pop-punk)
Sunday, May 22
9 a.m.
Rapid Fire (rock)
Noon
Blank Pages (Christian pop/punk)
3:30 p.m.
Living Proof (rhythm & blues)
Friday, May 27
3:30 p.m.
Staind, Papa Roach (hard rock), Miller Lite Stage
Saturday, May 28
11 a.m.
Nadine Bernecker (vocals)
Sunday, May 29
7 a.m.
Gabby Love and Indiana Jones (DJ), Snake Pit
10 a.m.
A-Squared (DJ), Snake Pit
1 p.m.
Andy D (rap/funk), Snake Pit
2 p.m.
Action Jackson and Jess Bonkers (DJ), Snake Pit
IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
More Than 250 INDY 500 PACE CAR Owners Invited To Take IMS LAP
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Pace Cars, muscle cars, exotic cars to provide plenty of eye candy May 21-22
INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 15, 2011 - Owners of more than 250 vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will have the opportunity to take a ceremonial lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21.
Held in conjunction with the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and a month-long celebration of great race and passenger cars at IMS, more than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will appear May 21-22 at the Racing Capital of the World. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. Pole Day, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.
Headlining this amazing array of automobiles will be the historic Stoddard-Dayton model that paced the inaugural Indianapolis 500 won in 1911 by Ray Harroun, who drove the legendary Marmon-Wasp to victory. The 1911 Indianapolis 500 was the first auto race ever to use a Pace Car, which is now a tradition at races around the world. At the wheel of the Stoddard-Dayton at the 1911 "500" was Carl G. Fisher, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Another featured car at the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Reunion will be the Chevrolet Camaro from the 1969 "500" won by Mario Andretti. The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car is painted to look exactly like its 1969 predecessor.
From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, the Pace Cars will be staged for a "Fans Choice" vote. The cars also will be on display in the infield from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22. As an added attraction, car clubs featuring muscle cars, exotics and more will provide fans plenty of eye candy.
Additional highlights of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on May 21 include question-and-answer sessions at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. with a past Indy 500 pole winner on the Coca-Cola Stage, hosted by IMS Historian Donald Davidson.
Musical performances on the Coca-Cola Stage includeSixteen Candles at 1 p.m. and All Time Low at 3:30 p.m.
Featured events on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on May 22 include an amazing collection of military vehicles on display in the Pagoda Plaza for fans to review. The traditional, annual Armed Forces Enlistment Ceremony will begin at 10:15 a.m.
Willy T. Ribbs, the first African-American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, will appear in a question-and-answer session at 10:45 a.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage, followed by an autograph session at 11:30 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza.
Three musical performances will take place on the Coca-Cola Stage: Rapid Fire at 9 a.m., Blank Pages at noon and Living Proof at 3:30 p.m.
Admission is $15, with kids 12 and under are free, each day May 21-22.
The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 starts at noon (ET) May 29. Live coverage on ABC and the IMS Radio Network-XM 94 starts at 11 a.m.
***
2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
FOUR-TIME '500' WINNERS
FOYT, MEARS, UNSER LEAD 'THE GREATEST 33'
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 15, 2011 - The three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 - A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser - are starting from the front row of "The Greatest 33" after earning the most votes from Indianapolis 500 fans worldwide.
Racing fans selected their dream lineup of the 33 greatest drivers in Indianapolis 500 history from March 18-May 14 at thegreatest33.com. The top 33 drivers in the balloting were revealed Sunday, May 15 during practice for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.
"It's only fitting that the three greatest legends of the Indianapolis 500, A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser, are leading 'The Greatest 33' to the green flag," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief operating officer. "We hope the fans have really enjoyed picking their perfect starting lineup and sharing their memories about the drivers who have created 100 years of history at the world's greatest race."
Foyt, the first four-time winner, earned the highest score of any driver, followed by Mears and Unser.
Occupying the second row are three-time winners Bobby Unser, Helio Castroneves and Johnny Rutherford. 1969 winner Mario Andretti, three-time winner Wilbur Shaw and two-time winner Bill Vukovich are in the third row.
Three current Indianapolis 500 competitors are among The Greatest 33, Helio Castroneves (fifth), Dario Franchitti (19th) and Scott Dixon (33rd).
The Greatest 33 program and its interactive website are key components of the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at IMS.
Fans chose their Greatest 33 from a list of 100 drivers pre-selected by an esteemed panel of international motorsports media and historians. Statistics, audio from IMS Historian Donald Davidson and images from the vast IMS photo archive were available for each of the 100 candidates, providing hours of entertaining content. A section of the site allowed fans to compare the statistics of up to five drivers simultaneously, helping make those tough final picks.
A wide variety of daily, weekly and grand prizes also are being awarded to fans at the site. Although voting has ended, fans can continue to enter the sweepstakes at thegreatest33.com for chances to win prizes through 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Race Day, Sunday, May 29.
The Greatest 33 site also forms a unique Indianapolis 500 social community. Fans can share memories of all 100 candidates, with comments visible to all visitors. Linking to popular social networks such as Facebook and Twitter also is available.
New videos of The Greatest 33 drivers also have been added to the site.
"THE GREATEST 33"
(Starting lineup order determined by number of vote scores received in fan balloting)
Row 1
1. A.J. Foyt
2. Rick Mears
3. Al Unser
Row 2
4. Bobby Unser
5. Helio Castroneves
6. Johnny Rutherford
Row 3
7. Mario Andretti
8. Wilbur Shaw
9. Bill Vukovich
Row 4
10. Emerson Fittipaldi
11. Al Unser Jr.
12. Louis Meyer
Row 5
13. Mauri Rose
14. Parnelli Jones
15. Gordon Johncock
Row 6
16. Arie Luyendyk
17. Rodger Ward
18. Jim Clark
Row 7
19. Dario Franchitti
20. Tom Sneva
21. Bobby Rahal
Row 8
22. Mark Donohue
23. Michael Andretti
24. Ralph DePalma
Row 9
25. Ray Harroun
26. Tommy Milton
27. Danny Sullivan
Row 10
28. Graham Hill
29. Dan Gurney
30. Jim Rathmann
Row 11
31. Juan Pablo Montoya
32. Tony Bettenhausen
33. Scott Dixon
***
2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
May 7 2011
LEGEND AJ FOYT
TO DRIVE 100TH ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 PACE CAR
by J. Douglas Boles IMS
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, May 6, 2011 - A.J. Foyt, the first four-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, will drive the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car at the 100th Anniversary race Sunday, May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Foyt's first Indianapolis victory, in 1961. Foyt also won as a driver in 1964, 1967 and 1977 and as a team owner in 1999 with Kenny Brack driving.
Houston native Foyt also will mark his 54th consecutive Indianapolis 500 as a driver or team owner this year, an unprecedented span. He made a record 35 consecutive starts as a driver from 1958-92 and led a record 13 races. He also completed 12,272.5 career miles in the race, another record.
"Since I won my first Indy 500 50 years ago, I had hoped to still be racing in it, but driving the Pace Car is the next best thing!" Foyt said. "Seriously, racing has always been very important in my life - it's been my life - and the Indianapolis 500 is the most important race in the world. I lived for that race. When I got hurt in race cars, I always made it back for Indy because it is that important. That's where people know me from - Indy. So being asked by my good friend Mari George to drive the Chevy Pace Car for the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500 - well, I couldn't have a bigger honor come from the Speedway and the Hulman-George family."
The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," starts at noon (ET) Sunday, May 29. Live coverage will begin at 11 a.m. on ABC and the IMS Radio Network/XM 94-Sirius 212.
"We're very happy to welcome A.J. Foyt as the driver of this beautiful Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car at the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500," said Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and chief executive officer. "A.J. is one of the greatest and most beloved drivers in the 100-year history of the race, a true icon. I'm one of the millions of Foyt fans worldwide who can't wait to see A.J. back where he belongs, out in front of the '500' and leading the field to the start."
Equipped with a 400-horsepower V-8 engine and six-speed automatic transmission, the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible Pace Car requires no performance modifications to perform its duty in front of the 33-car racing field. The color combination is similar to the design used on 1969 Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replicas - cars which have become among the most popular Camaros in the collector world.
Joining Foyt ahead of the Indianapolis 500 field on one of the parade laps will be Addison Brown of Scottsdale, Ariz., who will drive a special-edition Chevrolet Camaro SS Convertible 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replica that she won at the Barrett-Jackson auction Jan. 22.
Chevrolet donated Brown's winning bid of $225,000 to the David Foster Foundation (http://www.davidfosterfoundation.org), a charity devoted to supporting families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants. David Foster, the 16-time Grammy-winning music producer and songwriter, founded the organization in his native Canada.
Foyt also will be honored Saturday, May 28 on A.J. Foyt Day at IMS. He will participate in a question-and-answer and autograph session with fans. Video highlights of Foyt's incredible career also will air on the video boards located around IMS throughout the day.
May 3 2011
Mari Hulman George, Foyt to place Golden Brick
More '500' veterans to sign autographs
by J. Douglas Boles IMS
INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, May 2, 2011 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chairman of the Board Mari Hulman George and legendary four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt will place a commemorative "golden" brick into the famous Yard of Bricks on Tuesday, May 24 at IMS.
This event will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Foyt's first Indy 500 win in 1961 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500.
Former Speedway owner Tony Hulman - Mari Hulman George's father - and inaugural Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Harroun first placed a "golden" brick into the famed Yard of Bricks at the start-finish line of the 2.5-mile oval after the main straightaway was paved with asphalt in autumn 1961, the 50th anniversary year of the race.
Three more veterans to sign May 28: Popular Indianapolis 500 veterans Gary Bettenhausen, Mel Kenyon and Wally Dallenbach have joined the growing lineup of drivers who will participate in the "World's Largest Autograph Session" on Saturday afternoon, May 28 at IMS during A.J. Foyt Day activities.
USAC short-track legend "Gary B" made 21 Indianapolis starts between 1968-93, with a best finish of third in 1980. USAC Midget legend Kenyon recorded four top-five finishes in eight Indianapolis starts between 1966-73. Dallenbach achieved four consecutive top-10 finishes during 13 Indianapolis 500 starts between 1967-79.
Every living driver from the Indianapolis 500 has been invited to IMS to participate in this autograph session, which consists of two signing groups, one from 9-10 a.m. in the Pagoda Plaza and another from noon-4 p.m. in the IMS infield.
The morning group will feature all 33 drivers in the starting field of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 plus most of the 27 living winners of the "500," while the afternoon group will feature veteran drivers such as Bettenhausen, Kenyon and Dallenbach, including "roadster" standouts from the 1950s and 1960s.
ESPN 'SportsCenter' celebrates Indy: ESPN's flagship news and information program, "SportsCenter," started a series of Indianapolis 500 Centennial Moments on Sunday, May 1 that will continue through Race Morning, Sunday, May 29.
The video segments will look back on some of the greatest moments and biggest heroes over the history of the race. There will be a new segment each day, and each will run a minimum of three times a day, included in the daytime, prime time and West Coast prime time programs. The moments alos will be available for viewing on ESPN.com.
The Indianapolis 500 will air on ABC for the 47th consecutive year on May 29. Coverage is presented by GoDaddy.com and begins at 11 a.m. (ET).
Schmidt gala to honor Penske: Legendary Indianapolis 500 team owner Roger Penske will be honored with the Legends of Racing Award at the 12th annual Racing to Recovery Gala presented by The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) on Wednesday, May 18.
The gala is taking place at D'Amore, located ato the Chase Bank Building on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.
Penske Racing has won a record 15 Indianapolis 500's. Penske joins an illustrious list of Legends of Racing Award winners, including Rick Mears, Parnelli Jones, Arie Luyendyk, Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti.
Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to mingle with Indianapolis 500 greats from the past and present and current IZOD IndyCar Series team owners and drivers, while raising money to support medical research, rehabilitation and quality-of-life programs for those living with paralysis. The event will feature a silent and live auction, giving guests the opportunity to bid on unique racing-themed items.
SSPF was started in 2000 by INDYCAR driver Sam Schmidt shortly after a practice crash left him paralyzed from the chest down. SSPF is leading the charge to cure paralysis by funding scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances benefiting those with spinal cord injuries, stroke victims and people diagnosed with ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
For ticket information, contact events@samschmidt.org or call (317) 236-9999.
Special Oakley sunglasses on sale: Limited-edition Indy 500 Pit Boss sunglasses commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 are on sale at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Gift Shop, at Brickyard Authentics Online (www.brickyardauthentics.com) and at select Oakley retailers. The sunglasses come in a large custom case and include part of an original IMS brick used to pave the track more than 100 years ago.
The matte black and titanium frame is optimized with black iridium® polarized lenses designed to help the wearer maintain color recognition. An Indianapolis 500 logo is laser-etched at the corner of the lens, and a custom microclear™ bag included for lens cleaning also contains an Indianapolis 500 emblem.
Only 100 pairs of the Indy 500 Pit Boss sunglasses were produced.
INDYCAR Ministry golf outing May 12: Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr., Indy 500 veterans Scott Goodyear, Graham Rahal and Sebastian Saavedra and Firestone Indy Lights veteran Martin Plowman will participate in the annual INDYCAR Ministry Golf Outing on Thursday, May 12 at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course.
Registration and a continental breakfast start at 8 a.m., followed by a shotgun start at 9 a.m. An awards luncheon and silent auction will follow golf, with proceeds from the day benefiting INDYCAR Ministry.
Entry fees are $1,000 per foursome or $250 per person. Players can register at www.indycarministry.com. The registration deadline is May 6.
2011 Indianapolis 500 tickets: Tickets are on sale for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, "The Most Important Race in History," on Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday.
Children 12 and under will be receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
Apr 30 2011
LEGENDARY ANNOUNCER TOM CARNEGIE
TO BE HONORED MAY 21 AT IMS
'Tom Carnegie Day'
Salute to the late, great 'Voice of the Speedway'
by J. Douglas Boles, I M S
INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, April 29, 2011 - Tom Carnegie's legendary voice helped to elevate the tension, drama and excitement of Indy 500 qualifying for 61 years, so it's only fitting that Pole Day for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 will be known as "Tom Carnegie Day" on Saturday, May 21 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Carnegie, who died Feb. 11 at age 91, served as the Public Address announcer at the Speedway from 1946-2006. He called 61 Indianapolis 500's, 12 Brickyard 400's and six United States Grand Prix races for millions of fans at IMS.
During "Tom Carnegie Day," the new Public Address stand at IMS will be named in Carnegie's honor and his unmistakable, booming voice will be heard at various times over the Public Address system. In addition, highlights of Carnegie's remarkable career will appear on the Speedway video boards.
Carnegie's incredible baritone coined and developed such iconic phrases as,
"AND HEEEEEEE'S ON IT!" "HEEEEEERE'S THE TIME AND SPEED REPORT!"
and the classic
"AAAAAAND, IT'S A NEEEEEW TRACK RECORD!"
He retired from announcing at the Speedway in June 2006 but continued to visit the track through 2010 as one of the most beloved figures in Speedway history.
The activities honoring Carnegie are the highlight of a full day of fan-friendly fun at IMS celebrating the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. Gate admission is $15, with kids 12 and under free. Other events May 21:
•Qualifying: The first round of qualifying for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 will take place from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., with the Fast Nine Shootout for the coveted PEAK Performance Pole Award taking place from 4:30-6 p.m. Practice will precede qualifying from 8-10 a.m., as IZOD IndyCar Series cars will be on track for 8 ½ hours Saturday.
•Pace Car reunion: More than 250 vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will be on display, with a "Fans' Choice" vote taking place to select their favorites. Numerous other hot rods and muscle cars also will be on display as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the premier site for fans to see classic, performance and race cars from all eras during the Month of May.
•Past pole winner interviews, autographs: IMS Historian Donald Davidson will interview past Indianapolis 500 pole winners at 10 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage, with an autograph session at 3:20-4:20 p.m.
•Live music: Sixteen Candles will perform at 1 p.m. and All Time Low at 3:30 p.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage.
The 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for noon (ET) Sunday, May 29. It will be broadcast live on ABC and the IMS Radio Network/XM 145-Sirius 212.
100th ANNIVERSARY INDIANAPOLIS 500 SCHEDULE
(All times local, subject to change)
by J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Saturday, May 7 EMERGING TECH DAY/ALLISON TRANSMISSION
CENTENNIAL ERA BALLOON FESTIVAL - Free
Noon-9 p.m., Public Gates Open
Noon-5 p.m., Emerging Tech Day Racing
2 p.m., Yoga 500
8 p.m., Balloon Glow
9 p.m., Fireworks
Sunday, May 8- NO TRACK ACTIVITY