The 91st Indianapolis 500 thread.......

[mlittle]

Tyres?

Firestone's brought a pretty darn' reliable compound for the 500(same compound they used at Motegi and Homestead) so the tires aren't a problem; no one's had any complaints about 'em so far this month.

Darned if I know, then

You and me both, then....

[mlittle]

While the Brickyard remains closed for business until tomorrow, here are some news items of interest..........

~~Soakin' up the experience. For many drivers in the IRL's Indy Pro Series, the month of May offers an interesting diversion depending on the drivers' perspective. Take for instance Sam Schmidt Motorsports' IPS drivers Logan Gomez and Alex Lloyd, who've been essentially shadowing 1996 500 winner and 2000 IndyCar Series champion Buddy Lazier. For IPS points leader Lloyd, who recently moved from Florida to central Indiana, the experience has been an eye-opener.......

In Florida, you're just kind of out of it. You read about it in the papers, but you don't get to be here and see how it goes on. That kind of dragged a bit last year. This year, it seems to be going quicker; there's a lot more going on.

For Gomez, who'll get his first taste of the Brickyard next week in the runup to the American Freedom 100, it's been an exhilarating ride thus far(the crew who services Gomez' IPS ride are working on Lazier's IndyCar ride for the 500).....

It's been fun watching Buddy and how he approaches the month of May. It's been good to learn his techniques and the patience he shows. It's nice to see the crew working with a different driver; it's interesting to see how they approach their work and how they communicate with each other. It's no fun sitting around and watching these guys, but at the end of the day it's just what needs to be done.

For others, the month of May gives them a chance to bond with their compatriots; just ask Hideki Mutoh and Jaime Camara, who have stuck next to their fellow countrymen(Kosuke Matsuura and Tony Kanaan). For others, there's always the opportunity to get a unique perspective on the track, as SWE Racing's C.R. Crews, Target/Ganassi Racing's Chris Festa and Apex Racing's Mike Potekhin got standing in one of the spotter's stands atop the grandstands spotting for drivers Jon Herb, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Stephan Gregoire.

Next week, however, it's all business for them as the Indy Pro Series returns to actions with the American Freedom 100 on May 25th, part of Carb Day activities at the Brickyard.


~~Lamenting what could've been.....For both Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, this year's 500 could be a chance at redemption for both drivers, as both drivers saw opportunites for a win slip away. For Dixon, the 2003 series champion, his chance to win "the Greatest Spectacle in Racing" disappeared when he suffered a drive-through penalty for blocking. For Wheldon, he potentially could've been going for an unprecedented three-peat had a flat tire not flattened his chances at a win. Both drivers, like everyone else competing in the 500, are hungry for a win and "Dapper Dan" put it thusly:

In a sick way, that's what makes the Indianapolis 500. That's what makes you come back. It is so exciting. I led more than 150 laps (last year) and I didn't win the race; I didn't even feature in the top three. That's part of it.

~~Ethanol makes an appearance at the CBOT. For all the hectic activity that occurs in pitlane during an IndyCar Series race, it's nothing compared to the trading pits at the Chicago Board of Trade, says CBOT Chairman Charlie Casey, who gave tours of the facility to Rahal-Letterman Racing and Team Ethanol driver Jeff Simmons, along with IRL officials and officials with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council(EPIC). Casey had these words to say afterwards at a news conference......

Congratulations for this groundbreaking technological achievement in the racing community. The Indy Racing League and its' crown jewel, the Indianapolis 500, have a long history of technological and safety innovations. Just as the IndyCar Series is an innovator in the world of auto racing, CBOT is an innovator in futures products. Before ethanol became a daily news story, CBOT recognized the increasingly important role ethanol can play in meeting America's energy needs.

Over five years ago, CBOT created an ethanol futures' market, which has helped spur investment in both energy and agriculture, which Casey commented on......

We believed that a growing industry needed more sophisticated pricing tools. The world looks to us to price ethanol as our benchmark for (U.S.) ethanol prices (which) is used for price discovery. We are proud of the success achieved thus far by our ethanol contract and are optimistic about its' future.

Also commenting on the subject was USDA Under Sec. for Rural Development Tom Dorr......

I don't think Henry Ford (who in 1925 said that ethanol would be the fuel of the future) would be a bit surprised to see 33 cars at the starting line of the Indianapolis 500 with ethanol in their tanks. The Indy Racing League is re-branding ethanol as a premium fuel. It is mainstreaming ethanol, which is happening faster than many people understand. We've been talking about renewable fuels in the United States for over 30 years; it's finally happening. (With) celluosic ethanol, we'll have the potential to supply a third or more of our fuel supply (in the future). We've obviously been pushed by higher gas prices, but we have a clear economic incentive to diversify away from oil. The (Bush) administration salutes the IndyCar Series for its' leadership.

[mlittle]

What to look for in the second week at Indy?

~~Distinct strategies.........for those teams already in the show, the plan has to be to find speed during long, full-tank fuel runs in practice; for those not in the show yet, it'll be outright speed runs in the runup to Third Day/Bump Day qualfications

~~Current list of non-qualifiers.............here is the list of current entries that have not made the show yet..........
--Jimmy Kite, #18 (sponsor tba) PDM Racing
--Jaques Lazier, #21 Indiana Ice/Venture Logistics, Playa del Racing
--(R)Milka Duno, #23 CITGO, SAMAX Motorsports
--Marty Roth, #25 Fountain Powerboats, Roth Racing
--(R)Phil Giebler, #31 (sponsor tba) Playa del Racing
--P.J. Jones, #40 Direct Diversified, Team Leader Racing
--Al Unser, Jr., #50 ABC Supply Co., A.J. Foyt Racing
--Stephan Gregoire, #77 Effen Vodka, Chastain Motorsports
--Roger Yasukawa, (no./sponsor tba), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
--in addition, there are several entries w/out a driver listed(total of seven additional entries)

[mlittle]

Practice Session #7 top-10.......................
1st} Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola D/H.....................................40.689 sec/221.189 mph
2nd} Scott Dixon, #9 Target D/H...........................................40.806 sec/220.556 mph
3rd} Sam Hornish, Jr., #6 Team Penske D/H..........................40.819 sec/220.484 mph
4th} Marco Andretti, #26 NYSE Group/i-Shares D/H.................40.835 sec/220.399 mph
5th} Dario Franchitti, #27 Canadian Club/Argent D/H...............40.885 sec/220.131 mph
6th} Ryan Briscoe, #12 Symantec 360 D/H.............................40.914 sec/219.972 mph
7th} Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11 D/H..................................40.938 sec/219.845 mph
8th} Dan Wheldon, #10 Target D/H........................................40.973 sec/219.656 mph
9th} Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske D/H.........................40.975 sec/219.648 mph
10th} Tomas Scheckter, #2 Indy Vision on Joost D/H...............40.986 sec/219.589 mph

--weather conditions were in the high 50's to low 60's w/winds from the NW @ 10 mph and partly cloudy skies

[mlittle]

Practice Session #8 top-10.....................
1st} Scott Dixon, #9 Target D/H..........................................40.912 sec/219.985 mph
2nd} Dan Wheldon, #10 Target D/H.....................................40.951 sec/219.773 mph
3rd} Darren Manning, #14 ABC Supply Co. D/H....................41.074 sec/219.116 mph
4th} Tomas Scheckter, #2 Indy Vision on Joost D/H...............41.241 sec/218.230 mph
5th} Ed Carpenter, #20 Hitachi Power Tools D/H....................41.285 sec/217.995 mph
6th} Davey Hamilton, #02 HP Computers D/H.......................41.289 sec/217.795 mph
7th} A.J. Foyt, IV, #22 Indy Vision D/H.................................41.304 sec/217.893 mph
8th} Stephan Gregoire, #77 Effen Vodka P/H........................41.312 sec/217.851 mph**
9th} Scott Sharp, #8 Patron Tequila D/H...............................41.345 sec/217.680 mph
t-10th}[10]Al Unser, Jr., #50 ABC Supply Co. D/H.................41.362 sec/217.590 mph**
t-10th}[11]Jeff Simmons, #17 Ethanol D/H............................41.362 sec/217.590 mph

**-current non-qualified entry

News and Notes from the Brickyard...............
~~Ganassi duo tops the charts on a blustery day at the Brickyard. With high winds and very cool conditions for the month of May, Target/Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon showed once again why they're a major threat to challenge for the win Memorial Day Sunday as they topped the timing charts today

~~Gregoire injured in practice crash..............It was a bittersweet day for Chastain Motorsports; on the one hand, driver Stephan Gregoire for the first time all month placed the team's #77 Effen Vodka P/H entry in the top-10 on the practice charts.....only to take a hard crash in turn 1 and end his month at the Brickyard; according to reports from Methodist Hospital, Gregoire suffered an endplate fracture of the third thoracic(T-3) vertebrae.......it is unclear whether he will return to the Brickyard the rest of the month

[mlittle]

Practice Session #9 top-10...........
1st} Sam Hornish, Jr., #6 Team Penske D/H............................39.999 sec/225.006 mph
2nd} Scott Dixon, #9 Target D/H............................................40.097 sec/224.458 mph
3rd} Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11 D/H...................................40.118 sec/224.340 mph
4th} Dario Franchitti, #27 Canadian Club/Argent D/H................40.133 sec/224.253 mph
5th} Marco Andretti, #26 NYSE Group/i-Shares D/H..................40.238 sec/223.668 mph
6th} Dan Wheldon, #10 Target D/H.........................................40.298 sec/223.338 mph
7th} Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske D/H..........................40.321 sec/223.212 mph
8th} Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola D/H.......................................40.375 sec/222.913 mph
9th} John Andretti, #33 Camping World D/H.............................40.390 sec/222.830 mph**
10th} Roger Yasukawa, #24 Wellman-Corbier D/H....................40.466 sec/222.409 mph**
**--has yet to qualify for the 500

Friday News and Notes...................
~~Super Sub's Back!! With Stephan Gregoire unable to return to the #77 entry for Chastain Motorsports the remainder of the month of May, the team's turned to one of the best drivers in the paddock, "Super Sub" himself, Roberto Moreno. While Moreno has spent lots of time over in the rival ChampCar series, he's no stranger to the IRL.....he's started a couple of IndyCar Series races, most recently at St. Pete. in 2006.

~~More driver announcements...........besides Moreno's return to the series for the 500, Beck Motorsports has brought former series regualr Alex Barron back to drive the #98 CURB Records D/H for another attempt at the 500 field

~~Who will get in....and who will stay out? Here are the drivers who've yet to qualify for the 500...............
--Jimmy Kite, PDM Racing
--(R)Milka Duno, SAMAX Motorsports
--(R)Phil Giebler, Playa del Racing
--Al Unser, Jr., A.J. Foyt Racing
--Roberto Moreno, Chastain Motorsports
--Marty Roth, Roth Racing
--Jon Herb, Racing Professionals
--Jaques Lazier, Playa del Racing
--P.J. Jones, Team Leader Racing
--Roger Yasukawa, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
--John Andretti, Aguri-Panther Racing
--Alex Barron, Beck Motorsports

[mlittle]

Third Day Qualifications Event Summary......................

--weather conditions were fair w/sunny skies; air temperatures were at 72 deg.(F) w/humidity @ 54%; track temperatures were at 109 deg.(F)recorded at 11;56 am)

12:03 pm, (R)Milka Duno(#23 CITGO D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 41.000 sec, 219.514 mph
~~Lap 2, 41.054 sec, 219.226 mph
~~Lap 3, 41.079 sec, 219.088 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.080 sec, 219.083 mph(4-lap avg. 219.228 mph)
**--Duno becomes the 5th woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and the third to qualify for the 91st running of the 500

12:08 pm, Roger Yasukawa(#24 Wellman/Corbier D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.415 sec, 222.628 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.412 sec, 222.706 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.428 sec, 222.618 mph
~~Lap 4, 40.430 sec, 222.605 mph(4-lap avg. 222.654 mph)

12:12 pm, Jon Herb(#19 Racing Professionals D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.836 sec, 220.394 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.828 sec, 220.440 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.934 sec, 219.866 mph
~~Lap 4.................waved off
**--Herb has 2 attempts remaining today

12:19 pm, Marty Roth(#25 Fountain Powerboats D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.902 sec, 219.940 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.968 sec, 219.684 mph
~~Lap 3, 41.303 sec, 217.901 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.251 sec, 218.177 mph(4-lap avg. 218.922 mph)

##--track open for free practice btwn. 12:31 pm-12:53 pm

12:59 pm, John Andretti(#33 Camping World D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.597 sec, 221.692 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.582 sec, 221.775 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.569 sec, 221.846 mph
~~Lap 4, 40.593 sec, 221.712 mph(4-lap avg. 221.756 mph)

##--track open for free practice btwn. 1:21 pm-2:13 pm

2:20 pm, Al Unser, Jr.(#50 ABC Supply Co. D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.855 sec, 220.289 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.759 sec, 220.811 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.764 sec, 220.775 mph
~~Lap 4, 40.607 sec, 221.634 mph(4-lap avg. 220.876 mph)

##--track open for free practice btwn. 2:34 pm-5:11 pm

5:14 pm, Alex Barron(#98 CURB Records D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.866 sec, 220.231 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.860 sec, 220.264 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.789 sec, 220.646 mph
~~Lap 4, 40.772 sec, 220.741 mph(4-lap avg. 220.471 mph)

5:18 pm, Jaques Lazier(#21 Indiana Ice/Venture Logistics P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.920 sec, 219.941 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.952 sec, 219.767 mph
~~Lap 3, 41.038 sec, 219.310 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.167 sec, 218.621 mph(4-lap avg. 219.409 mph)

5:23 pm, Jon Herb(#19 Racing Professionals D/H) 2nd attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.791 sec, 220.637 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.759 sec, 220.822 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.932 sec, 219.878 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.076 sec, 219.104 mph(4-lap avg. 220.108 mph)

5:27 pm, (R)Phil Giebler(#31 Ethos Fuel Reformulator P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.586 sec, 221.752 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.674 sec, 221.273 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.713 sec, 221.061 mph
~~Lap 4, crashed in turn 2
**--Giebler has 2 attempts remaining today

5:44 pm, Roberto Moreno(#77 Chastain Motorsports P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 41.581 sec, 216.444 mph
~~Lap 2, 41.810 sec, 215.260 mph
~~Lap 3, 41.566 sec, 216.524 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.533 sec, 216.694 mph(4-lap avg. 216.229 mph)

5:50 pm, Jimmy Kite(#18 PDM Racing P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 41.969 sec, 214.442 mph
~~Lap 2, 41.942 sec, 214.585 mph
~~Lap 3, 41.933 sec, 214.627 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.966 sec, 214.458 mph(4-lap avg. 214.528 mph)

[Julian Mayo]

Jimmy Kite can go home, then ?

[mlittle]

Jimmy Kite can go home, then ?

It would look like it......then again, only 32 have qualified; wait 'til tomorrow when someone makes it 33 and then maybe they'll be some bumping........here are the 5 slowest entrants qualified so far}
~~Jimmy Kite, 214.528 mph
~~Roberto Moreno, 216.229 mph
~~Marty Roth, 218.922 mph
~~Milka Duno, 219.228 mph
~~Jaques Lazier, 219.409 mph

[mlittle]

--11:58 am, green flag waves for start of today's session; green flag was waved by members of the 76th Infantry Brigade, Indiana ARNG(today was Armed Forces Day at the Brickyard)

##--track was open for free practice from 12 pm-2:33 pm



2:39 pm, Richie Hearn(#91 Hemelgarn Racing D/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.929 sec, 219.895 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.931 sec, 219.883 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.960 sec, 219.725 mph
~~Lap 4, 40.921 sec, 219.935 mph(4-lap avg. 219.860 mph)
**Hearn sits 33rd on the grid; the 500 now has 33 cars w/Jimmy Kite on the bubble

##--track open for free practice from 2:50 pm-3:32 pm

3:42 pm, Phil Giebler(#31 Ethos Fuel Reformulator P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.871 sec, 220.206 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.924 sec, 219.921 mph
~~Lap 3, 41.084 sec, 219.256 mph
~~Lap 4, 41.065 sec, 219.167 mph(4-lap avg. 219.637 mph)
**--Giebler bumps Kite from field; Giebler sits 33rd on the grid w/Roberto Moreno now on the bubble

##--Chastain Motorsports withdraws previously qualified entry of Roberto Moreno from the grid

5:01 pm, Roberto Moreno(#77 Chastain Motorsports P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 40.946 sec, 219.800 mph
~~Lap 2, 40.835 sec, 220.402 mph
~~Lap 3, 40.810 sec, 220.534 mph
~~Lap 4, 40.823 sec, 220.464 mph(4-lap avg. 220.299 mph)
**--Moreno remains in the field, 31st on the grid

5:57 pm, Jimmy Kite(#18 PDM Racing P/H) 1st attempt
~~Lap 1, 41.903 sec, 214.744 mph
~~Lap 2...............waved off

***--The field is now set for the 91st running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the Indianapolis 500!!!

[mlittle]

91st Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid...............

1st} Helio Castroneves, #3 Team Penske D/H......................225.817 mph
2nd} Tony Kanaan, #11 Team 7-11 D/H..............................225.757 mph
3rd} Dario Franchitti, #27 Canadian Club/Argent D/H............225.191 mph

4th} Scott Dixon, #9 Target D/H.........................................225.122 mph
5th} Sam Hornish, Jr., #6 Team Penske D/H........................225.109 mph
6th} Dan Wheldon, #10 Target D/H.....................................224.641 mph

7th} Ryan Briscoe, #12 Symantec 360 D/H..........................224.410 mph
8th} Danica Patrick, #7 Motorola D/H..................................224.076 mph
9th} Marco Andretti, #27 NYSE Group/i-Shares D/H..............223.299 mph

10th} Tomas Scheckter, #2 Indy Vision on Joost D/H............222.877 mph
11th} Michael Andretti, #39 Motorola/Jim Beam D/H..............222.789 mph
12th} Scott Sharp, #8 Patron Tequila D/H............................223.875 mph

13th} Jeff Simmons, #17 Ethanol D/H..................................223.693 mph
14th} Ed Carpenter, #20 Hitachi Power Tools D/H.................223.495 mph
15th} Darren Manning, #14 ABC Supply Co. D/H..................223.471 mph

16th} Buddy Rice, #15 A1 Team USA D/H............................222.826 mph
17th} Kosuke Matsuura, #55 Panasonic/ARTA/TPR D/H.........222.595 mph
18th} A.J. Foyt, IV, #22 Indy Vision D/H..............................222.413 mph

19th} Vitor Meira, #4 Delphi D/H.........................................222.333 mph
20th} Davey Hamilton, #02 HP Computers D/H....................222.327 mph
21st} Sarah Fisher, #5 AAMCO Transmissions D/H................221.960 mph

22nd} Buddy Lazier, #99 SANITEC D/H...............................221.380 mph
23rd} Roger Yasukawa, #24 Wellman/Corbier D/H...............222.654 mph
24th} John Andretti, #33 Camping World D/H......................221.756 mph

25th} Al Unser, Jr., #50 ABC Supply Co. D/H......................220.876 mph
26th} Alex Barron, #98 CURB Records D/H.........................220.471 mph
27th} Jon Herb, #19 Racing Professionals D/H.....................220.108 mph

28th} Jaques Lazier, #21 Indiana Ice/Venture Logistics P/H..219.409 mph
29th}(R)Milka Duno, #23 CITGO D/H..................................219.228 mph
30th} Marty Roth, #25 Fountain Powerboats D/H..................218.922 mph

31st} Roberto Moreno, #77 Chastain Motorsports P/H..........220.229 mph
32nd} Richie Hearn, #91 Hemelgarn Racing D/H..................219.860 mph
33rd}(R)Phil Giebler, #31 Ethos Fuel Reformulator P/H.........219.637 mph

--positions 1-11 were filled on 12 May 2007
--positions 12-22 were filled on 13 May 2007
--postions 23-32 were filled on 19 May 2007
--all remaining positions and any bumping from the grid itself took place 20 May 2007

**2007 Starting Grid Average Speed.........222.505 mph
**Speed Gap from fastest to slowest.........(fastest)225.817 mph, (slowest)218.922 mph[gap 6.9+ mph]
**all competitors using Honda H-17R Indy V8 engines w/100% ethanol racing fuel
**30 Dallara chassis on the grid, 3 Panoz chassis on the grid
**2 rookies on the grid, Milka Duno and Phil Giebler
**6 former/current Indy 500 winners on the grid, Sam Hornish, Jr.(2006), Buddy Rice(2004), Dan Wheldon(2005), Buddy Lazier(1996), Al Unser, Jr.(1992, 1994) and Helio Castroneves(2001, 2002)

[Julian Mayo]

Danica ain't slow, then

[mlittle]

In addition to broadcasting the 91st running of "the Greatest Spectacle in Racing", XM Satellite Radio has released their broadcast schedule for this week..........

~~23 May 2007(XM-144), 2-hour edition of "The Andretti-Green Racing Hour" from the XM Stage
~~24 May 2007(XM-144), "Power Shift w/Joe Costello", 8-10 pm
~~25 May 2007(XM-144), "XM Sports Nation w/T.J. Rives", 6-8 am, "Power Shift w/Joe Costello", 2-4 pm(w/rebroadcast from 8-10 pm) and "Dialed In w/Clare B. Lang" from 4-7 pm
~~26 May 2007(XM-144), "XM Total Access" from 11 am-12 pm
~~27 May 2007), "Indy 500 Pre-Race" on XM-144 w/Joe Costello and T.J. Rives; the 91st Indianapolis 500 will be broadcast on both XM-144 and XM-145

XM Ch.144, XM Sports Nation
XM Ch.145, IndyCar Racing

[rah]

Ok, whats this about that Danica having a go at our Ryan. Sure he has had a few offs, but he is not that bad. Is she just upset that he qualified better than she did without a full time IRL drive?

I am throwing down the gauntlet. I pick Briscoe over Patrick. Willing to bet sigs.

[Julian Mayo]

Ok, whats this about that Danica having a go at our Ryan. Sure he has had a few offs, but he is not that bad. Is she just upset that he qualified better than she did without a full time IRL drive?

I am throwing down the gauntlet. I pick Briscoe over Patrick. Willing to bet sigs.

I wouldn't mind a piece of that