Category: Auto Racing

Sato Tops Wednesday

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Takuma Sato overtook teammate Scott Dixon and paced the first actual practice day for the Indianapolis 500. Dixon set a lap m0f 229.174 in the first nine minutes of the session. Sato beat that late in the day with a 229.439 circuit.

Five cautions for debris halted action at various times, but teams only lost 35 minutes of track time.

Chip Ganasi Racing showed their strength, finishing 1,2, 4(Alex Palou), and 7 (Marcus Ericsson).

Team Penske placed two drivers in the top 10- Scott McLaughlin was fifth and Josef Newgarden had the ninth fastest time.

Andretti Autosport also had two drivers in the top 10. Colton Herta ended the daysixth and Marco Andretti was 10th.

Penske and Andretti have struggled the past couple of years.

David Maluks (L) and Takuma Sato talk about their days

Jack Harvey led Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing in 11th. Graham rahal was 13th.

Santino Ferrucci, driving for A. J. Foyt Racing, had the third fastest time, 228.977. Ferrucci said the car was in race trim.

2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay put the Dreyer & Reinbold entry into eighth place.

Arrow McLaren struggled today. Alexander rossi and Pato O’Ward were 19th and 20th on the chart.

The weather was perfect for speeds and for the fans. A nice sized crowd was on hand throuf=ghout the day.

It was a great day at IMS, I can’t wait until tomorrow. Practice begins at noon.

IMS Mid Day Report

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Greetings from IMS on a perfect day for running. The track has been busy since openingnat noon. All cars have been on track.The dqay began with R C Enerson taking his Rookie Orientation Program. He completed all but one lap. Enerson is allowed o practice the rest of the day tom complete the lap he needs.

Scott Dixon posted a 229,174 lap early and thta is still the mark to beat. Alex Palou is second at 227,760 mph.

There have been three cautions for debris.

The top five at 3:10 pm:

Dixon

Palou

Will Power

Scott McLaughlin

David Malukas

The Dreyer and Reinbold cars of Ryan Hiunter-Reay and Stefan Wilson are sixth and seventh resectively.

Felix Rosenqvist is the nfastest Arrow McLaren driver at 16th fastest.

Colton Herta leads the Andretti squad in eighth.

As I drove down 16th Street just bafter noon the inside line to enter Gate 2 stretched beyond the bridge. The concession lnes wer also quite long.

It is so good to see and hear cars on the oval again!

I’ll be back after 6 pm with a wrap up of the day.

Day 2 at IMS- Let’s Try Again

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SCHEDULE (All times local):

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open

10-10:05 a.m.: Installation Laps, All Cars

10:15 a.m.-noon: Rookie Orientation Program, driver RC Enerson

Noon-6 p.m.: Practice, All Cars

All sessions on Peacock and Indycar Radio

HONORARY STARTER: Ball State Men’s Basketball Head Coach Michael Lewis, noon

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $15. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (10 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, and Gate 10A.

Notes

Today should be a busy day. With just two days towork on race setups before qualifying boost is added on Friday, smaller teams have a lot of work to do.

J R Hildebrand caused quite a buz when he appeared inn Gasoline Alley. I heard he was here to replace a drive, but the issue with that driver has been resolved. Hildebtandwill stay here through the weekend in case a ride opens for some reason.

Please keep my friend Steve Chiccone in your thoughts. Steve will miss coming to the 500 this year because of a medical issue. He is going to be fine, but I miss sseing him in the paddock.Can’y wait to see you back at the track, Steve.

Day One Wash Out

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What was scheduled to be Day one of practice the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500 fell victim to Mother Nature. A rainy, chilly morning gave way to a dry period.Track drying efforts were almost complete.

Indycar announced that pit lane would open at 1:50 pm and that the track wou;d go green at 2:15. I walked out of the medai center to heqad to the grandstand. I met two of my favorite bloggers, George Phillips, of Oilpressure fame, and Patti Nolen,whi writes Ikissedthebricks.

Raind drops began falling again as we talked. Aroun 4 pm tactivity was cancelled for the day.

Tomorrow’s schedule has RC Enerson going through the ROP program at 10 am after all entries get an installation lap. Practice begins at noon and runs until 6.

I still enjoyed the day. I took a leisurely walk through the garages and met several friends. Teams were taking their cars through tech, anticipating some track time.

Tomorrow and Thursday look to be great days for running with no weather issues.

here are some phots I took in the garage area.

Katherine Legge’s car
R C Enerson’s car
Romain Grosjean
Apparently Huski makes more than chocolate
The Wing and Wheel can adorn your lawn for only $200

107th 500- A Clash of Generations

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As we await the start of practice day one for the Indianapolis 500, here is a look at some of the stories to follow.

Generations Collide

On one end of the spectrum, the field has 48 year old Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves, 44 year old Takuma Sato, and three drivers in ntheir early 40s- Scott dixon, Will Power, and Simon Pagenaud.

At the other end we have 21 year okd Davibd Malukas, 24 year old Pato O’Ward, and 22 year old Kyle Kirkwood. The middle group of drivers range inage from 25- 39.

Marco Andretti is the only driver who is a descendant of a former driver. The third generation driverb only runs the 500 these days, but I think we’re close to a 500 without an Andretti soon.

Brazilian Farewell?

Tony Kanaan will be racing for the fnal time May 28. Helio Castroneves may be back next year, if only for this race. Drivers from Brazil have been a big part of Indycar and the 500 for more than 20 years. They have given us many great memories and they have eight 500 victories- Helio has 4, Emerson Fittipaldi 2, Kanaan and Gil de Ferran one each.

Will Andretti and Penske Return to Form?

Andretti Autosport and Team Penske are looking to get back to their winning ways at IMS. Andretto’s last 500 win was in 2017 with Takuma Sato. Penske last visitied Victory Lane in 2019 with Simon Pagenaud.

Both teams have been less competeitive the last three years. Andretti and Penske teams have gotten off tom a strong startnthis season. Josef Newgarden was fastest inn the IMS open test in April.

A stronger showing by these two teams will add more intrigue to the month.

Who Gets Left Out?

One car and driver will go home after qualifying ends May 22. I would prefer all cars get in the race this year. Bumping one car simply isn’t worth it. But once again, no one asked me to set the rules.

Who is likely to be sitting on the sidelines? I would look at the one offs first. Katherine Legge, Marco Andretti, and R. C. Enerson would be my first three picks.

I would not be surprised if a series regular misses the race either. Will Power almost missed the race in 2021.

Back Again

Katherine Legge returns to IMS for the first time in 10 years. I’m glad she is back, but it is a shame that she hasn’t had a chance to race in the 500 more.Legge is a good driver who g=has been hampered by a lack of quality equipment.

2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is back with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing. He has been out of a car for two years. How long will it take him to get back up to speed? D&R usually come to IMS with decent cars. Hunter-Reay may be a dark horse.

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500 Practice Begins

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Good morning race fans!

Today’s schedule: All Times Eastern

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open

9:15-11:15 a.m.: Practice, Veterans

1-3 p.m.: Practice, Rookie Orientation Program & Refresher Tests

3-6 p.m.: Practice, All Cars

HONORARY STARTER: Purdue University head football coach Ryan Walters, 9 a.m.

TICKETS: General Admission, $15. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, Gate 10A and 11A.

PARKING: Free parking is located in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40), in the South Carousel Lot for motorcycle parking and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Lot for ADA parking.

CASHLESS OPERATIONS: All IMS concession stands and merchandise locations are cashless this year. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located throughout the facility. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted. Parking and gate locations.

INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY MUSEUM HOURS: (8 a.m.-5 p.m.): Admission is $15 for adults, $14 for guests over the age of 62 and $8 for guests ages 6-15. Free Museum shuttles will run during IMS gate hours between the Museum and the corner of 6th Street and Hulman Boulevard in the Speedway’s infield. Museum guests must possess an event ticket or credential to the Indianapolis 500 Practice days and purchase a Museum admission ticket at the Museum to visit. Visitors should park in open IMS parking lots and use the 6th Street and Hulman Boulevard shuttles to access the Museum.

Nine Former Winners, Seven Series Champs Ready To Start ‘500’ Preparation  

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From IMS. I will have my preview up tomorrow morning.

Note: Bronze badges are good for pit access tomorrow, May 16, only. They are not valid for pit entry on May 22.

. INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 15, 2023) – The time has come for the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to embark on a legacy-defining month as preparations get underway for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 28. There are 34 entries set to contest the 33 starting spots for this year’s edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” including nine former winners. Marcus Ericsson delivered a composed performance last year by fending off a late charge by Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren to claim his maiden “500” win, which gave team owner Chip Ganassi his fifth victory in the race as a sole team owner. Other former winners aiming for a spot in the race this year include four-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Tony Kanaan (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018) and Simon Pagenaud (2019). The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992.

Castroneves earned a spot with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – with his emotional victory May 30, 2021, in the No. 06 AutoNation/Sirius XM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. A record-breaking fifth would put Castroneves alone at the top with most victories. Additionally, Castroneves and Kanaan are both 48 years old, and a victory by either would make them the oldest winner in “500” history, a record held by Al Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days shy of his 48th birthday.

Ericsson has a chance to become the first back-to-back winner since Castroneves accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. If Ericsson secures a repeat win, he would earn a bonus of $420,000 courtesy of BorgWarner, the namesake of the Indy 500 trophy. That amount is more than the entire yearly purse up to and including the 50th anniversary of the “500” in 1961, which paid out $397,910. The field payout jumped to $425,652 in 1962.

The field includes seven past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Kanaan, Josef Newgarden, Pagenaud, Alex Palou and Power. Katherine Legge makes her long-awaited return to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month, having last raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 2013. A two-time starter of the historic race, she will drive a one-off entry as the fourth car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Simona de Silvestro was the last female to drive in the race, in 2021.

There will be four drivers competing for top rookie honors, featuring multiple Argentina touring car champion Agustín Canapino, along with last year’s INDY NXT by Firestone race winners Benjamin Pedersen and Sting Ray Robb. RC Enerson, who narrowly missed making the field of 33 in 2021, is back for another run but this time with Abel Motorsports, an INDY NXT by Firestone team making its first attempt at the “500.”

Practice opens Tuesday, May 16 and runs through Friday, May 19. PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21, followed by a two-hour practice Monday, May 22. The traditional final practice, two hours again this year on Miller Lite Carb Day, will be held Friday, May 26.

Live Race Day coverage begins on NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m.

2023 ENTRY BREAKDOWN:
Winners (9): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato

Rookies (4): Agustín Canapino, RC Enerson, Benjamin Pedersen, Sting Ray Robb U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, RC Enerson, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, David Malukas, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi

International drivers (21, from 14 countries): Agustín Canapino, Helio Castroneves, Devlin DeFrancesco, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean, Jack Harvey, Callum Ilott, Tony Kanaan, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Simon Pagenaud, Alex Palou, Benjamin Pedersen, Will Power, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Rinus VeeKay, Stefan Wilson

Engines (34): Honda 17, Chevrolet 17 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires)

Qualifying Week Schedule- 107th Indianapolis 500

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All Times Eastern All sessions on Peacock;. NBC 2-4 pm Sunday

Tuesday

9-11:15 am: Pracice for veterans and cars who have passed rookie/regresher tests

1-3 pm: Enerson Refresher

3-6 pm: All All cars

Wedneday -Friday

12-6 pm: Practice

Saturday

8:30-9:30 am: Practice (2 groups)

11-5:50 pm: Qualsifying (Positons 13-30 locked in)

Sunday

11:30-1:30 pm: Shootout Practice

2-3 pm: Fast 12 (Positons 7-12 locked in)

4-6 pm: Last Row/Fast 6 (Positons 31-33 and 1-6 determined)