Thunderbird Flyover Highlights Indianapolis 500 Prerace

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The US Air Force Thunderbirds will perform the flyover prior to the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. The unit is normally not available to do the flyover for the race on Memorial Day weekend, “It’s a unique opportunity because it’s August,” Speedway president Doug Boles said in a news conference this morning. The pre race will likely include the traditional singing of “(Back Home again in) Indiana” by Jim Cornelison and have many, but not all of the usual festivities.

Letter from Boles in Program

In the 2020 program, which shipped this morning to those who pre-ordered it online, Doug Boles wrote the following letter:

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As Mark  Miles said in today’s briefing, not allowing fans was strictly the Speedway’s decision after consulting with state and local health officials. No one told IMS they could not have fans.

Watch from Home: Boles

Although he enjoyed his time with fans outside the track on Pole Day, Doug Boles encouraged fans to watch the race on television from home rather than coming out to the track. He asked that those who do come out to please wear masks and social distance, but he prefers fans stay home and watch the race on television.

The media  briefing featured Boles, Mark Miles and Jay Frye. Boles heaped praise on Roger Penske, saying that the past few months have been an emotional roller coaster.”I don’t know how we could have gotten through this without the leadership of Roger Penske,” Boles said. He also said the facility looks 30-50 years younger.

Miles said he hopes to release the 2021 schedule by the end of September. Indycar is looking to run the postponed Mid Ohio race the second weekend in September, Miles said.

“The race is something we feel we have to keep up. It’s important to our stakeholders,” Miles said. He added that the series is in good shape. Miles said that navigating through the pandemic has taught the series leadership to be more agile and flexible.

Frye believes having two oval races before the 500 helped reduce incidents on track. He said the series has every intention of sticking to their plan although the pandemic may alter the timeline a bit. Frye continues to be optimistic about a third OEM.

My impressions from the briefing is that the series and the Speedway are still in good shape and optimistic about the future. All three principals agree that Roger Penske is the glue that held everything together during these difficult months, not only with his business decisions but also by providing emotional support. While Penske’s purchase of the Speedway and the series may seem like it happened at a bad time for the penske Entertainment group, it could not have happened at a better time for IMS, the NTT Indycar Series, and the fans.

 

Aeroscreen Engineering Team Wins 2020 Louis Schwitzer Award

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INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Aug. 17, 2020 – The 54th annual Louis Schwitzer Award was presented to eight engineers for their engineering excellence in developing the innovative Aeroscreen for INDYCAR, which protects the driver from airborne debris.

The awardees included Ed Collings, Red Bull Advanced Technologies; Antonio Montanari, Dallara; Stefan Seidel, Pankl Racing Systems; Craig McCarthy, Aerodine Composites; Brent Wright, PPG; Marco Bertolini, Isoclima; and Bill Pappas and Tino Belli from INDYCAR.

BorgWarner and the Indiana Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International gave the award, along with a $10,000 prize, to the engineers. The award recipients have decided to donate the prize money to SeriousFun Children’s Network.

The Louis Schwitzer Award honors engineers who innovate new concepts to improve competitive potential, with a focus on new technology with applications in the engine, powertrain, profile, chassis or safety, and that adhere to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES specifications. Judges aim to recognize advancements that increase performance, safety or efficiency.

“A lot of the emphasis for the Indy 500 is put on who will take home the coveted Borg-Warner Trophy, but we think it’s just as important to highlight the significant efforts of the engineers behind the scenes who continue to innovate impressive technologies for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” said Frédéric Lissalde, president and CEO, BorgWarner Inc. “With safety being at the forefront of everything we do at BorgWarner, we’re pleased to see this group of award winners honored for bringing a creative and functional safety solution to the racing industry.”

Implemented by INDYCAR for the 2020 season to protect the driver from airborne debris, the Aeroscreen is designed to withstand up to 28,100 lbs (125 kN) of vertical and lateral static loads and survive the impact of a 2.2 lb (1 kg) projectile fired at 220 mph (354 kph). A key benefit of the technology is that it has no optical distortion and does not interfere with the driver’s sightlines. Additionally, it allows for ‘straight up’ driver extraction in case of a back injury and is interchangeable with all Dallara DW12 chassis systems.

Consisting of an additive manufactured titanium top frame, a titanium-reinforced carbon fiber lower frame and a clear laminated polycarbonate screen, the top frame prevents large objects from entering the cockpit. Similarly, the lower frame stiffens the cockpit opening and provides attachment points for the top frame and screen, and the screen deflects smaller debris away from the cockpit.

The Aeroscreen is the result of a worldwide engineering collaboration between INDYCAR and Red Bull Advanced Technologies (United Kingdom) for the structural design; Dallara (Italy) for the aerodynamic design; manufacturers Pankl Racing Systems (Austria) for the top frame; Aerodine Composites (U.S.) for the lower frame; and PPG (U.S.) and Isoclima (Italy) for the screen.

“Since the first call to Red Bull Advanced Technologies to the implementation of the Aeroscreen, there has been a dedicated group of engineers both internally and at our partners working tirelessly,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The countless hours that the entire team and paddock put into making our drivers safer on the racetrack have already paid dividends as we saw last month in Iowa. Thank you to BorgWarner and the Indiana SAE for their longtime and continued support of this prestigious award.”

Beyond celebrating engineering excellence, the award memorializes Louis Schwitzer, who won the first auto race at the IMS in 1909 and designed the “Marmon Yellow Jacket” engine that powered the Marmon “Wasp” to victory at the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911. After founding Schwitzer Corporation in 1918, Schwitzer led the IMS technical committee and maintained a strong association with SAE throughout his career. BorgWarner acquired Schwitzer Corporation in 1999 to expand BorgWarner’s turbocharger, engine cooling systems and other offerings.

When it comes to the Indianapolis 500, BorgWarner’s heritage runs deep, centering around the famous Borg-Warner Trophy, which has been awarded to the winner of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” every year since 1936. BorgWarner also is the Official Turbocharger Partner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, with its EFR™ (Engineered for Racing) turbochargers boost the engine of every car participating in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Built for reliability, the turbochargers deliver an unprecedented combination of advanced technologies including: Gamma-Ti (titanium aluminide) turbine wheels, ceramic ball bearings and stainless-steel turbine housings.

Andretti Rides the Wind to Capture the Pole- Quick Thoughts

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The shifting winds brought part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s legends back today as Marco Andretti just edged Scott Dixon to win the pole for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The last time an Andretti won the pole was 1987 when Mario led the field to the green flag.

Andretti Autosport seemed to be floundering this season until the got to IMS. The team certainly has its act together here.

It appeared the wind shifting from turn 4 to turn 2 after Dixon’s run would help him stay in the top spot, but Marco found just enough speed to continue  his dominance of the week.

Marco’s dad Michael never won the pole at Indianapolis. Maybe victories skip a generation as well.

Marco is in good shape for the race with Brian Herta calling his race. Herta has now put a driver on the pole as well as bringing two other car 98s to victory lane (Wheldon 2011 and Rossi 2016).

Where would Alex Palou end up if he hadn’t had a problem with the weight jacker? He could be a sleeper in the race.

Rinus VeeKay in fourth is the fastest rookie in the field.  VeeKay could be another player next Sunday.

Graham Rahal had a couple of wild rides today. I hope they can balance the car better for the race.

Car 98 has now won four poles and four races. Just three drivers have won poles in the 98- Walt Faulkner, Parnelli Jones (twice), and Marco Andretti.

I don’t know if there were any poles won by a smaller margin, but 0.0113 seconds and 0.017 mph is pretty close.

Marco also started on the front row in 2013, when he started third.

It was frustrating when NBC didn’t immediately show the lap times because they were too busy playing with their graphics. Give the audience the information it needs at the time they need it.

No matter how the race ends, it will be great having an Andretti lead the field at the start.

Qualifying results, including all attempts from yesterday:

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 Thanks for following this weekend.

 

Pole Day-Will Marco Stay on Top?

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Photo: Indycar, Walt Kuhn

Today’s schedule:

11-11:30 am – Fast 9 Practice NBC Gold

1:15-2:15 pm – Fast 9 Shootout NBC (1-3 pm coverage)

3:30-6 pm – Practice (NBCSN at 4 pm)

Good morning from the IMS northwest media center annex. This is an interesting and talented Fast Nine, and definitely one of the most unusual ones since the beginning of the pole shootout.  The field has four former race winners, two rookies, two former pole winners, and drivers from five different teams. Andretti Autosport has four drivers who advanced to today and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing has two.

The odds of having a first time polesitter are good. Marco Andretti showed yesterday that he is fast regardless of the time of day and the track conditions. While Scott Dixon’s late run yesterday was simply a show of strength, he won’t be running with the shadows on the track.

Rinus VeeKay is a rookie driving for Ed Carpenter Racing. VeeKay loves to go fast. The ECR team  has been a perennial member of the Fast Nine.  I look for the only Chevy in the Fast Nine to be on the front row.

As for predictions, I hate to jinx someone, but this is Marco’s pole to lose.

Notes:

What’s missing from today’s shootout? Penske cars. Josef Newgarden was the fastes on the team in 13th. Will Power  is 22nd, Simon Pagenaud is 25th and Helio Castroneves is 28th.  Pagenaud has been a poor qualifier all season, but has come from the back to contend for the win.  I am puzzled by Chevrolet’s overall lack of speed.

Scott Dixon will increase his points lead today by at least 1 point and as many as 9. he currently leads Pagenaud by49 points and Newgarden by 51.

I think the fastest driver on Saturday should receive at least a point.

James Hinchcliffe’s mask is creepy.

I saw a lot of anger on social media toward Takuma Sato and Scott Dixon for their late day runs. While I wished they hadn’t done it and given drivers who needed a shot a chance, these late day qualifying games have been played for the last 70 years. Watch film of Bump Days in the past and see what went on in the last 90 minutes or so. You’ll see pretty much what you saw yesterday.  They were playing by the rules they were given.

Qualifying Results-104th Indianapolis 500

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For Immediate Release
Indianapolis 500 Day 1 Qualifying Results
Click HERE to view the official qualifying results from qualifying for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

INDIANAPOLIS – Results of qualifying Saturday for the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with rank, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and average speed for four laps in parentheses:

1. (98) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.6078 (231.351 mph)
2. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.6217 (231.330)
3. (27) Alexander Rossi, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.6638 (231.268)
4. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.7126 (231.195)
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.7396 (231.155)
6. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Dallara-Chevy, 2:35.7674 (231.114)
7. (55) Alex Palou, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.8213 (231.034)
8. (15) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.9641 (230.822)
9. (30) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.9844 (230.792)
10. (88) Colton Herta, Dallara-Honda, 2:35.9962 (230.775)
11. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.1374 (230.566)
12. (45) Spencer Pigot, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.1557 (230.539)
13. (1) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.3203 (230.296)
14. (10) Felix Rosenqvist, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.3491 (230.254)
15. (5) Pato O’Ward, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.3769 (230.213)
16. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.3781 (230.211)
17. (26) Zach Veach, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.5484 (229.961)
18. (47) Conor Daly, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.5525 (229.955)
19. (18) Santino Ferrucci, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.5736 (229.924)
20. (60) Jack Harvey, Dallara-Honda, 2:36.6161 (229.861)
21. (7) Oliver Askew, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.6852 (229.760)
22. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 2:36.7252 (229.701)
23. (14) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.0993 (229.154)
24. (41) Dalton Kellett, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.2880 (228.880)
25. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.3180 (228.836)
26. (66) Fernando Alonso, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.3646 (228.768)
27. (51) James Davison, Dallara-Honda, 2:37.3789 (228.747)
28. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 2:37.6368 (228.373)
29. (4) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Chevy, 2:38.0625 (227.758)
30. (59) Max Chilton, Dallara-Chevy, 2:38.3789 (227.303)
31. (24) Sage Karam, Dallara-Chevy, 2:38.5210 (227.099)
32. (67) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Chevy, 2:39.0518 (226.341)
33. (81) Ben Hanley, Dallara-Chevy, 2:41.4948 (222.917)

Quick Thoughts- Qualifying

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Photo: Indycar, Walt Kuhn

A Fast Nine with no Team Penske cars is something I never thought I would see.

Today was a complete rout for Honda. I’m pretty sure Chevy will be better in the race, but they have a lot of ground to make up.

Congratulations to Marco Andretti on an outstanding run.

Was Dixon just sending a warning shot for tomorrow?

Sato played some pretty good defense at the end of qualifying.

Dixon’s and Sato’s late runs really show the flaws of this qualifying format. Indycar needs to get rid of the keep your last time if you don’t beat it rule. If a car goes out to qualify it should withdraw its time.

Qualifying with no fans in the stands really took a lot of the excitement out of what was an interesting day.

Gusty northwest winds tomorrow could make fast nine qualifying interesting.

I wonder how many of the Fast Nine will actually use the practice time tomorrow morning? Today a total of six cars, all Chevys, practiced. All the cars were in group 2.

What outstanding debuts for Rinus VeeKay and Alex Palou. VeeKay has the only Chevy in the Fast Nine. Palou put a Dale Coyne entry in the Fast Nine.  After Sebastien Bourdais and Craig Hampson left the team, I wasn’t sure how well they would fare this year.

I wish NBC would stop those “Different Month, Same Feeling” spots. It’s not the same feeling at all.

I will be back tomorrow morning and then again after the Fast Nine. Have a great evening and thanks for following along.

 

 

Qualifying Update- Where’s Chevy?

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Andretti Autospport backed up their strong practice times, with the top four spots on the provisional grid after the initial round of qualifying. Marco Andretti did not get hurt by his 28th spot in line , setting the day’s fastest single lap at 232.177 mph. His four lap average of 231.351 just clipped teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay’s 231. 330. the top seven cars averaged more than 231 mph.

Chevys continued to struggle as Rinus Veekay is the only bowtie in the top nine. the next Chevy is Josef Newgarden in 13th.

The afternoon could be a scramble for the last four spots in the Fast Nine.

Notes

From head on, the aeroscreen looks like a cone that a dog wears after surgery.

It was a brilliant move by some teams to use a smaller air hose for qualifying to lessen the drag.  The hose and helmet need a redesign so that they are not protruding above the aeroscreen frame.

Helio Castroneves currently sits 28th, which would be his worst starting spot in his 20 500s.

The session was clean but there were several close calls in turn one.
Back after qualifying ends today.