Good morning from IMS. The 102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 begins in 7 hours. There seems to be no clear favorite for the race.
I still think it will be a caution filled race and strategies will be mixed. The temperatures in the 90s this afternoon and the anticipated cloud cover will change the way the cars handle.
Look for a quick post race note and a recap tomorrow.
I’m not sure we know any more about how the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 will go tomorrow after watching the Carb Day session. 1,273 laps of mostly strung out running should help drivers get a feel for Sunday’s similar weather conditions. The four fastest yesterday- Tony Kanaan 227.791, Scott Dixon 225.684, Marco Andretti 225.220, and Sebastien Bourdais 224.815, could be the group from which the winner comes. The race will come down to track position in the last40 laps and who makes the right tire calls on the last stop.
Danica Patrick had an electrical problem early in the session and only ran 15 laps. Her second lap was the eighth quickest. She did get on track during the final 10 minutes. The session was halted briefly for a track inspection. No cars had an on track incident.
Polesitter Ed Carpenter Ran 30 laps with a best time of 223.219, 14th fastest. Teammate Spencer Pigot had the 9th fastest time, 223.584. Overall, a decent day for the Carpenter team. Can they put it all together on race Day? That has been the one glitch in their 500 program.
Graham Rahal ran the most laps, 51, as he still looks for a good pace. The rest of the top five in laps run were Carlos Munoz, 49; Jay Howard, Helio Castroneves, Stefan Wilson, and Sage Karam 48 each; Josef Newgarden, 47. Of the high laps run group, Karam was quickest with the 12th best lap at 223.278.
We will begin to get answers in 15 and half hours from the time I’m writing this.
When engines fired for the Indy Lights Freedom 100, I joked to my friend Brad that the race starts in 38 laps. This race has produced extremely close, four wide finishes with great racing in the last two laps. I was wrong. The small field raced every lap as if it were the final lap.
Twenty lead changes in a 40 lap race is unprecedented. Dalton Kellett, the polesitter, had the longest stretch in the lead, from lap 21-25. Colton Herta, who started sixth, took the lead on lap 39 and held off Patricio O’Ward by 0,0281 seconds. Yes that was close, but it is not in top four closest margins in Freedom 100 history.
Here are some photos from yesterday. Remember to rest tonight (Ha) get to the track early, and drink lots of water. Enjoy the race.
Colton Herta takes the lead during the Freedom 100.
Danica Patrick returns to the track after a trip to the garage to repair electrical problems.
Pit road is always busy on Carb Day.
James Davison leads Takuma Sato in turn 1.
Spencer Pigot leaves his pit box.
Pit stop practice for Tony Kanaan and Ed Carpenter.
The final practice for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 starts at eleven am. I expect it to be a very busy session as drivers figure out how the cars work in traffic and how the behave in the heat. This is also the time for some teams to get in some pit stop practice under near race conditions.
It doesn’t always happen that Carb day and race day have similar weather, but this year the temperatures should be similar. Look for who is fastest and who turns the most laps. I’m also looking at who runs the most consistent times, especially in traffic.
Daltonm Kellett won the pole for today’s Indy Lights race. In a bit of a surprise, usual top qualifiers Santi Urrutia and Colton Herta start fifth and sixth. It should be a typical Lights race at IMS with a close finish. I will have results later.
Coverage of Carb Day can be seen on NBCSN starting at 11 am EDT
My Indy 500 preview is posted at wildfireradiosports.com.
Photo: Doug Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President (center), advises fans to come earlier Sunday to ensure getting to their seats on time.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Doug Boles asked fans to plan to get to the track a bit earlier than they normally do Sunday. Increased security measures, including vehicles being subject to searches, necessitate the call for an earlier arrival. The forecast calls for a high of 90 degrees Sunday. The Speedway is asking fans to start hydrating Saturday to prevent heat illness.
The heightened security includes checking every cooler, canine units at some checkpoints, and a warming that vehicles may be searched, Uniformed police will have a noticeable presence at the race.
To help those who get uncomfortable, the track will have five cooling buses available. In addition, all first aid stations have air conditioning, as well as the IMS Museum. 75 misting stations in various places will allow some quick relief. Sunscreen is highly recommended for Race Day.
Gates open at 6 pm EDT for entry to the track. Exterior parking lots open at 5 am. Fans must have a purchased parking sticker to drive into the track property. Boles said the Speedway has sold out, but suggested some passes may be available online.
“Cars without a valid sticker will be turned away,” Boles said.
He reviewed the rules for items not allowed:
No glass containers
No wagons
No selfie sticks.
Coolers must be no larger than 14″ x14′ x18″.
Boles urged fans to have patience entering the track and when leaving after the race. Vehicles will not be allowed to exit the track until the pedestrians are out, he said.
Buses from downtown and from the airport are available. There are pick up and drop off locations for ride services as well.
The Speedway’s goal is that everyone is safe and has fun.
For detailed information, go to indianapolismotorspeedway.com/planahead.
Editor’s Note: This is the last of the series. I hope you’ve enjoyed these stories of past Bump Days.
Photo from 1970 Indianapolis 500 program.
Peter Revson sped down the backstretch at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on his final qualifying lap. On the other side of the track, the gun sounded to end qualifying for the 1969 Indianapolis 500. He just had to finish this lap and he would be in the field for his first 500.
Revson made it easily. His Repco-Brabham bumped Rick Muther from the field. The final run of the day ended a hectic last hour of qualifying and capped what had been one of the strangest qualifications in the history of the race.
The first weekend of qualifying was rained out except for one waved off attempt by Jigger Sirois. That is a tale for another day. Do NOT call Talk of Gasoline alley and ask Donald Davidson about it. Sirois’ attempt with about 15 minutes left on what was to be Pole Day was waved off. Before another car could get on track, the rains came again. Sunday was a complete washout. All 33 spots would need to be filled the following weekend.
A busy Saturday Pole Day saw 25 of the 33 spots filled. A. J. Foyt won the pole. Mario Andretti and defending race champion Bobby Unser completed the front row. Just five spots remained for Sunday.
It was a typical Bump Day afternoon. Teams waited until after 4 pm when the cooling shadow began to creep across the track. Then the scramble to get in the qualifying line began. The last hour produced several waved off runs. Jerry Grant lost the turbo of his Ford. It took 24 minutes to clean up the oil trail he left on the track. Losing that much time in the final hour could hurt several drivers chances.
Jigger Sirois and Al Miller each suffered a mechanical issue on their incomplete attempts. Their shortened runs allowed Revson to get on the track on time. Bob Veith turned out to be the victim of the Grant oil cleanup . He waited helplessly hoping Revson would pull off before the gun.
Revson would finish the race in fifth place from his 33rd starting position. The following year he joined Mclaren. He won the pole in 1971 and started second in 1972. His best finish was second in 1971. Revson only completed a combined 26 laps in his last two starts -1972 and ’73 due to mechanical failures.
In 1972 Revson also drove for McLaren in Formula 1. He won both the British and Canadian Grand Prix in 1973 and finished the season fifth in points. Revson is the last U.S. born driver to win an F1 race. Following the 1973 season he moved to the Shadow Formula 1 team.
His quick rise to prominence ended March 22, 1974. Shadow had retired from the first two Formula 1 races of the year. The team arranged a test session in Johannesburg, South Africa, the site of the next race. Revson’s car crashed violently into the Armco barrier. He was killed instantly.
My Indianapolis 500 preview will be on Wildfireradiosports.com tomorrow. I will have additional thought in this column Saturday along with some pictures from the IMS Roadster Tribute which follows the Public Drivers’ Meeting.
Thank you to the IMS Media Relations Staff. You al have been great to work with this May.
And thanks to all who have read this space and wildfireradiosports these last three weeks.
What do Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Rahal, Al Unser, Jr., and Emerson Fittipaldi have in common? There are two things. They won a combined six Indianapolis 500s, and they each failed to qualify for an Indianapolis 500. It can happen to the best. Great drivers-popular drivers- have missed the race from time to time. The series moves on and the race goes on. There is a season to run, and the Indianapolis 500 will be back next year.
Saturday was one of the most intriguing, compelling Bump Days I have seen. It is nice to know that after a seven year absence, bumping is still the heart of qualifying. I’m glad it has returned.
The Fast Nine was a good idea when there were only 33 entries. It did add a bit of excitement to what was an otherwise ho hum weekend where no one was going to miss the race.
This year the Fast Nine was anticlimactic. It is time to put it away until the next year only 33 cars show up. Removing it would solve a major hiccup in the qualifying procedure.
Near the end of Saturday some teams were scrambling to make the field and others went out to attempt to makea the Fast Nine. This is confusing to teams and fans. Who gets priority? The groups need to be separated.
Saturday should be running for the pole, and Sunday should be for making the race. With the pole decided on Saturday, the speedway and Indycar can promote the winner on Sunday’s qualifying show in addition to having a Sunday morning headline.
In years past I have watched drivers on television after they failed to qualify for the 500. I heard the disappointment in sadness in their voices, the tears in their eyes and thought I knew how sad they were feeling. Seeing that emotion in person Saturday evening at Pippa Mann’s press conference, however, really drove home how much this race means to the drivers who base their entire year on being in the 500.
Ed Carpenter and Scott Dixon have combined to win five of the last six poles at Indy. James Hinchcliffe is the only other pole winner in that stretch.
Saturday’s crowd was low because of the weather. yesterday’s crowd seemed smaller than last year’s Sunday attendance.
Indy Lights has two sessions today. The first round is from 10:45-11:30. The next round is at 4:30 after the Indycar practice from 12:30-4. Indycar practice is streamed. There is no streaming for the Lights practices.
Indy Lights driver Aaron Telitz is this week’s guest on Pit Lane Parley. Tune in at 3:15 EDT Friday on wildfireradiosports.com
Tony Kanaan had the fastest time in the 10-33 qualifying round. The big surprise was Alexander Rossi, whose first lap was 227, but slowed to a 221 on his last lap. He will start 32nd.
Rumors are still swirling about James Hinchcliffe replacing a qualified driver. There is one strong rumor out there. I do not report rumors. I will say it’s the one that makes the most sense for all parties involved.
The Fast Nine begins in a few minutes. I will have an up date afterwards. My full weekend wrap up will be posted on wildfireradiosports later tonight.
Today the cars that will race next Sunday in the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 will set their starting positions. The fastest nine drivers from yesterday will have a shootout for the pole at 5 pm EDT. ABC will show action live from 4-6 pm EDT.
I’m still picking Ed Carpenter for the pole. He didn’t miss the fastest time yesterday by much. Josef Newgarden will try to start as high as he can. His closest points rival, Alexander Rossi, was 10th fastest yesterday so cannot get the pole. Sebastien Bourdais, third in points, is in the Fast Nine and could possibly gain a few points on Newgarden. Only the Fast Nine get points this year.
The weather today has a chance of thunderstorms moving in in the midafternoon in the second half of the 10-33 runs and possibly lingering through the scheduled Fast Nine time.
I will have an update later. If you haven’t yet, check out my column from this morning about yesterday’s action. I will have more on that tomorrow. Tonight my weekend wrapup will be on wildfireradiosports .com.
Fans hoped that the return of bumping would bring drama back to qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There was plenty to go around. As the gun sounded, however, many were not happy with the results. Two perennial favorites, Pippa Mann and James Hinchcliffe, were out of the field for the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, while another favorite, Conor Daly, fought his way onto the grid-twice.
James Davison, who had a hard crash Friday afternoon. sat for the last hour waiting to see if he would be bumped. His crew completed repairs around 2 am. Bob Lazier loaned the team parts to rebuild the gearbox.
Davison was in a difficult position. He couldn’t withdraw his time until he was bumped. He had a spot and had to keep it. Mann wasn’t fast enough, and Hinchcliffe didn’t get another chance.
Conor Daly”s first attempt of the day ended with a 22.684 average. He was eventually bumped. His second effort put him back in the field. Oriol Servia, who was having a difficult day himself, bumped Daly on his third attempt of the day. Daly went out a third time and bumped Hinchcliffe out.
Servia had a problem on his first run and it was called off after laps of 201, 196, and 194. His second had two respectable laps in the low 220 range, but after he dropped to 217 on the third, the crew stopped the effort. He finally bumped his way in near the end of the day’.
In what would be Hinchcliffe’s final attempt of the day, he felt a vibration as he pulled out of pit lane. It went way, but it returned in turn 3 and he decided to pull in. The problem was a tire sensor broke and was rattling around inside the wheel. Hinchcliffe got back in line, but time ran out before he could get another try.
The post qualifying press conferences ranged from silly to emotional. Foutr members of the Fast Nine- Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, Ed Carpenter, and Danica Patrick- spoke. They mostly joked around and all expected to be on the pole tomorrow.
James Davison talked about how hard his crew worked to get the car ready after the crash on Friday.
“The only way to repay them (the crew) was to make the race,” he said, “We owe them immensely.”
He sees no point in running hard Sunday to improve his position.
Pippa Man and James Hinchcliffe also spoke in separate appearances. they both came from several rounds of on air interviews and team discussions. They both looked emotionally drained. I admire them both for making one last stop to talk to the media.
In her brief emotional remarks, Mann said she knew Friday they might be in trouble when the car, which had performed well Wednesday and Thursday was not fast yesterday morning. Everything on the car was changed.
“We tried everything, obviously it wasn’t fast enough. It’s the worst feeling in the world.”
Hinchcliffe was subdued and direct. ” This was our fault. Nobody failed us We failed us,” he told the media. His comments seemed pointed at those on social media blaming ABC, the drivers who went out just before him, and anyone else they could think of for his not getting into the race.
“This track has done worse to me in the past and we came back swinging,” he said, referring to his crash in 2015 followed by winning the pole the following year.
As to speculation that he might replace Jay Howard in the race, “I will do what Sam (Schmidt) and Rick (Peterson tell me to do, ” he answered.
As I said in a previous piece, the current qualifying format was designed for a field of 33 entries only. The rules need to be changed when there are more entries. We knew two cars were going home. We can’t be angry at the system because our favorite drivers are the ones left out. Sad for them, yes; disappointed, absolutely. More on this topic tomorrow.
I will post an update when I get to the track. The weather this afternoon looks iffy.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 