103rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 – Page 3 – The Pit Window by Mike Silver

Last Chance for Hinch and Alonso; Weather May Determine Pole

May 19, 2019 thepitwindow

Today is the last chance for popular drivers James Hinchcliffe and Frenando Alonso to get into the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500. Both have had massive crashes this week. Hinchcliffe’s crash yesterday could not have come at a worse time. The 2016 pole winner is on the verge of missing his second straight 500 and third since 2015. he also missed a week of practice in 2014 recovering from a concussion he suffered in the first Indycar Grand Prix.

indy5day2 041

Will they make the race?

Alonso and McLaren have struggled since he crashed on Tuesday. Electrical issues have plagued the team. Yesterday each of Alonso’s five attempts followed the same pattern- two good laps followed by a significant drop in speed on the last two. I think McLaren came here with the attitude that they would easily get into the field. They wanted to mostly do Indy on their own. The way the series is now, that is difficult. I would have thought with their budget that they would have had a better performance despite the accident.

Other drivers looking for one of the three open grid spots are Pato O’Ward, Kyle Kaiser, Sage Karam, and Max Chilton. If Alonso and Hinchcliffe succeed in qualifying for the race, only one of these four gets in. I think Karam makes the race. He had a difficult day yesterday. J. R. Hildebrand drove his car Friday to make sure it was okay.

The forecast isn’t looking promising at the moment. Steady rain appears to be moving in around 10 am and may last most of the day. In that event, the last row will be determined tomorrow and the Spencer Pigot will have won the pole.

It seems that each time the Speedway os series changes the qualifying format, an important day gets rained out. It would also be a shame to have a rainout of the NBC broadcast.

Back later this morning with an update on the weather and any time adjustments.

Quick Thoughts- Indianapolis 500 Qualifying

May 18, 2019 thepitwindow

Above: Spencer Pigot is on the provisional pole, beating Will Power by 11 ten thousandths of a second. Photo: Kyle McInnes

I find it difficult to get excited about the Fast Nine or being in the top 30 when there is still a chance to make the field tomorrow. Granted, it’s a small chance, but today isn’t the end of the world.

The cars are behaving consistently in crashes, which I think is a good thing. It shows the safety features built in are performing correctly. The wrecks have looked very scary, but the drivers have all walked away from the cars.

The time used for the Fast Nine could be better used to give those trying to make the field multiple chances. Trying to make the last row shootout like the Fast Nine really hurts the smaller teams.

James Hinchcliffe cannot buy a break at IMS. This is his second major incident in five years.

I still think if a driver wants to requalify I think they should withdraw their time. That alone adds drama to the day.

It was quite an accomplishment for Juncos to get their car on track and make a qualifying run. It will be a great story if Kaiser gets in the race.

Because of the continuous qualifying attempts, teams haven’t had time for practice. They need to make a qualifying run to get some track time.

It was nice to see Pippa Mann at a press conference for a much better reason than why she attended one last year.

Ed Carpenter, who has all three drivers in the top nine for the second straight year, was asked if there will be team orders during the Fast Nine tomorrow. He answered, ” If there were team orders I would have been fastest today.”

Best Stories of the Day

Kyle Kaiser getting his car on track and making a qualifying run.

Hinchcliffe returning in his backup car. he’s still struggling to get into the top 30.

Colton Herta qualifying fifth as the fastest Honda.

Pippa Mann making the race after last year’s disappointment. Congratulations to Clauson Marshall, a new team, for earning a spot in the field.

Ben Hanley and Dragonspeed getting solidly in the race.

Head Scratchers

I expected a better showing from the Andretti cars. Alexander Rossi and Marc o Andretti were strong but no match for the Chevys.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson has performed below expectations all season. I hope they can find an answer overnight.

Dreyer and Reinbold has struggled all week. It took a strong late run from J. R. Hildebrand to get one car in the field.

I will have more thoughts on qualifying tomorrow morning.

Quick Thoughts Indianapolis 500 Qualifying

May 18, 2019May 18, 2019 thepitwindow

Above: Spencer Pigot is on the provisional pole, beating Will Power by 11 ten thousandths of a second.

The time used for the Fast Nine could be better used to give those trying to make the field multiple chances. Trying to make the last row shootout like the Fast Nine really hurts the smaller teams.

James Hinchcliffe cannot buy a break at IMS. This is his second major incident in five years.

I still think if a driver wants to requalify I think they should withdraw their time. That alone adds drama to the day.

It was quite an accomplishment for Juncos to get their car on track and make a qualifying run. It will be a great story if Kaiser gets in the race.

Because of the continuous qualifying attempts, teams haven’t had time for practice. They need to make a qualifying run to get some track time.

It was nice to see Pippa Mann at a press conference for a much better reason than why she attended one last year.

Best Stories of the Day

Kyle Kaiser getting his car on track and making a qualifying run.

Hinchcliffe returning in his backup car. he’s still struggling to get into the top 30.

Colton Herta qualifying fifth as the fastest Honda.

Pippa Mann making the race after last year’s disappointment. Congratulations to Clauson Marshall, a new team, for earning a spot in the field.

Ben Hanley and Dragonspeed getting solidly in the race.

Head Scratchers

I expected a better showing from the Andretti cars. Alexander Rossi and Marc o Andretti were strong but no match for the Chevys.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson has performed below expectations all season. I hope they can find an answer overnight.

Dreyer and Reinbold has struggled all week. It took a strong late run from J. R. Hildebrand to get one car in the field.

I will have more thoughts on qualifying tomorrow morning.

Qualifying Update

May 18, 2019 thepitwindow

Qualifying order:

The cars early in the draw may have an advantage as the wind is expected to pick up this afternoon. The temperature will be 5-6 degrees warmer by the middle of the order.

There have been few takers in the practice groups so far. Kyle Kaiser is on track. What a great effort by the Juncos crew.

More later.

Fast Friday Wrap-Up

May 17, 2019 thepitwindow

Above: The Spirit of Indy. Kyle Kaiser consoled r after his crash this morning. Thanks to @Breakinfree086 for sharing the photo.

The Sunday rain contingency plan: The last row shootout will run on the next available track day if the day is rained out. The first three rows will be set by Saturday’s times. No fast Nine Shootout will occur. This would make Saturday a true Pole Day, as it should be.

Just as happy hour began, Graham Rahal brushed the wall in turn two. He returned to the pits and the car went back to the garage to assess the damage. The right side tires had scuff marks on the sidewalls. Graham said in an interview they had lost some speed.

Juncos Racing is hard at work putting a car together. At least 20 crew member are assembling separate parts as they need to be on track for tomorrow morning’s practice.

The speeds as of 5:35:

Fastest Driver of the Day

Some Takes From Owners on Guaranteed Spots

This morning Team Penske, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Chip Ganassi Racing owners and drivers addressed the media in separate sessions. The question of guaranteed spots was asked of each owner. Their response:

Roger Penske- “If the people who invest in the sport and qare Building the sport today to where it is, I think we have great momentum from the press, from our TV partners, to commit to the full season, not have an opportunity to race here.. if you’re going to commit and run the whole season, you should have an opportunity to run in this race.”

Bobby Rahal- ” Ithink it’s amazing that we’re in the situation we are now, where we have more than the 33 entries…. personally i think it should be the way it’s always about, that the fastest 33 and that’s it… I think that (gauranteed spots) is loyal to the history of the Speedway and the history of the 500. I think it is the way it should be.”

Chip Ganassi-” My position is it should be the fastest 33. I’m not saying it’s not going to be that. there is a scenario where it won’t be the fastest 33. I just think that’s not right. It should be the fastest 33… If it’s not the fastest 33, then the full season participants should have some guarantee.”

Mike Hull had the most interesting comment of the morning:

“…for this race they ought to give us an extra engine and we should go faster.”

He went on to say that the only way speed come back is for engine power to go up.

Conor Daly set the fastest time of the day with three minutes left. His speed was 231.704. During the press conference he found out he will be the first driver out for qualifying tomorrow. The first hour is key to fast speeds. Those drivers whose turns come from about 12:30 to 5 will have a tough time in the heat of the day. the last 90 minutes should be a real scramble.

indy5day1 070 — Conor Daly set fast time of the day at 5:57 pm

Back tomorrow morning to set the stage. I will update after every 15 qualifiers.

Kaiser Unhurt in Crash; Andretti First to 230 MPH

May 17, 2019May 17, 2019 thepitwindow

Just before noon Kyle Kaiser spun and had hard contact with the thid turn wall. The car spun and rolled partway like Pato O’Ward did yesterday. The I’m pact put a small gouge in the track, which the IMS crew patched.

The car was destroyed. Juncos brought a second tub from their shop on Main Street in Speedway and will rebuild this car, which is primarily used for road courses. Juncos does not have a sponsor for the 500, but Kaiser had enough speed to easily be in the field.

Marco Andretti was the first driver to reach 230 mph, with a lap of 230.851. Three other drivers are also over 230. Conor Daly, Spencer Pigot, and Simon Pagenaud are second through fourth at the moment.

At 2:25, the track went yellow for moisture. The minimum down time will be thirty minutes.

Honda powered cars appear to be better than the Chevys without a tow. Ed Carpenter, however, in a Chevy is first on no tow list.

Pato O’Ward was back on track this morning in acar with the same livery as Max Chilton’s. I’m sure it will be repainted if he makes the race.

I will close with some photos of what was left of Kaiser’s car.

Fast Friday May Sort Out Qualifying Picture

May 17, 2019May 17, 2019 thepitwindow

Above: Carlin crew works to get Pato O’Ward’s car ready after his crash. Phot: Kyle McInnes

It’s called Fast Friday and with the added boost the engines get today speeds will definitely be faster than they have been the rest of week. We may get a glimpse of what qualifying will look like tomorrow.

Today will be cloudy with temperatures in the low 80s. Rain is still in the forecast for Sunday, which means tomorrow’s results will stand if Sunday is completely washed out.

This year’s qualifying format is different than last year’s. Tomorrow all 36 cars get a chance to make qualifying runs. The top 30 are locked in the field. On Sunday the top nine qualifiers will have one attempt runs to determine the pole and the order of the first three roles. Cars that qualified 31-36 on Saturday then will each have one attempt to get the final three spots in the field.

I will not rehash my thoughts on this qualifying format here, but I refer you to two previous posts. My feelings haven’t changed on this matter.

https://wordpress.com/post/thepitwindow.blog/8989

https://wordpress.com/posts/thepitwindow.blog?s=The+soul+of+

The speeds from the last three days mean nothing. Thereare some stories to watch closely the next two days.

Alonso

The rain yesterday kept Fernando Alonso from getting on track with his back up car. Look for a lot of running for McLaren today. They may try out both cars. Alonso had not shown much speed before the crash, How McLaren rebounds from their setback will be intriguing.

I think he just barely squeezes into the field.

O’Ward

Pato O’Ward’s crash yesterday cost him valuable track time. He will be using his converted road course car, which is inherently slower on the oval. O’Ward is another driver who could be one of the six who will need a good run on Sunday to make the race.

Juncos

Juncos Racing learned at the beginning of the week that their sponsorship fell through. Despite the setback, Kyle Kaiser has kept the car in the top 20 this week. Getting in the field with no outside funding would be a great story. This is the type of drama that makes qualifying compelling.

Pippa Mann and James Hinchcliffe

Both drivers missed the race last year. Both have been running well enough to qualify. Hinchcliffe is in better shape with an established team in Arrow Schmidt Peterson. He has shown resiliency a year after missing the race before. The circumstances aren’t as severe this time, the return would still be a story in perseverance.

Mann is with a new team, Clauson-Marshall Racing, her efforts to race in the 500 may again result in frustration. She works all year to secure funding for a ride and I’m not sure what her future holds should she fail to make the race again.

The Fast Nine Repeat?

I see the Fast Nine looking the same as last year- four Penskes, three Carpenter cars, and two others, very possibly Scott Dixon and Sebastien Bourdais again.

Ed Carpenter is my pick for the pole, although I would not be shocked if one of his teammates is fastest.

Takuma Sato is my dark horse for a top nine spot.

Going Home?

As far as who will not make the field, I think Ben Hanley of Dragonspeed will not make the field. He will join Pippa Mann and James Davison.

Back later with a practice update and some interesting comments from this morning’s press conferences.

Bump Tales- 1991: Willy T. Ribbs Breaks the Last Barrier

May 17, 2019 thepitwindow2 Comments

Above: Willy T. Ribbs celebrates after qualifying for his first 500 in 1991.

By comparison, Breaking speed barriers-at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway were easy to accomplish. Other barriers had been as rigid as the old concrete walls at the Speedway. In 1977 Janet Guthrie became the first woman to qualify for the race. I’ll tell her story next week. The final barrier stood another 14 years.

It was a long road to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Willy T. Ribbs. Ribbs had driven most everything, from SCCA sports cars to NASCAR. Ribbs was the first black driver to drive a Formula 1 car in a test. He first entered the 500 in 1984, but did not appear. In 1985 he came to the track, but withdrew during rookie orientation.

Six years later he was back with Derrick Walker, a Buick powered car, and no sponsor. During the second week of practice leading up to the final qualifying weekend, the team lost four engines. Now, on Bump Day, Ribbs was still not in the field. Sunday got off to an ominous start. A turbocharger failed just before 1 o’clock. After a ninety minute repair the engine was fired again and began to smoke. The engine was blowing oil. The pump had taken on shrapnel from the turbocharger.

By the time Ribbs could get out for practice, it was 3:30. Finally at 5:15 Ribbs rolled off the line for a qualifying run. He posted the fastest time of the day, 217.358 and bumped 1983 race winner Tom Sneva from the field. Willy T. Ribbs was the African American to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

A story for another time is the history of black drivers attempting to enter the 500.

Unfortunately, his race didn’t last long. Ribbs was out after just five laps with another engine failure, finishing 32nd.

In 1992 Ribbs returned with a somewhat stronger effort. he qualified 30th and finished 21st.

The final Speedway barrier had been broken.

Day 3 Final- Rain Shortens Day, Prevents Alonso Return

May 16, 2019 thepitwindow

Above: Ed Jones led Day 3 practice with a speed of 227.843. Photo by Kyle McInnes

Rain and lightning shortened practice today. With lightning within eight miles of the track, the yellow flag waved and the session was declared over. The rebuilt McLaren did not get on track. As I type a rain shower is ten minutes away and there are now reports of hail in the area.

The rain means tomorrow the drivers begin with a green track. Speeds will build as the rubber gets built up on the track. With the extra boost allowed for qualifying, speeds should rise quickly.

Ed Jones set the day’s fastest time of 227.843 early and held the top spot the rest of the day.

The rest of the top five:

Takuma Sato 226.699

Zach Veach 226.070

Senastien Bourdais 225.996

Colton Herta 225.458.

Jones said, “From the get go things have gone very well” at Ed Carpenter Racing. “Ed Carpenter is mostly focused on ovals and it shows,” he added.

Pit Lane Parley Special Podcasts

In addition to tomorrow’s regular weekly podcast, Pit Lane Parley will have a series of exclusive driver interviews this weekend. Sage Karam, Santino Ferrucci, Ben Hanley, and possibly one other guest will talk with Mike Joachim. Times are not announced, so check their schedule.

Bum p Tales returns tomorrow morning. Look for a qualifying preview on Wildfire Sports tomorrow as well.