Tag: Indianapolis 500

500 News: Livery, Sponsor, and Driver Announcements

thepitwindow

Karherine Legge r4turns for4 the 108th running of the indianqapolis 500 with Dale Coyne Racing. Legge will drive car 51 with sponsorship from e.l.f.., a cosmetics company. Legge drive for Coyne in 2007.

The livery for Conor Daly’s car was revealed yesterday. Sponsored by Polkadot, a blockchain company.

According to the press release, “Polkadot is positioned to serve as the powerful, secure core of Web3. (Its) decentralized governance places the community at the center of decision-making processes; every holder of the Polkadot token (DOT) has a voice towards shaping the platform’s future direction.”

My technological illiteracy is such that I’ll just say I’m happy that they are sponsoring Conor and leave it at thtat.

Marco Andretti’s livery also occurred yesterday. The 98 car has sponsorship from Mapei.

Coming up- a practice update at the end of the veterans session and a story on PREMA joining Indycar.

IMS Testing, Day 1

thepitwindow

The schedule with revised times:

Today and tomorrow are the only days teams have to prepare for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 before practice officially begins May 14.

Rookie Orientation: Simpson, Rasmussen, Siegel (Larson, Blomqvist, Lundqvist, Armstrong completed in Oct)

Phase 1: 10 laps between 205-210 mph

Phase 2: 15 laps at 210-215

Phase 3: 15 laps 215 mph+

Veteran Refresher: Andretti, Fittipaldi, Legge

Have to do Phases 2 and 3

I assume the gates will open early as well, but I have no confirmation of that.

The weather looks sketchy today and tomorrow, so keep an eye on the skies as you head out to IMS.

Parking and seating information Note- Check gate opening time for today. Perhaps Doug Boles will demonstrate the proper way to scale a fence on a video should you arrive early.

I am interested in seeing how Kyle Larson does in traffic with the veterans. Should the three remaining rookies pass their tests in the allotted time, there will be seven rookies running in the afternoon.

Honda has had a Speedway power advantage the past few years. Has Chevy finally caught them? I’m not sure if these two days will tell us everything, but we may get a hint.

I will be at the track and provide updates all day. I also have several bits f news to catch up on.

Wednesday Test Schedule Revised

thepitwindow

Due to approaching inclement weather, Indycar has made a slight adjustment to tomorrow’s test times. Thursday’s schedule remains the same for now.

Arrow McLaren has confirmed that Callum Ilott will fill in for David Malukas for the test.

From earlier:

Dark Skies, Bright Hearts

From Indycar:

NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers and teams will participate from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, April 10 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, April 11 on the famed 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Open Test is being conducted in advance of the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26.

After an install lap for all cars from 9-9:05 a.m., veterans will take to the oval from 9:05-11 a.m. Wednesday, with the Rookie Orientation Program and refresher tests from 11 a.m-1 p.m. All eligible participants will be permitted on track from 1-6:30 p.m. Thursday’s testing is open to all drivers eligible for participation.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES teams, drivers scheduled to participate:

AJ Foyt Racing: Santino Ferrucci, Sting Ray Robb

Andretti Global: Marco Andretti, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood

Arrow McLaren: Kyle Larson, Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, TBA

Chip Ganassi Racing: Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Linus Lundqvist, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson

Dale Coyne Racing: Katherine Legge, Nolan Siegel

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports: Conor Daly, Ryan Hunter-Reay

Ed Carpenter Racing: Ed Carpenter, Christian Rasmussen, Rinus VeeKay

Juncos Hollinger Racing: Agustin Canapino, Romain Grosjean

Meyer Shank Racing: Tom Blomqvist, Helio Castroneves, Felix Rosenqvist

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing: Pietro Fittipaldi, Christian Lundgaard, Graham Rahal, Takuma Sato

Team Penske: Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Will Power

The sessions will be streamed live on Peacock

2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST Presented as 500 Festival Event Vehicle 

thepitwindow
From IMS. This is certainly… a choice.

 INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, April 2, 2024) – Thirty-five identical 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST trucks were staged on the main straightaway April 2 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a clear sign the Month of May is around the corner.
A longtime tradition, the “Festival Event Vehicles” have reminded Indianapolis-area residents of the upcoming Indianapolis 500 since the 1960s. The unique fleet of trucks will turn heads and capture attention throughout the state in the lead-up to the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Presenting the trucks were J. Douglas Boles, IMS president; Pat Merna, 500 Festival vice president, strategic partnerships; Mike Boatright, 500 Festival board chair; and Mike Quinn, Chevrolet Indianapolis district sales manager.
\The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 RST 4WD Crew Cab is powered by a 6.2-liter V-8 and boasts 420 horsepower and a 10-speed automatic transmission. With body-color bumpers, center grille bars and door handles and dual active exhaust with sport mode, the Festival Event Vehicle is designed for those who seek adrenaline and action.
Built by fellow Hoosiers at the Fort Wayne Assembly plant, these trucks are ready to hit the streets with Radiant Red Tintcoat exterior, Jet Black leather interior, 22-inch high-gloss Black-painted aluminum wheels and custom Indianapolis 500 graphics.
“The tradition of providing Festival Event Vehicles is a hallmark in the countdown to the Month of May and the Indianapolis 500,” Quinn said.
“Seeing these Silverados on the road throughout Central Indiana will embody the passion Chevrolet, IMS and the 500 Festival have for the Indianapolis 500.”The 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 26.
Visit IMS.com for tickets and more information on all Month of May events and activities at IMS.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 80 countries. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value.
More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Rock Legends George Thorogood & The Destroyers To Headline Miller Lite Carb Day Concert May 24 at IMS 

thepitwindow

From IMS. I guess Taylor Swift was busy that day.


 Special Guest Gin Blossoms To Open; Full Day of Entertainment Includes Kid Quill

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, March 19, 2024) – George Thorogood & The Destroyers, who have been rocking together for more than five decades, will headline the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Friday, May 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as part of a full day of on- and off-track action and entertainment.
George Thorogood & The Destroyers will be joined by special guest Gin Blossoms, who will open the show. The Carb Day concert gates will open at 2 p.m. this year, allowing for additional entertainment, including Indianapolis recording artist Kid Quill.Tickets are on sale now at IMS.com, by calling 317-492-6700 or by visiting the IMS Ticket Office at the IMS Administration Building.
All general admission, concert pit and VIP Deck concert tickets include admission to the concert and to on-track activities that day at IMS, which include the final practice for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and the INDYCAR Pit Stop Challenge.
“Carb Day is the unofficial start to summer and the kickoff to race weekend for many of our fans; they take the day off from work and spend it at IMS,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “From on-track action like the final practice and Pit Stop Challenge to hip DJs and cool rock concerts, it’s a day like no other at the Racing Capital of the World. George Thorogood & The Destroyers, as well as Gin Blossoms and Kid Quill, are a great addition to a full day of entertainment.”
George Thorogood & The Destroyers got their start on a small bandstand in Lane Hall at The University of Delaware on the evening of Dec. 1, 1973. Though the three-piece band – consisting of a guitarist, a drummer and their rhythm guitarist – had barely rehearsed, guitarist George Thorogood and drummer Jeff Simon had been bashing out covers of songs they loved – including “No Particular Place To Go,” “Madison Blues” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” – in suburban Wilmington, Delaware, basements since they were teens.
The Lane Hall audience was wary at first.
“Then it was like somebody flipped a switch,” Simon said. “Everybody hit the dance floor all at once.”
Five decades, 15 million albums and more than 8,000 performances later, few bands can still rock the house like George Thorogood & Destroyers. And for Thorogood, Simon, and longtime Destroyers Bill Blough, Jim Suhler and Buddy Leach, their Bad All Over The World – 50 Years of Rock Tour is a celebration like no other.Gin Blossoms have undoubtedly left their mark on the rock music map. The Grammy-nominated band’s fusion of melodic rock, pop, folk and country elements has helped pave the way for the modern rock of today.
Boasting record sales of over 10 million, fans around the world are very familiar with Gin Blossoms’ five-time platinum breakthrough album, “New Miserable Experience,” containing gems like “Until I Fall Away,” “Found Out About You,” “Hey Jealousy” and “Allison Road.”Those hit tracks were followed by the Empire Records platinum soundtrack hit, “Til I Hear It From You.”
In 1996, the singles “Follow You Down” and “As Long As It Matters” hit the radio again in a huge way, making their “Congratulations I’m Sorry” record another platinum success. Their latest release, 2018’s “Mixed Reality,” shares that same timeless feel, packed with 15 songs.
Kid Quill’s sound is a hybrid of hip-hop, pop and alternative. He has grown a core fan base from touring throughout the early stages of his career. Over recent years, he’s performed at festivals such as Firefly, Electric Forest, Breakaway and Lollapalooza, where he broke the record for highest attendance at the BMI Stage.
As an independent artist, Kid Quill has amassed more than 200 million streams, became a global ambassador for the Indiana Pacers and was selected for Soundcloud’s First On Soundcloud Class of 2021. He will release new music leading up to his highly anticipated upcoming album scheduled for spring 2024.
Miller Lite Carb Day general admission tickets start at just $45. A limited number of concert pit package upgrades that include general admission are available for $75. A very limited supply of exclusive VIP platform tickets also is available for $275, including concert pit access, snacks, two complimentary drinks and dedicated bars.
Ticket prices will increase as the concert draws closer, so fans are encouraged to buy now.
The 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 26. Tickets are on sale at IMS.com or by calling or visiting the IMS Ticket Office.

 

Iconic Blue Envelopes Containing Indy 500 Tickets Mailed to Fans across Globe

thepitwindow

One of the three best days of the year!

From IMS:

  INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, March 12, 2024) – Indianapolis 500 fans will watch their mailboxes after the highly anticipated blue envelopes featuring Race Day tickets were mailed Tuesday, March 12 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Ticket Office.
AJ Foyt Racing’s Sting Ray Robb and Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist (photo, left, right, with IMS President J. Douglas Boles) were on hand to assist with the initial mailing, which included shipments to all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and 36 countries around the world as race fans eagerly await the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26.
“This is really cool,” Robb said. “It’s the start of what we dream about during our offseason, and it feels like it’s becoming real as we approach the Month of May.
“It’s really cool to see physical tickets still going out to the fans because you see people who have been coming to the track for 50, 60, 70 years for the ‘500,’ and they probably still have some of those tickets laying around. We’re continuing that history here today.”
Rosenqvist and Robb also took time to write notes and signatures on a few envelopes, with Rosenqvist’s special messages going to ticket buyers from his native Sweden.
“It’s cool to give a little message to some select fans back home,” Rosenqvist said. “It gives you a perspective of what we are doing. It’s so cool that people are coming from all around the world to watch this race. It means so much to me. I actually live here in Indy now, and the Indy 500 is both the greatest race in the world and my home race, but the fact that people are coming from my home country to watch, it gives you an idea how big it is.”
It takes approximately nine weeks to package all pre-ordered tickets for mailing, from orders the day after the previous year’s race up to current orders. Hard work from employees in the Ticket Office and other Penske Entertainment Corp. departments ensures the ticketing process runs smoothly and on schedule
.A few facts and figures about this year’s initial ticket mailing:
Number of tickets sent: More than 190,000 items (includes 160,000 Indy 500 Race Day tickets, parking, qualification and practice tickets, concert tickets, etc.)
Number of blue envelopes sent: More than 26,000
Number of U.S. Postal Service trays to accommodate envelopes: More than 580
Weight of all ticket envelopes and trays in first mailing: More than 5,300 pounds
Hours needed to fill envelopes by hand: More than 800 person-hours.
Number of working days to package envelopes: 48
Number of Penske Entertainment employees who fill envelopes: 48
Number of states distributed: 50
Number of countries distributed: 36 (including United States)Federal postal inspectors came to IMS with a large truck for the first mailing.
Robb and Rosenqvist joined several IMS employees in helping to load the trucks.
Receiving an eagerly awaited blue envelope in the mail is a rite of spring for thousands of fans of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” But why are the envelopes blue?
In the 1970s, Indianapolis 500 tickets were mailed in brown envelopes with the IMS return address in the upper left corner. In the 1980s, a heavier-stock, gray-colored envelope was introduced to mail the tickets, with just the IMS Post Office box number in the upper left corner. A computerized printer also was used for the first time in the 1980s to print ticket customers’ name and address on each envelope.
When the NASCAR Cup Series was added to the IMS schedule in 1994, the Ticket Office needed a way to distinguish between the envelopes containing tickets for the Indianapolis 500 and the annual NASCAR race, especially if the Postal Service returned the envelope as non-deliverable.
So, the IMS Ticket Office decided to color-code the ticket envelopes for each event. Indianapolis 500 ticket envelopes became blue, Brickyard Weekend envelopes became purple, GMR Grand Prix envelopes became green, and ticket envelopes for other IMS events use a variety of colors, including red, cream, gray and yellow.
Tickets for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 26, the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 11 and all other Month of May events are available at IMS.com/Tickets or via the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700. 

Requiem

thepitwindow

In memory of Steve Chicoine, who took life’s checkered flag in January. 2024.

At 12:30 last Friday afternoon a wall of bricks crushed me. I noticed my friend Brian, a photographer, in the media center at St. Petersburg. We hadn’t seen each other since Iast season. I walked over to his desk to say hello. The wall began shifting.

“You got my email about Steve?” he asked.

“No, what about him?” I had just talked to two other mutual friends about him who told he was coming to Indy for the 500.

“He passed away,” Brian said, and the wall tumbled on me.

Brian showed me the email he thought he had sent me the Sunday before. I never received it. A check through my inbox didn’t show it.

I Googled Steve’s obituary. The rest of the afternoon I felt like I was watching everything from afar. I was there but detached from everything. There was work to do, and it got completed in a perfunctory manner.

Indycar regular fans may know he is. He always wore a white hat and white shirt with tan or white slacks.

I first met Steve here in St. Pete in 2013. I can’t recall how we started talking, but we recognized ourselves in each other- two IndyCar nerds hanging out together. A walk out to the spot where we met, on the plaza in front of the Dali Museum, cleared my head a bit.

Steve was a regular at St. Pete and Indianapolis. Occasionally he would go to Detroit after the 500 and then go to other nearby races if his schedule allowed before going home to New Hampshire.

After he graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Steve served in the Army for two years, then worked as an animal inspector for the US Department of Agriculture.

Steve went to every race on the schedule one season, something I tried to do a couple of years ago.

There are two stories we always laughed about. Before the race one year in St. Pete, we were standing in the empty paddock in front of Bobby Rahal’s team tent. Fans were walking by heading to their seats.

“Bobby! I’m a big fan! Nice to meet you!” He shook Steve’s hand and walked away smiling.

We looked at each and then burst out laughing. As you can see from the photo, Steve looks nothing like the bald heavy Bobby Rahal.

In Detroit one year, I was invited to wave the green flag to start qualifying. I’m up in the starter’s stand, green flag in hand, and someone shouts from the grandstand behind me.

“What the heck are doing up there?’

I turned around to see Steve, smiling.

I will miss Steve, and the races may be a little less fun for a while. But I know he is at peace.

Heck, he gets to watch his favorite, Ted Horn, Vuky, Justin, and Dan race on that big track in the sky.

Newgarden Unveils Vivid 108th Indianapolis 500 Ticket

thepitwindow
NDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024) – Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Josef Newgarden paid homage to one of Team Penske’s sponsors – Shell – when he unveiled the ticket for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Thursday, Feb. 29 in Indianapolis.

Newgarden earned his first victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” last May in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet, and one of the many honors bestowed upon the winner is unveiling the ticket for the next year’s race.

Featuring the winning driver on the next year’s “500” ticket dates to Mauri Rose’s appearance in 1948. Nashville native Newgarden dropped the cover from a billboard-sized version of the colorful ticket, affixed to the side of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis parking garage and viewable from the parking lot of the adjacent Shell gas station.

Designed in house by Senior Art Director Mandy Walsh, the ticket features a photo of Newgarden jumping from the car on the famous Yard of Bricks last May 26 before he climbed through the fence to join fans in the grandstands. In addition to honoring Shell with the location of the ticket unveil, Newgarden shared Shell gift cards with the first 108 fans as a continuation of his fan-focused celebrations.

“My initial reaction seeing the ticket is how special it is,” Newgarden said. “It reminds me of right at the end of the race and the moment I was able to have with the crowd. To me, that was almost more significant than winning the race itself – was having the opportunity to celebrate with everyone who comes to the Indy 500.

“The ‘500’ is so much bigger than just me – it’s everybody who makes it out. There are generations upon generations who have been going to that race and have made it so historic. That’s what this ticket signifies. It’s that celebration with the community and what makes the Indy 500. It’s different than what you normally see. People are used to seeing Victory Lane. This is seeing the event for what it is and the significance and honor of being able to be there.”

Newgarden will defend his Indianapolis 500 victory Sunday, May 26 in the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with live coverage starting at 11 a.m. ET on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Tickets for the Indy 500 and all Month of May activities are on sale at IMS.com, by calling the IMS Ticket Office at 317-492-6700 or by visiting the ticket office.

The 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season starts Sunday, March 10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding in St. Petersburg, Florida (live, noon ET, NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). 

A better view:

Indycar Slays the Dragon

thepitwindow

The weaving, bobbing moves down the front stretch in the final laps of the Indianapolis 500 are gone, banished yesterday i a ruling by Indycar. The Dragon, which started in 2019 with Simon Pagenaud trying to break the draft and maintain his lead over Alexander Rossi, reached a ridiculous extreme in 2023 when Josef Newgarden used the pit entry lane to fend off Marcus Ericsson. Ericsson followed Newgarden into the area below the pit line.

Newgarden came close to the attenuator, the outer end cap to the pit wall. In the past, the attenuator has caused massive crashes. Kevin Cogan in 1989 hit the attenuator head on and his car split in two, with the engine sliding down pit lane. In 2020, Oliver Askew hit the end of pit wall late in the race, causing an extensive debris field. Askew got a concussion as a result of the impact.

In 2024, drivers will not be allowed to go below the pit line exiting turn 4. I think this is a good move by Indycar. It should force drivers to conform more to the one defensive move rule.

The series did not address the cause of the chaotic ending to last year’s race, which was the excessive use of the red flag. In their desperation to have a green flag finish, race control threw three red flags. Chaos reigned on the restarts as drivers weren’t sure how many more chances they would have to improve their position. I understand that a ruling is coming that will designate the last lap on which a red flag may be used, barring safety concerns. I hope it is around lap 180.

Safety Improvements

IMS has made several physical improvements to track safety, installing more SAFER barriers and refreshing the existing foam walls.

Inside turn 1,700 feet of catch fence has been added behind the wall, and 800 feet of new SAFER barrier is in turn 4,

In the north short chute, 85 feet of the foam wall replaces a guardrail.

Around the entire track, new SAFER wall has replaced all the preexisting barriers.