Tag: Indianapolis 500

Itr is almost time at last. One of the most antiucipated 500s in a while is a little more than 48 hours away. On a personal level, this will be my 56th 500 in person. The other day I realized that I first listened to the 500 on the radio 70 years ago. Here is a very old man’s preview of the 107th running.

There are son many storylines here. Tony Kanaan’s final race, the Rahal situation, Abel Motorsports, and most likely a two team battle for the win.

Kanaan’s Last Lap

Tony Kanaan has been a fan favorite since his rookie year. He led lasp in each of his first seven races. His passing on restarts is legendary. His win in 2013 was one of the most popular victories at the Speedway. Kanaan starts ninth and is with a team that can win. I’m not sure he will, but look for a top 10 finish.

Foyt

Is A J Foyt Racing back? Santino Ferrucci starts fourth and rookie Benjamin Poedersen rolls off 11th in the best starting spots for the team in a decade. How thye race is another question. Ferrucci has a strong career record at IMS, and if the team execurtes in the pits, he could be in the mix all day.

Abel Motorsports

When this entry was announced with R C Enerson, it was written off as the caqr to be bumped. They missed the open tes, and Enerson had to complete his rookie test on the opening day of practice. Yet Enerson safely qualified 28th. A top 20 finish will be a big wn for the team, which has full time aspirations.

The Rahal Dilemma

Rahal Lanigan Letterman Racing suffered through a May malady that at one time or another has affected every team. No speed, no answers led to a frustrating week of practice and a near last row lockout.Graham Rahal. bumped from the field, will race on Sunday in the Dreyer anhd Reinbold car in place of the injured Stefan Wilson. Katherine Legge, the only team car to qualify safely, is another car to watch. Rahal will advance. it what he does. How far forward he can advance will depend on how the race unfolds.

Andretti Factor

Andretti Autosport cars seem to have lost the competitve edge they had showed through the first four races.Kyle Kirkwood is thier best qualifier at 15th. Kirkwood is happy with his car for the race. Romain nGrosjean and Colton Herta have a lot of work to do from their start in row 7.

Kirkwood could possibly get in position to bother the contenders and may end upm in the top 10. I think he is a year away from being a serious threat for the win.

McLaren vs. Ganassi

I see the race coming down to a battle between Alex Palou and Scott Dixon for Ganassi and Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist for Arrow McLaren. Both Honda and Chevy have shown very strong this month, but I tink Chevy has a bit of an edge. Palou will lead a lot of laps early, and O’Ward will get into contention by mid race.

Several drivers yesterday believe the weather will detrmine how much passing there will be. The forecast calls for 79 degrees and cloudy. That sounds perfect to me. Expect close racing, and hope that the forecast holds.

The drivers expect closer racing if not more passing.

In the end, I’m sticking with my preseason piuck of Pato O’Ward to win. He has been knocking on the door all season, and it his time.

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Today’s schedule

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Final Practice 2:30-4 p.m.: Indy 500 Pit Stop Competition 3:30 p.m.: Miller Lite Carb Day Concert Gates Open 4 p.m.: Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring Bryan Adams and special guest Soul Asylum HONORARY STARTER: Miller Lite Carb Day Concert headliner Bryan Adams TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $40, with free admission for children 15 and under when accompanied by a paying adult. PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 6N, Gate 6B, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 9, Gate 10, Gate 10A, Gate 11A, and Gate 12. PARKING: Limited free parking is located in Lot 7 (North 40) and Lot 7 (North 40) for ADA. Paid parking is $20 in Lot 1B, Lot 2, Lot 3G and Main Gate, and $75 in Gate 1, while supplies last. Paid ADA parking is $20 in Lot 3P, Lot 2 and Hulman Lot. Paid motorcycle parking is $20 in South Carousel lot. Bicycle parking is located outside Gate 1, Gate 6 and Gate 9.

My review will be up between 8 and 9 this morning. Enjoy the day. I cannot wait rfor Sunday.

Speedway president Doug Boles encourages fans to get to IMS early Sunday for the 107th running of the Indiamnpolis 500. A crowd of 325,000 is expected. Boles said less than 5,000 reserved seats remain unsold and that infield parking is sold out. He believes by race day there could vbe just thousand seats left.

“If you don’t already have a parking pass, find another place to park,” Boles said.

Uber and Lyft riders will be dropped off and and poicked up at 10th and Polco.

Attendance will be the largest since the 100th running in 2016, it willbe the best attended race in 25 years, excepting 2016.

” I can tell you that this year’s crowd is going to be the best crowd that we’ve had in the last 25 years with the exception of 2016. And last year, you heard that same story. The crowd that we had last year, we are going to be significantly more dense in terms of our population ,” Boles explaine

Entry is expectred to be easier on race day with the use of new walk throiugh gates. Fans will not have to empty their pockets of items. if the detectoers sense something unusual, the fan will undergo a secondary screening.

Boles and the security personnel present emphasized the ban on drones at the speedway.

NTT Data will provide real time updates on the Indycar app to show fans which gates are the least busy, and fans are encouraged to go to those gates for faster entry. The technolgy will also informspectators which cioncession stands have the shortest lines a swell. The system displays red, yellow, or green dots to indicate the staus of the gates and concesion stands.

Chief Upchurch of the Speedway Police Department said that there will be 1,100 security personnel present on Sunday.

More than 28 local, stae, and federal agencies coordinate to ensure fan safety for the race.

After the race, Boles emphasized that fans need patience when leaving. The first priority is pedestrians. He expects it will take two and a half hours to get everyone out of the track.

“When everybody at the exact same time wants to get out there’s only so many roads. So it does take a little while. We just ask peopleto have patience with coming in. But especially getting out. We’ll hear 15 inutes after the race has stopped why aren’t we moving? Well, first of all, we have to give 325,000 pedestrians out before we allow the roads immediately near the Speedway, especially north of 16th Street to have cars on them.”