Tag: Indianapolis 500

Qualifying Wrap-Up

thepitwindow

First qualifier Pato O’Ward’s time stood up well as he finished second today.

It was a day of swings in the weather, luck of the draw, frustrations, and disappointment. There were tactical errors, driver errors, and fantastic drives. All in all, it was a great first qualifying day.

Rinus VeeKay put up the third fastest average in Speedway history, a 233.655 mph average, with a best lap of 234.702 mph, the fastest lap since 1996. Only Arie Luyendyk and Scott Brayton had higher averages in qualifying.

Before qualifying began, two cars were gone from the lineup. Stefan Wilson’s team reversed second and third gears, causing the car to overrev. The team changed the engine as a precaution, but he never returned to the track. Wilson will start 33rd.

Juan Pablo Montoya’s failed inspection and was sent to the back of the line. The move cost Montoya his guaranteed run.

The track warmed as the clouds cleared. the drivers who drew spots in the middle of the pack had little chance at the front two rows, but still had a shot at the top 12, who are eligible for the pole tomorrow.

Takuma Sato and Marco Andretti provided the day’s mon track drama. Sato had completed his run, but didn’t run low as he slowed on the backstretch. Andretti came up on him as he started his warmup lap and had to check up, ruining his run. Sato’s time was taken down. Andretti went out again , but could only manage 23rd fastest.

Sato went out to requalify. He brushed the wall on his second lap but still made the top twelve. He bumped teammate David Malukas in doing so.

Following a halt for lightning and rain, Team Penske withdrew times for Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden. McLaughlin lost nearly 10 spots and will start the race 26t. Newgarden was on his warmup lap when the rain returned. Indycar called the day over, and Newgarden kept 14th place.

The top 12:

Rinus VeeKay

Pato O’Ward

Felix Rosenqvist

Alex Palou

Tony Kanaan

Jimmie Johnson

Ed Carpenter

Marcus Ericsson

Romain Grosjean

Scott Dixon

Will Power

Takuma Sato

Quick Thoughts

A lot of respect for Sato for keeping the run going after brushing the wall. He turned what could have been a disastrous day into a top 12 spot for tomorrow.

The rain may have saved Newgarden several positions. I wonder what he thought after Mclaughlin’s run.

Is the second qualifying run becoming the new bumping? I have never been a fan of multiple attempts, but today the second runs were dramatic and had some large implications for where some drivers start next Sunday.

I did feel that Marco should have been allowed to requalify immediately. I hope Indycar looks at a procedural change for a situation like that. I really hope that a similar situation never happens again. That could have been very dangerous. I’m glad sato was penalized.

The efficient way that the entire field qualified today makes me wonder if qualifications and practice may be shortened in the future. I think it would take a lot away from the entire event to compact May even more.

How odd to see only one Team Penske driver eligible for the pole. Will Power would not have been in contention last year when just the first nine had a chance on Sunday.

I would not count out Marcus Ericsson or Felix Rosenqvist to end up on the front row tomorrow.

Thanks for following along today. More fun tomorrow.

Qualifying Update

thepitwindow

Photo by Joe Skibinski

Honda issues, a procedural penalty, and the third fastest qualifying average in history highlight the first round of qualifying.

Honda Problems

Marco Andretti was impeded by Takuma Sato on his warmup lap. Sato was still on the track on his cool down lap. he should have been in the warmup lane. Andretti also had an engine issue on his third lap. Sato’s qualifying time was withdrawn by Indycar.

Colton Herta lost all power on his warmup lap.

Juan Pablo Montoya’s car faled tech inspection and was withdrawn from the line by Indycar. he will qualify after everyone else has their guaranteed turn.

Stefan Wilson overrevved the gears in this morning’s practice session. The team decided to change the engine. Wilson has not been out to qualify yet.

Rinus VeeKay began his run with a lap of 234,4 mph. His average of 233.655 is the third fastest qualifying average in Speedway history. Arie Luyendyk and Scott Brayton are the two ahead of VeeKay.

The top 12 as of 1:25 PM;

Rinus VeeKay

Pato O’Ward

Felix Rosenqvist

Alex palou

Tony Kanaan

Jimmie Johnson

Ed Carpenter

Marcus Ericsson

Romain Grosjean

Scott Dixon

Will Power

Josef Newgarden

The chance for storms has pushed back to 2:45, so we may have a few second runs. There are still four spots open in the field. Back with more later.

Carpenter Hits 234.4, Fastest Since Luyendyk in 1996

thepitwindow

Ed Carpenter turned a lap in this morning of 234.410 mph. It was the fastest lap at IMS since Arie Luyendyk’s 236 mph lap in 1996.

Jimmie Johnson was fastest in Group 1 with a lap of 233,961 mph.

Both of the fast laps were aided by a tow.

Only 23 cars ran laps this morning.

The three best laps without a tow were

Scott Dixon 233,340

Alexander Rossi 233.295

Rinus VeeKay 233.205

The best four lap averages:

The Dale Coyne cars of Takuma Sato and David Malukas did not practice this morning. neither did Team Penske.

Qualifying is scheduled for 11 am. The weather radar shows a possible storm right around 11 and another one around 2:30. With track drying, it may be tough to get through the qualifying line. Keep checking for updates @tutorindie the rest of the day.

Qualifying Day- Chasing Speed and Racing Rain

thepitwindow

Good morning. it’s Qualifying Day.

Today’s revised schedule:

8 a.m. – IMS Gates Open
8:30-9 a.m. – Practice Group 1
9-9:30 a.m. – Practice Group 2
11 a.m. – PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying begins  Peacock

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $20 for Indy 500 qualifying days. Military personnel with a valid military ID are admitted free, and children 15 and under are also admitted free with a paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10 and Gate 10A.

PARKING: Free parking for Indianapolis 500 is located in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40), in the South Carousel Lot for motorcycle parking, and Lot 7 (North 40) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum parking lot for ADA parking. Parking is $10 in Lot 2, Main Gate and Lot 3G, and $20 in Gate 1. ADA parking is $10 in Lot 2 and Lot 3, and $20 in Gate 1. Bicycle parking is located outside Gate 1, Gate 6 and Gate 9.

CASHLESS OPERATIONS: All IMS concession stands and merchandise locations are cashless this year. Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located throughout the facility. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted. Parking and gate locations will accept cash.

***********************************************************************
106TH RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
QUALIFICATION ORDER
DRIVER
1 #5 – Pato O’Ward
2 #21 – Rinus VeeKay
3 #77 – Callum Ilott
4 #7 – Felix Rosenqvist
5 #28 – Romain Grosjean
6 #48 – Jimmie Johnson
7 #29 – Devlin DeFrancesco
8 #11 – JR Hildebrand
9 #6 – Juan Pablo Montoya
10 #51 – Takuma Sato
11 #98 – Marco Andretti
12 #15 – Graham Rahal
13 #1 – Tony Kanaan
14 #18 – David Malukas
15 #23 – Santino Ferrucci
16 #26 – Colton Herta
17 #25 – Stefan Wilson
18 #9 – Scott Dixon
19 #10 – Alex Palou
20 #20 – Conor Daly
21 #06 – Helio Castroneves
22 #3 – Scott McLaughlin
23 #33 – Ed Carpenter
24 #27 – Alexander Rossi
25 #8 – Marcus Ericsson
26 #45 – Jack Harvey
27 #24 – Sage Karam
28 #2 – Josef Newgarden
29 #30 – Christian Lundgaard
30 #60 – Simon Pagenaud
31 #14 – Kyle Kirkwood
32 #12 – Will Power
33 #4 – Dalton Kellett

The latest update from my weather app shows a possible thunderstorm around 8 am, then dry until around 2 pm. The amount of track activity depends on when the rain stops and how long it takes for the track to dry. The expected high has lowered to 79 degrees today.

Qualifying will run until the regular ending time of 5:50 pm, weather permitting. To complete qualifying runs for 33 cars takes about three hours.

Yesterday’s warm and windy weather limited track action. The fast Twelve was wide open before Friday and it is still a tossup, especially for the last four or five spots.

Once qualifying gets underway, I look for quite a battle for the top twelve spots, who advance to tomorrow’s run for the pole. I hope there is enough time today for everyone to get a run. This qualifying has the potential to be quite intriging. Can Dale Coyne Racing get its first Indianapolis 500 pole? How will the qualifying draw affect some of the favorites? Who still hasn’t shown us what they really have?

I think the fight for pole is between the Coyne and Ganassi cars. Arrow McLaren SP drivers Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist may play a spoiler role. Rosenqvist has become a really good qualifier at all tracks. I will break down the field later this morning.

Check back for schedule and weather updates. I will be posting results often during qualifying.

Sato Fastest Again on Fast Friday

thepitwindow

Takuma Sato again ran the fastest lap of the day in the last half hour of Fast Friday practice. His 232.789 mph circuit beat Alexander Rossi’s speed of 231.883 set early in the day

. Tony Kanaan had the best four lap average of 230.517 mph, edging Sato’s teammate David Maluka, who ran four laps at 230.286. the rest of the top 12 drivers, in order- Sage Karam, Pato O’Ward, Sato, Jimmie Johnson, Simon Pagenaud. Helio Castroneves, Marcus Ericsson, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, and Felix Rosenqvist.

Tony Kanaan

Gusty winds made consistent four lap qualifying simulations difficult. Several drivers waited until late in the day to get on the track. Scott Dixon ran four laps after 5 pm. He had the fifth best lap at 231.530 mph.

Christian Lundgaard was the last driver to get on track in the last 30 minutes.

Malukas ran the most laps, 39, and Dixon and Alex Palou ran only four laps each. Malukas credited Sato with helping find the speed he ahs shown this week.

Top Twelve

Teams in the top 12 single laps today:

Coyne- 2

Andretti – 1

Penske- 3

Ganassi- 4

AMSP- 2

Notes

Ed Carpenter racing did not get a driver in the top 12, but I would not count them out tomorrow. Other than Coyne and Ganassi, today was difficult to judge the relative strength of teams. Conor Daly was 14th, just a half mile an hour slower than Palou in 12th.

Time Change-

A reminder about the revised schedule for tomorrow:

8 a.m. – IMS Gates Open
8:30-9 a.m. – Practice Group 1
9-9:30 a.m. – Practice Group 2
11 a.m. – PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying begins 

All action is on Peacock

. Qualifying is slated to run until the original stop time of 5:50 PM, weather permitting.

From earlier:

IMS Sustainability- Small Steps Now, Big Steps Later

IMS Sustainability- Small Steps Now, Bigger Steps Later

Qualifying Starts Earlier to Avoid Rain

thepitwindow
Start of Indy 500 Qualifying Moved Up Saturday
Due to Weather Forecast  
INDIANAPOLIS (Friday, May 20, 2022) –
With the potential of rain in the afternoon for the first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is moving the start of Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge qualifying to 11 a.m. (ET) Saturday, May 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Qualifying will run until its previously scheduled end time of 5:50 p.m., weather permitting, with starting spots 13 through 33 locked in for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
”The morning practice session also will be moved up, with group one on the 2.5-mile oval from 8:30-9 a.m. and group two from 9-9:30 a.m.
Peacock Premium will provide live coverage of both practice groups and the entire qualifying session, with the INDYCAR Radio Network also offering coverage. Public gates at IMS will open at their previously scheduled time of 8 a.m.
The revised schedule:
8 a.m. – IMS Gates Open
8:30-9 a.m. – Practice Group 1
9-9:30 a.m. – Practice Group 2
11 a.m. – PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying begins 
 

Fast Friday Midday Update; Rossi with Quick Lap

thepitwindow

Hot, windy conditions have limited track action in the first three hours of Fast Friday practice. 28 cars have posted speeds. Juan Pablo Montoya and the three Rahal letterman Lanigan drivers have not posted speeds although they have been on pit lane. Scott Dixon’s car has not left the garage as of yet.

Aboiut five minutes into the session race control lost power. The tack went green about 30 minutes later. Jimmie Johnson had the week’s first wall contact, slightly brushing the outside wall with the right side of the car.

Conor Daly posted a speed of 243.724 mph in the turn 3 trap.

Drivers are going out one at a time and attempting full or partial qualifying runs. Alexander Rossi has the single best fast lap today, 231,883 mph. Eleven drivers have turned a lap over 230 mph, nine in the 231 range.

David Malukas said about the wind conditions, “You’re making a guess going into each corner.”

Team Penske drivers Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, and Will Power currently sit sixth, seventh, and eighth respectively.

The fast 12 as of 321 pm Eastern:

Fast Friday

thepitwindow

SCHEDULE (All times local):

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open

Noon-6 p.m.: Open Practice Peacock

6:15 p.m.: Qualifications Draw, Pagoda Plaza

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $15 for Indy 500 practice days. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (10 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10 and Gate 10A.

PARKING: Free parking for Indianapolis 500 is located in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40), in the South Carousel Lot for motorcycle parking, and Lot 7 (North 40) and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum parking lot for ADA parking. Parking is $10 in Lot 2, Main Gate and Lot 3G, and $20 in Gate 1. ADA parking is $10 in Lot 2 and Lot 3, and $20 in Gate 1. Bicycle parking is located outside Gate 1, Gate 6 and Gate 9.

All vendors and ticket sales are cashless. There are machines inside the track to convert cash to a card for purchases.

Today is the fastest day of the Indycar season. The cars get more boost for qualifying and Fast Friday is the day for practice with the extra power.

It could also mean the the drivers who were consistently at the top the speed charts yesterday and Tuesday could slide backwards today, and the drivers lingering mid pack or lower could shoot to the the front.

Today usually sees higher speeds than qualifying weekend because of the draft created by so many cars on track at once. Single car qualifying results in lower speeds.

Weather

Warm and windy according to @Indycar_Wxman

The wind

1knot equals 1.151 mph. a 30 knot gust is about 35 mph.

Things to Watch For

How many of Thursday’s top 15 drivers stay in the top 15? Which drivers will stay relrtively close to where they were yesterday?

Which drivers will break into the top 15 for the first time this week?

How many laps will each car run? Jimmie Johnson ran 166 laps on Thursday.

The no tow list is the key to who will succeed tomorrow. keep an eye on that. I will update that list often today on Twitter and The Pit Window’s Facebook page.

The Draw– The draw for qualifying order can have an effect on the results. If one of the favorites draws an early or late position, his run could be affected by the weather changes during the day. In the current qualifying format, it is less of a problem since multiple runs are allowed. The variable this weekend may be a possible rain shower interrupting Saturday. It takes about three hours to qualify 33 cars.

Have a fun day. remember sunscreen and water.