Tag: Indianapolis 500

And Then There was One

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Photo: Ed Carpenter celebrates winning one of his three poles for the Indianapolis 500

There were four. There were three. There are two. Eventually there will be one, and I would be okay with that. I am talking about qualifying days. Granted, we no longer need four days to qualify 33 cars Up until the early 1960s, when speeds were under150 mph, each car took about ten minutes on track to complete a qualification run. Today a car gets in its out lap, warmup lap, four timed circuits and a cool down lap in about six minutes.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced its format for qualifying for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. The basics of the past few years are there. The three cars on the last row on Saturday must defend their spots on Sunday against any cars that ranked 34th or lower the first day. The fastest qualifiers from Saturday run for the pole on Sunday.

The final two hours on Sunday, 4-6 PM, will be on NBC

The one change in wording I like involves the last row shootout. If there are only 33 entries, which should be the case this year, there is no last chance qualifying.

At the other end of the field, however, I’m not sold on the idea. The Fast Nine is gone. Instead, the 12 quickest cars from Saturday will each make a run in a 45 minute period. The fastest six advance to another round of four lap runs within a 30 minute time period.

I get why they are doing this- Sunday content is desperately needed. The cars in these two rounds get national television time- six cars get two appearances on camera. I might be happier with this except for a new twist from the Fast Nine concept. In the Fast Nine, each driver had just one attempt. It was dramatic. There was no margin for error. A driver makes a slight bobble in a turn and loses a chance at the front row.

The new wording says each car is “Guaranteed” one attempt. Multiple attempts are possible if time permits. I think this cheapens the pole. I would prefer that they kept the one shot only format. The release did not specify if cars could wait before making their first run and try to run out the clock on another car looking to make a second run.

Each of the fastest 12 Saturday drivers will get points for making the Sunday round based on the second day results. The pole winner gets 12 points nd each subsequent position receives one point less. I have never been a fan of qualifying points except for the single point for pole that is awarded in every other race during the season. If you have read this blog long enough, you know I’m not a fan of the current points system overall.

The money for winning the pole remains at $100,000 The amount hasn’t changed in nearly 50 years. In 2022 a driver must make three qualification runs to earn the pole, yet he receives the same amount of money as a driver in 1983 took home for just one qualifying run. The prize money needs to increase for the pole by a lot.

With no last row/bumping sessions on Sunday, the published schedule has a Fast 12 practice which ends at 2 pm. Qualifying doesn’t begin until 4 pm, leaving a two hour gap. Since the final two rounds are on NBC, the program probably can’t be moved up.

What to Do?

I appreciate IMS attempting to make Sunday’s schedule more full. The new format still is vulnerable to gaps when there are only 33 entries. I realize the unintended hole was caused by television time slots. What if qualifying was just one day?

Qualify on Saturday. Go to 7 pm if necessary. There will be plenty of daylight left. The schedule would look like this:

8:30 AM- 10:30 AM Practice 2 groups

!1:00 AM- 5:45 PM Qualifying positions 10-33 set

6:15 PM-7:00 PM Fast Nine shootout, one attempt per car.

Sunday could be the practice day which is now held on Monday. It could also serve as the rain date if weather interferes with Saturday’s schedule.

An alternate proposal is to make Saturday (Speedy Saturday?) a practice day and use the above schedule on Sunday.

The advantage of finishing qualifying on Saturday is having the pole winner available on Sunday to appear on NBC during game breaks and Sunday morning shows.

The series and the speedway have struggled to make qualifying more appealing over the last several years. I hope they can settle on a concept that works well, makes everybody happy, and brings back larger crowds. Attendance has been up, but constant and radical format changes confuse the fans. I am interested in hearing your suggestions. Please feel free to comment, and please keep it civil.

IMS Revises, Expands Qualifying Format

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The Qualifying format has been changed and Sunday’s front of the field program has expanded. IU have thoughts which I will get to tomorrow. here is the IMS announcement. I will post the qualifying format graphic in a few minutes.

Qualifying Procedure Expanded
for 106th Indianapolis 500  Additional Round To Establish First Four Rows, Decide Pole Position
INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, April 26, 2022) – The most pressure-filled four laps in racing have become even more challenging for those looking to qualify well and win the pole position for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
INDYCAR officials have announced adjustments to PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday, May 21 and Sunday, May 22, which sets the field for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
SEE: Qualifying Format Graphic
After Day One of qualifying from noon-5:50 p.m. (ET) Saturday, May 21, Day Two will include two rounds of qualification attempts to decide the first four rows, including pole position.
Starting in reverse order of speeds based on Day One, each of the top 12 drivers will have a guaranteed attempt to post a traditional four-lap qualifying time starting at 4 p.m. The fastest six will advance to the Firestone Fast Six at 5:10 p.m. to determine positions one through six and compete for the NTT P1 Award for pole. The slowest six will fill out starting positions seven through 12 according to their recorded time.
In the Firestone Fast Six, each entrant is again guaranteed one attempt and will qualify in reverse order based on their Top 12 qualification results. The fastest wins pole position, which includes a $100,000 prize, with the remaining five drivers filling out the remainder of the first two rows.
“We have an incredibly deep field heading into this year’s Indianapolis 500,” said INDYCAR President Jay Frye. “The timing is right to implement a new and dramatic way to expand one of the most intense weekends on our calendar. Winning pole position for the ‘500’ is an incredible feat, and with this new format, it will be even more challenging.”
2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship points will be awarded for those who advance to the Top 12 qualifying session. The Indy 500 pole winner will receive 12 points, the second fastest will receive 11, and points awarded will decrease by one-point increments down to 12th fastest (one point).
“Indianapolis 500 qualifying weekend always is special,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles said “This format will give our fans even more opportunities to see INDYCAR’S world-class drivers compete on racing’s biggest stage. While winning the race is the ultimate prize, capturing pole position for the ‘500’ is one of motorsports’ most prestigious honors and almost a race within a race. I cannot wait to see this expanded format on the final Sunday before Race Day.”
A Last Chance Qualifying session for spots 31-33 is scheduled from 2-3 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 22 if there are more than 33 entries competing for a spot in the world’s most prestigious auto race. Each entry is guaranteed one attempt and can make multiple attempts until time expires. If multiple attempts are made, previous times are withdrawn, and the fastest non-qualified car assumes the 33rd spot.
PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying Schedule (All times ET, subject to change):
Saturday, May 219-10:30 a.m.: Pre-Qualifying Practice: Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network Noon-5:50 p.m.:
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying: Setting positions 13-33 (or 13-30 if more than 33 entries) Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network
Sunday, May 22
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Last Chance Practice (If necessary): Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network
12:30-2 p.m.: Top 12 Practice: Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network
2-3 p.m.: Last Chance Qualifying: (Positions 31-33, if necessary) Peacock Premium, INDYCAR Radio Network
4 p.m.: Indianapolis 500 Top 12 Qualifying: NBC, INDYCAR Radio Network
5:10 p.m.: Firestone Fast Six: NBC, INDYCAR Radio Network
5:40 p.m.: NTT P1 Award Presentation: NBC, INDYCAR Radio Network
A practice session for all 33 Indianapolis 500 starters is scheduled for noon-2 p.m. Monday, May 23, with live coverage on Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Fans will be permitted in the infield only. Gates 2, 4, 6S, 7 and 7S will be open from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Bronze and silver badges will be honored for gate admission and corresponding garage and pit access.
Live coverage of the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts at 11 a.m. Sunday, May 29 on NBC, Peacock Premium, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The full Month of May schedule will be announced later.
The 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season continues Sunday, May 1 at Barber Motorsports Park for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama presented by AmFirst. Race coverage begins at 1 p.m. on NBC, with INDYCAR Radio Network coverage available at 12:30 p.m. 
 

Newgarden Leads Day 2

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The sun escaped its cloud prison and the Indycar series team got in a four hour practice at IMS today. The session saw cars running in groups and practicing passing. Teams ran together to get a feel for the draft..

Just two caution periods for track inspections interrupted today’s practice period.

Josef Newgarden led today’s session with lap at 229.519 mph. Takuma Sato also had a lap over 229 mph, just 0.0157 seconds slower. The next five drivers had speeds in the 228 mph range.

Newgarden has won the last two races and feels good about his chances in the 500. After the test ended, he told the media<

“I can’t deny things feel really good on the 2 car. They’re just progressing. It’s not like two steps forward, two steps back, or vice versa. I feel like it’s going forward every single time, and we’re just getting better.

We’ve been on a good trajectory at the moment. I don’t want to see it flatten too much; I want to see it go the other way. I feel confident with what we’ve got, feel good at showing up anywhere. Being at Team Penske makes that easier. I always feel confident in our group.”

Unlike Wednesday’s string of yellows for incidents, today was issue free. Drivers completed 3,267 laps. Marcus Ericsson completed he most laps, 148.

Marco Andretti climbs into the 98 to start his day.

The top 10 had three Chevys and seven Hondas. All five cars from Chip Ganassi Racing were in the top 10. Tony Kanaan was the fastest from the team at third place with a lap of 228.767.

Tony Kanaan in turn 2

Helio Castroneves did not run today. He is uninjured, but his car was not repaired in time from yesterday’s crash.

Notes

Marco Andretti was the only Andretti Autosport driver in the top 15 in sixth place. Romain Grosjean finished 16th. Alexander Rossi was 23rd and Colton Herta was 28th. Puzzling results for a team that used to be really good at IMS.

Colton Herta gets ready to start the test session

Sato was not driving the car he will drive in the 500 this week. The team did not want to risk damage to their speedway car.

Santino Ferrucci showed some speed . he finished twelfth today but was in the top 10 for a good chunk of the session. I don’t understand why he doesn’t have a full time ride.

Callum Ilott again led the pure rookies. Keep an eye on him next month.

Will Power pointed out at the end of the day that today’s results mean nothing for qualifying. The cars ran without their qualifying boost, and qualifying is one car on track, not several that can give the trailing car a tow.

“You need (extra boost for qualifying), with everyone going on single runs on exactly the same fuel load with no draft, all that. That’s the only way you’ll know,” Power said.

Thanks for following along these two days. It was great to be back at IMS with cars running on the oval.

Today’s time sheet

Mixed Feelings on a Lost Tradition

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Photo: Matt Kryger, Indystar

Balloons will no longer fill the race day sky over IMS after the singing of “(Back Home Again in) Indiana,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced earlier this week that the traditional balloon spectacle is “indefinitely paused.” The spectacle which inspired Wonder Bread is no more.

A speedway spokesperson said the “pause” is a result of environmental and wildlife concerns. Penske Entertainment will have a news conference tomorrow afternoon to announce key sustainability initiatives. The balloon halt is likely na part of that. The balloons haven’t been released on Race Day since 2019. the last two years the launches were cancelled as part of the Speedway’s COVID protocols.

I have mixed feelings about not seeing the balloons. It is one of the things I really look forward to in the pre-race ceremonies. Seeing the balloons means the command to start engines is just seconds away. The balloons were a fitting ending to the song, celebrating the fact that we have alln gathered again for the Memorial Day Classic.

On the other hand, I do recognize the environmental issue that balloons cause. I am glad the track is taking steps to be good corporate citizens. There are other environmental issues associated with the race that can’t be avoided, like vehicles and waste material.

The bigger issue I have is with the erosion of tradition. Over the years, traditions relating toi the 500 have disappeared or changed beyond recognition. Practice for the race used to begin May 1. Now there are four days of practice before qualifying. Qualifying itself has gone through numerous changes in the 105 year history of the event.

Some have suggested alternatives like hot air balloons or tethered balloons that can be popped after the race starts. I like those ideas, but I think it would take a long time for either one to gain acceptance. I don’t care for the speedway’s plan for a second flyover. That seems like an empty gesture with no real feeling of joy like the balloons deliver.

Pre race ceremonies as a whole have undergone a transformation over the last 60 years. There was not an invocation before 1974, when the race was moved to Sunday. The pre race used to be a tight 20 minute affair with just the national anthem, “Indiana”, and Taps. I am nt a fan of the extended pre race that we have now. I find it too long and drawn out.

Over time, everyone’s feeling about the balloons will subside. After Jim Cornelison belts out the last note of the word home, no one will be complaining about the lack of balloons. It will be time to go racing.

Test Day 2- Track Drying, Warm-up Lane Fix?

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Greetings from a cloudy wet Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Track drying is underway at the moment.

Today’s schedule:

10 AM Eastern- 4 PM Eastern Testing for all cars

Streaming available on Peacock.

I ran into Doug Boles on my way to the media center. He said the warmup lane sealant was applied the day after the track sealant last October. Last night IMS worked on the problem area. One thing they did was drag 18- pound tires to help create grip. Before any cars run today, the track, Firestone, and Indycar will discuss the situation and decide if it is safe.

The track is quite wet right now. I anticipate a delay in the start of practice.

9:15 AM

Helio Castroneves will not be on track today. He is fine, but his car will not be ready after yesterday afternoon’s incident.

Thew temperature is supposed to reach the mid to upper 60s this afternoon with a hint of some sun. Sun and wind would really help dry the track right now.

The time sheet from yesterday afternoon:

More than 1,500 laps were run through the three sessions on Wednesday. Look for track activity updates on The Pit Window on Facebook and @tutorindie on Twitter.

Dixon Leads Crash Shortened Afternoon Test

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Scott Dixon led both sessions involving veterans at the open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today. Dixon ran a lap of 227,187 in the afternoon session, which saw just 30 minutes of green flag time and ended 30 minutes early after two crashes exiting pit lane.

Conor Daly had the second fastest time, 226,985 mph.

Conor Daly

Four time and defending race winner Helio Castroneves spun on the pit exit lane and hit the outside wall in turn 2. Castroneves was unhurt. He could not explain what happened.

“I didn’t feel anything strange, anything bottoming, I wasn’t pushing,” Castroneves said. “And the rear just spun out. I was trying to control it, making sure I didn’t crash, and it was a very odd situation. Unfortunately, we couldn’t avoid that. It was very unusual.”

Action resumed, and 21 minutes later, Will Power spun in the pit exit lane in turn 1. Colton Herta went wide to avoid Power, spun and brushed the outside wall, then slid down the track, narrowly missing a collision with Marcus Ericsson, who chose to go low to avoid Herta’s spinning car. Herta’s car came to rest nose first against the inside wall in turn 1.

Will Power talks to media between sessions.

Officials ddeclared the session over to have time to examine the pit lane. Alexander Rossi had spun in the lane as cars left the pits for the morning session.

Indycar, IMS, and Firestone were working together to find out what the issue with the pit lane is. There will be an update in the morning.

In the rookie/refresher session the five rookies passed all three phases of the rookie test. Callum Ilott had the fastest lap, 222,184 mph.

Callum Ilott waits for practice to resume.

Ilott talked about his day and learning ovals.

“It’s a real challenge, especially when it’s quite windy, trying to get the positioning in the field at that speed. And then, you know, when we come on after the rookie orientation, and you’re an adult with 33 cars on track, it’s, yeah, it’s a bit tough to find the space and, you know, you start to learn the technicalities of oval racing, which was something I had to learn quite quickly in Texas. But yeah, it’s awesome. The place is ginormous.”

Practice is scheduled to run from 10 AM Eastern time to 4 PM. All 32 cars are eligible to participate. We will wait for word on the pit lane issue. Work on that part of the track may delay the start, but Indycar will probably allow all six hours of running if possible. Tomorrow’s practice will be streamed on Peacock.

Dixon Fastest in First Veterans’ Session; Rookie Test Underway

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The open- test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway got underway after a 90-minute delay. The session begun under cool and cloudy conditions. As the two hour time period progressed, temperatures warmed a bit and some sun appeared and the wind got stronger.

Scott Dixon had the quickest lap of 225.622 mph. Dixon ran 20 laps, the fewest of the full time Chip Ganassi Racing team. Jimmie Johnson was sixth fastest in 37 laps, Alex Palou ran seventh in 25 laps, and Marcus Ericsson finished the session 20th, running 31 laps. Tony Kanaan, who is running the 500 only, ran just fourteen laps and ended 21st on the speed chart.

Pato O’Ward on a late session run

The rest of the top 5- Scott Mclaughlin, 223.984; Santino Ferrucci, 223,053; Romain Grosjean, 222.727; and Pato O’Ward, 222.660.

sIx Hondas and four Chevys made up the top ten. Three of the Hondas were from Chip Ganassi Racing.

I talked to Tony Kanaan after practice. He said the conditions were “Okay in the morning, then it got windy and cold. I didn’t do that many laps. It5’s not the same as it’s going to be race week, but it’s good to get a couple things out of the way.”

Tony Kanaan talks to media after the test session

He said “It felt 100% good to be back in the car. I think we can benefit from having five very experienced drivers on the team.”

Kanaan on track

Kanaan plans to run the 500 “As long as they keep bringing me back.” He noted that next year will be his 25th 500.

Currently halfway through the rookie /refresher session, David Malukas is the fastest rookie with a lap at 218.250. Times will vary depending on which phase of the test each driver is in at the moment.

Testing Delayed

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Good morning from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The track is damp and things are delayed here. Indycar plans to run the full schedule when the track dries. The rain is expected to stop just before noon ET, in about 50 minutes. Running may extend past 6 pm today and possibly run longer tomorrow than the original 4 pm end time.

The Practice groups for today:

Notes-

Santino Ferrucci does not need a refresher test because he raced at Texas.

Romain Grosjean and Jimmie Johnson need to complete the last half of phase 3 of the rookie test. Because they need to run laps above 215 mph, they are allowed to practice with the veterans since they will be running comparable speeds.

Kanaan’s 500 Car Carries Number 1

Tony Kanaan and Chip Ganassi Racing unveiled the car Kanaan will drive in the Indianapolis 500.

The American Legion sponsored machine will carry the number 1. Chip Ganassi Racing has the rights to that number since Alex Palou won the NTT Indycar Series title in 2021. It’s great to have a car number 1 in the race. It would be even greater if the actual champion would use it.

The Search for 33 Continues

Still no word on who the 33rd 500 entry will be, but I understand that work toward that goal is ongoing. I am hoping we hear something during this test.

Several Indianapolis 500 liveries have come out the past few days. I will have a post up later today presenting the new liveries.

Coming in a bit, a story about news which burst onto the scene this morning and has many people up in the air.

Open Test Begins Prep for the 500

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The Schedule:

It isn’t opening day, but the first time Indycar takes to the IMS oval each spring is a day to celebrate.

Testing on the oval begins today as the 32 confirmed entries for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 take to the track. All sessions on both days will be broadcast live on Peacock.

The field includes the 26 car full time grid plus the Dreyer and Reinbold team of Sage Karam and Santino Ferrucci, Ed Carpenter in car 33, Juan Pablo Montoya in car 6 for Arrow McLaren SP, Tony Kanaan in a fifth Chip Ganassi car, and Marco Andretti in car 98 for Andretti Autosport.

Jimmie Johnson and Romain Grosjean are cleared to practice with the veterans, but they still have to complete the final phase of their rookie tests. Weather last fall prevented the drivers from finishing the required number of laps.

Taking refreshers tests will be Karam, Ferrucci, Montoya, Kanaan, and Andretti.

Beginning their rookie tests are Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Lundgaard, Devlin De Francesco, Callum Ilott, and David Malukas.

Things to Watch For

In the first three races of the season, Chevrolet seems to be the better engine. Honda has been better at IMS the last two years. I’m not sure if either manufacturer wants to tip its hand before May officially begins, but I will be looking for trap speeds and the no tow sheets.

Among the Chevy teams, many eyes will be on Team Penske. The team that has won the most 500s has struggled the past two Mays. They have won the first three races of the season, and there are big expectations for Penske at IMS. Many have already installed Josef Newgarden as the favorite for the 500, but I’m not sure about that yet.

Rookies in Traffic

I like that the rookies get their own session in the middle of the day. They used to have to take their test within the regular practice periods.

When they are allowed to practice with the veterans, how will they handle the traffic? The pure rookies have very little oval experience. Did they learn enough at Texas to help them at IMS?

Weather

Wednesday looks to start off cool and may cause a delay in the start, but Thursday looks like a great day with warm temperatures in the afternoon.

Then track is open to spectators on the turn 2 viewing mounds near the museum. No grandstands are open.

I will be on site most of the day and I will have updates throughout the day.