Tag: Indianapolis 500

Qualifying Update- Where’s Chevy?

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Andretti Autospport backed up their strong practice times, with the top four spots on the provisional grid after the initial round of qualifying. Marco Andretti did not get hurt by his 28th spot in line , setting the day’s fastest single lap at 232.177 mph. His four lap average of 231.351 just clipped teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay’s 231. 330. the top seven cars averaged more than 231 mph.

Chevys continued to struggle as Rinus Veekay is the only bowtie in the top nine. the next Chevy is Josef Newgarden in 13th.

The afternoon could be a scramble for the last four spots in the Fast Nine.

Notes

From head on, the aeroscreen looks like a cone that a dog wears after surgery.

It was a brilliant move by some teams to use a smaller air hose for qualifying to lessen the drag.  The hose and helmet need a redesign so that they are not protruding above the aeroscreen frame.

Helio Castroneves currently sits 28th, which would be his worst starting spot in his 20 500s.

The session was clean but there were several close calls in turn one.
Back after qualifying ends today.

 

Qualifying Day

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Today’s schedule:

8:30-9   Group 1 Practice  NBC Gold

9-9:30 Group 2 Pracrice  NBC Gold

11-4:50 Qualifying  NBC Gold (NBC 3-5)

The 3earlier someone qualifies, the better chance they will have of making the Fast Nine. Weather conditions should be similar to yesterday when the fastest laps came early in the day. Heat made the track slippery later, and even the cooling shadow on the front stretch in the final hour didn’t help speeds improve.

Qualifying ends a n hour earlier today as well, meaning drivers can’t take advantage of the late day shade on the front straight.

The qualifying order:
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Honda powered cars have dominated the practice days. Could they fill the first three rows?  Team Penske cars have looked down on power, with Will Power finally improving to eleventh fastest late yesterday.  Andretti Autosport, particularly Marco Andretti, have looked strong so far. Marco drew what many consider to be an unfavorable qualifying spot at 28. Usually some cars step out of line and give up their slot, but with the heat and the way the track slowed yesterday, i don’t look for anyone ahead of the 98 to do that.

On Friday, the fastest four lap averages were:

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Fast Friday Thoughts

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Photo: Indycar, Walt Kuhn

We got the high speeds we expected. Marco Andretti’s 233.491 mph lap was the fastest lap turned since 1996. Will he back it up in qualifying tomorrow?

I was surprised to see the Penske cars struggle so much today. They seemed to find some speed late in the day, but still couldn’t crack the top ten.

Graham Rahal and Helio Castroneves had some close calls with the walls late in the day.

Could we see an all Honda Fast Nine? Conor Daly was the only Chevy in the top ten, but was in the 20s with a four lap average. the next quickest Chevy was Will Power in 11th.

It’s a shame that the draw for qualifying order can put a fast driver in an unfavorable spot for qualifying. Tomorrow the first ten or twelve drivers to qualify should have a big advantage. Maybe it’s time to use Fast Friday speeds as the order of qualifying or maybe let the top ten choose their spots then draw for the rest.

The qualifying order

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I would like to see the fastest driver on Saturday get a point.

Today’s top speeds:

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Fast Friday- Added Boost =Higher Speeds?

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Photo: Indycar, Chris Owens

Today’s Schedule:

11-5:30 Practice NBC Gold

5:45 Draw for qualifying order

Records won’t be broken, but there should be a lot laps in the 230 mph range today, and possibly a pole average Sunday above 230.  Cars will get added boost today and for qualifying this weekend. In the past each car received an extra 20.3 psi of boost for qualifying weekend. For 2020, the increased boost rises to 21.7 psi. The increase is to compensate for the extra weight, approximately 58 pounds, of the aeroscreen.

In theory it should keep the speeds the same. Today with cars in traffic we could see some high speeds. The pole winner has not averaged more than 230 mph since Scott Dixon in 2017. We could see that mark again this weekend.

The pole should come down to a duel between the Penske cars and Ed Carpenter’s team. Andretti Autosport has shown some strength the first two days of practice, but Fast Friday is a completely different day.

Follow along on Twitter @Pitwindowtoo for updates on the speed charts.

Notes

Fernando Alonso was checked and released from the infield care center.

Ben Hanley did complete his refresher test and can practice tomorrow.

I went to Gate 1 for a couple of hours today. The sound from outside is a bit muffled, but it was nice to hear the cars running. About a dozen people in small groups had settled in with lawn chairs.

The track PA is on and regular announcements are made as if fans were inside the track.

From the Inside

I chatted with a friend who is allowed inside yesterday morning.

He said the atmosphere is like a test day.

People  are only allowed to be in  designated spots in the garage are and the pits, but are free to roam the rest of the grounds.

Seats  which fans were not allowed to occupy had stickers applied. He believes they were applied after seats were assigned. That makes sense when you look at the pattern of the stickers.

Day 2- Thoughts

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Photo- Indycar, Chris Jones

Fernando Alonso’s crash was one I hope we don’t see on race day. there will be  people and equipment where he came to rest, and the results would have been worse. He is fortunate that the car missed the attenuator at the pit entrance. We have seen several scary wrecks when it is hit.

Anyone else get a sense of deja vu when Pagenaud pulled out of line to pass Rossi?

Ben Hanley and Dragonspeed finally passed phase 1 of the refresher and will be allowed to practice tomorrow. If there were more than 33 entries, this team would be in trouble. I wonder if the electrical issues Dragonspeed is experiencing are because the car was put together in a hurry.

Scott Dixon is looking better and better. the team tried a full length Gurney flap ,in the middle of the afternoon. Dixon shot to the top of the chart in the final 16 minutes of the session after going back to the shorter flap. he could be in the Fast Nine and be a race day contender.

The Penske cars seem to be the most comfortable in traffic. Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves look as if they can pass anyone at any time. I’m not concerned about where this team is on the speed charts. they will be up front Saturday.

Tomorrow we will find out if Alexander Rossi is really slow or if the team has been working on things.

Don Edmunds

1957 Indianapolis Rookie of the Year Don Edmunds died today at age 89. Edmunds ran in only one 500, but after he retired he became a master car builder of midgets.  Edmunds redesigned the midget into a sleeker machine than it had been. Parnelli Jones and the Caruthers brothers drove for Edmunds.

His death leaves just two drivers from the 50s still living, A. J. Foyt and Paul Goldsmith. Foyt is 85 and Goldsmith is 94.

Today’s speed chart:

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Practice Day 2- Andretti Team Looks to Stay Up Front; More Race Set Up Work

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Photo: Fernando Alonso. Photo by Joe Skibinski, Indycar

Good morning from the northwest media center annex. Practice day 2 should see more than the 2, 444 laps turned yesterday as there will be no break for Rookie and refresher tests. Ben Hanley still needs to complete his refresher. He will get time before the track opens for practice this morning. Hanley needs 15 laps run between 205 and 210 mph followed by 15 laps above 210.

Most teams will probably work on race setups today. there is no qualifying pressure for two reasons. The most obvious one is that no one will be bumped. Keep your car together and run a decent speed and you are in the race.  Second, tomorrow the cars get the extra boost for qualifying so there is really no need to worry about a qualifying setup today.

Will the Andretti cars be up front again today? Can Rossi, Herta, and Veach join their teammates at the front? Scott Dixon looked strong yesterday as well. Dixon struggled at IMS last year.

Tony Kanaan took Dalton Kellett’s car out for six laps to help the rookie get u to speed to complete his rookie test. I think TK has a future as a driver coach.

I’ll be back with a wrap up this evening. If something newsworthy happens during the day, I will keep you informed.

Pole Tales: 1953-Vuky Begins His Reign in the Rain

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Bill Vukovich entered the 1953 Indianapolis 500 having some  unfinished business. He had led 150 laps in 1952 only to crash with eight laps remaining when a steering arm broke. It was Vukovich’s second race, and he had already impressed Speedway veterans. Troy Ruttman went on to win, becoming the youngest driver to win the race.

Pole Day, May 16, was rained out. It was the first time in the eight years of the Hulman/Shaw era that qualifying had to be postponed. The 1950 race was shortened to 345 miles due to rain.

The next day didn’t look promising either. The track finally dried for qualifying to begin around 2:20, leaving just a little more than three hours to put some cars in the field and determine the pole. Freddie Agabashian had the fastest time at 137.546 mph and Jack McGrath was provisionally in the middle of the front row with a speed of 136.602 mph.

Vukovich went out and turned a blistering 139.147 mile an hour first lap. A fishtail on lap two may have cost him the one lap record. His third lap was the second fastest of the run at 138.739. AS he exited turn four onhis final qualifying lap, a thunderstorm suddenly drenche the front straight. Vukovich wiggled a bit but straightened out the car and completed the run. The rain slowed  his final lap to 137.132. The 138.392 average put Vukovich on the pole. He beat Agabashian’s time by 1.6 seconds.

Vukovich left no doubt in the race as to who would win. He led 195 laps and was one of two drivers who did not n3eed a relief driver in the scorching heat.

First Day Thoughts

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Photo: Indycar, James Black

It was a strange feeling to be watching from just a few miles away. The track looked to be in good shape, but it was very odd to see the stands empty.  I think the weekend will just emphasize the emptiness, especially when someone runs a really quick lap.

Conor Daly’s car looks amazing coming down the front stretch. It is I think the most telegenic car in the field. It really pops.

I found it hard to get used to Fernando Alonso in a black, white, and green livery. I also forgot Ruoff was his sponsor.

Andretti Autosport had their best first day at a track this year. Let’s see if they are still near the top on Friday.

Ben Hanley will have a busy day tomorrow. he was given 30 minutes on track after practice ended, but only ran a few laps. He needs to complete his refresher test first.

It seemed as if most of the rookies were feeling out the track today. Alex Palou finished in the top 10, but the others were near the bottom of the charts.  I don’t put much stock in the first practice. I look for more speed from this talented group tomorrow.

This is certainly one of the more colorful fields in a while. There is a lot red/orange, some yellow, and some blue. The pace laps should look great with the red Corvette leading the pack.

I know the media that is onsite means well, but their photos this morning before practice were difficult to see. I do appreciate that they are there to keep us up to date. I hope to be back next year.

Tomorrow on The Pit Window is the debut of Pole Tales. I will share some of the more dramatic pole runs in 500 history.  The good news is there will be no Bump Tales this year. No bumping does have its advantages.

The time sheet from today

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