Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Newgarden Leads Rain-Shortened First Day of Indy 500 Open Test

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From IMS

  INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, April 10, 2024) – Josef Newgarden must like the view from the top at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as he was fastest Wednesday in the rain-shortened first day of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Open Test.
Reigning “500” winner Newgarden turned the fastest lap during the morning session on the 2.5-mile oval, 228.811 mph, in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden also led the Indy 500 Open Test in 2022 and last year, when he returned in May to earn his first victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” after a scintillating, last-lap duel with 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson.
“We’re not trying to do it because I had no idea,” Newgarden said of leading the Open Test for a third straight year.
“I didn’t know it was three years in a row. We want to check off things on our list. Obviously, it’s been right at the front, which is a good sign.”
The first day of testing, which featured separate sessions for veterans, and Rookie Orientation Program and refresher tests, was halted numerous times by passing raindrops, including one midday delay of 67 minutes. Heavier showers arrived shortly after 2 p.m. ET to end on-track activity.
Testing is scheduled to resume from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET Thursday, with live coverage in the United States on Peacock and live international coverage on INDYCAR LIVE.
While it was little surprise to see NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval master Newgarden atop the speed chart, the second-fastest driver raised eyebrows and anticipation in equal measure. 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson clocked in second at 226.384 in the No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet as he prepares for his first start in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” while also attempting the “Hendrick 1100” double of racing at Indy and in the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26.
“Getting in some traffic and feeling the turbulent air,” Larson said. “The first time I got in traffic, I think my tires still had good grip, so I was surprised. It didn’t feel that different in traffic. Then the last time, I was building understeer, and Newgarden got by me and I was super tight behind him.
“I’m just trying to learn all that and process all that and knowing what I can do in the car to cope with that. I’m just trying to figure out any bit of racecraft today, which I know is tough. Just get notes in my head and all that.”
2008 Indy 500 winner and six-time series champion Scott Dixon was third at 226.346 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, followed by reigning series champion and teammate Alex Palou at 226.201 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Colton Herta rounded out the top five at 225.907 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda. Herta was the only driver among the top five to turn his best lap in the brief afternoon session before testing was washed out.
All three veterans requiring refresher tests – Marco Andretti, Pietro Fittipaldi and Katherine Legge – completed that program. Christian Rasmussen, Kyffin Simpson and Nolan Siegel each finished the three-phase Rookie Orientation Program.
The 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 26. Practice opens Tuesday, May 14, with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19. 
 

Test Day 2 at IMS-Rain Will Reign

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Photo of Kyle Larson by Kyle McInnes

Good morning from rain soaked Indianapolis. Rain through most of the night continues currently, and the forecast calls for constant rain with chances above 55% all day.

I will venture to IMS and try to gather some information this morning, then see where the day goes from there.

Friday could be a makeup day, but that is doubtful since teams need to start preparing for Long Beach.

I’m disappointed we may not see any on track action today, but I would [refer getting all the rainy weather done in April and have a totally dry May.

I will keep you updated through Xwitter and The Pit Window Facebook page.

Newgarden Tops Morning Session

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@023 500 winner Josef Newgarden lead the morning session of the open test at IMS on a cool day interrupted by raindrops several times. Rookie orientation had a brief weather dely. ALl rookies have completed the program, and Katherine Legge needed some time in the afternoon session to complete her refresher. All 34 cars are cleared to participate the rest of the day and tomorrow, weather permitting.

Biggest surprise of the morning was Kyle Larson posting the second fastest time., ).42 seconds behind Newgarden.

Notes

David Malukas will not drive at Long Beach. Arrow McLaren has not announced his replacement, but many believe it will be theo Pourchaire.

Rain is falling at the moment and no track drying is taking place. We may be done for the day.

Results:

IMS Testing, Day 1

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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

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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

Dark Skies, Bright Hearts

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Putting an experience like yesterday’s total solar eclipse into words is difficult. Please indulge this poor attempt at expressing my thoughts. I’ll get to the facts in a bit.

First, IMS did a stellar (no pun intended…well, maybe) job putting together the program yesterday. There were plenty of activities for all ages as we waited for the celestial event to begin. The crowd looked and felt as if it were Grand Prix race day.

At the moment of totality, I felt humble at being at the mercy of a natural force that I could not control. Humans have conquered much of nature, but an eclipse is totally out of mankind’s grasp.

I have had several thrilling encounters with raw nature- a female elk running straight toward me, close enough that I could get a whiff of her scent; a whale rising up in front of my tour boat, creating a wall that blocked the view beyond it; a moose so close that I could pet it if I chose to- but yesterday they all became mere trivial occasions to what I witnessed in the sky above the speedway.

I had a sense of gratitude at being able to witness one of the natural events on my bucket list. I had lost hope of ever getting to witness a total eclipse. The partial one in 2017 was neat, but unsatisfying. I am thankful that I could watch at my happy place, and share it with so many people. At my spot in Pagoda Plaza, strangers smiled at each other. We became a brotherhood as we shared the experience.

Parts of the eclipse took me by surprise, and other parts i expected. I enjoyed watching the moon creep across the sun, the ebony disc growing larger and large, covering the yellow orb.

The sudden darkness at totality shocked me. It was like turning off the light in a windowless room. The flash of light as total coverage ended was strangely a relief that the sun had returned. As we walked back to our car, we stopped every few feet to watch as the inched out of the sun’s path.

If I never get a chance to see another solar eclipse, I’ll be fine. The frustrating thing is, I now really want to see another one.

Showmen Extraordinaire

Credit the Speedway, Doug Boles, and Allison Melangton, with the help of NASA and Purdue University, for putting together an amazing pre eclipse program.

When the event was first announced, I thought, “This is cute. They will probably have 20,000 people there.” I had no idea how this would work.

I find this photo a bit Gothic. Very cool

There was an aggressive marketing campaign, as more than 50,000 people attended. Viewers came from all 50 states and more than 30 countries. While other sites may have had more open views and probably saw more stars (We saw one at the track), I would not have wanted to be anywhere else for the eclipse.

I will have some more photos u on The Pit Window Facebook page later today.

Eclipse Day at IMS

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Today is arguably the second most anticipated day in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history. A total solar eclipse, which last made a path across Indiana 89 years ago, will darken the sky just a bit after 3 pm this afternoon.

IMS has a full day of activity planned. The track has teamed up with Purdue and NASA to provide information and educational activities.

Today’s schedule at the track:

Schedule (all times ET)
9 a.m.: Gates open; Gates 2, 3 and 6
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Educational programming
1 p.m.: NASA broadcast begins
1:10 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
1:35 p.m.: INDYCAR SERIES demo laps
1:50:34 p.m.: Solar eclipse begins with partial
2:15 p.m.: Frontstretch of oval track opens for guest viewing
3:06:04 p.m.: Totality begins
3:07:59 p.m.: Max totality
3:09:54 p.m.: Totality ends
3:25 p.m.: Closing ceremonies
3:30 p.m.: Astronaut and driver autograph session
4 p.m.: Gates close
4:23:13 p.m.: Partial ends
4:30 p.m.: NASA broadcast concludes

Drivers and astronauts at the autograph session:

Tickets have been sold in all 50 states and several international locations.

If I know the Speedway, renewal notices will go out tomorrow for the next eclipse in the year 2153.

Thousands Expected for Full Day of Fun, Science during Total Solar Eclipse at IMS 

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 Don’t Be Left in the Dark: Arrive Early for Full Experience

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, April 3, 2024) – With 35,000 to 50,000 spectators expected to attend the Total Solar Eclipse Event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway presented by Purdue University on Monday, April 8, guests are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a wide array of exhibits, experiments, panel-led discussions, demonstrations and photo opportunities.
Tickets have been purchased from 49 states, the District of Columbia and more than 21 other countries and territories, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, England, France, Germany, Greenland, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Poland, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
There’s no better place to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience than at the Racing Capital of the World.
NASA TV Live Broadcast
The IMS Total Solar Eclipse Event presented by Purdue University has been designated one of several official broadcast sites for NASA TV’s coverage of the astronomical phenomenon.
Special Guests
Among the guests expected in attendance are members of Indiana’s congressional delegation, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Mark and Rick Armstrong, the sons of Purdue graduate and first man on the moon Neil Armstrong.Multiple astronauts and NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers also will be in attendance. Drivers and astronauts will be featured throughout the day as subject matter experts, as well as participating in an autograph session to conclude the day’s events.
Programming
Two educational programming tracks will run concurrently. The Sun Track will be more technical in nature. The Moon Track is tailored for youth and families. All programming will feature experts from NASA, Purdue University and INDYCAR.
On-Track Action
At the start of the NASA TV global broadcast, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will be on full display for spectators. Three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ed Carpenter will turn a handful of demonstration laps of the 2.5-mile oval in an Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet INDYCAR SERIES car just before the start of the Total Solar Eclipse sequence.Once the demonstration laps conclude, guests will be invited to the frontstretch of the famed oval, where they can experience the total solar eclipse.
Educational Exhibits
NASA will have more than a dozen educational exhibits with which attendees can interact. Faculty, students and subject matter experts from Purdue University, Indiana Space Grant Consortium and Near Space Education also will offer exhibits, booths, demonstrations and displays, available throughout the day in IMS’ Trackside Garages, turned Exhibit Hall.
Exhibits include:
Artemis Human Landing Program
With the Artemis campaign, NASA is using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before. The exhibit includes Artemis II Astro Cut Outs, tabletop models, a docking simulator and an inflatable dome.
Rockets to RacecarsThere are many parallels between the technology used on the track and in space. This display highlights those similarities with model cars, tires, a shuttle nose and mannequins with cooling gear and fire suits.
RS-25 Engine
The RS-25 powered the space shuttle for over three decades and completed 135 missions. It is one of the most tested large rocket engines in history. Guests can enjoy a tabletop model, view an actual RS-25 engine and test the engine using virtual reality.
In addition, attendees can take photos with the Borg-Warner Trophy, Visit Indy’s _NDY Sculpture and an eclipse-themed INDYCAR SERIES race car.
Schedule (all times ET)
9 a.m.: Gates open; Gates 2, 3 and 6
10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Educational programming
1 p.m.: NASA broadcast begins
1:10 p.m.: Opening ceremonies
1:35 p.m.: INDYCAR SERIES demo laps
1:50:34 p.m.: Solar eclipse begins with partial
2:15 p.m.: Frontstretch of oval track opens for guest viewing
3:06:04 p.m.: Totality begins
3:07:59 p.m.: Max totality
3:09:54 p.m.: Totality ends
3:25 p.m.: Closing ceremonies
3:30 p.m.: Astronaut and driver autograph session
4 p.m.: Gates close
4:23:13 p.m.: Partial ends
4:30 p.m.: NASA broadcast concludes
The Greatest Spectacles
Eclipse viewing glasses, named “The Greatest Spectacles,” will be complimentary and made available to all guests upon entry.
Visit IMS.com to purchase tickets for the Total Solar Eclipse Event presented by Purdue University.