Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Today’s schedule:

SCHEDULE (All times local):

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open

8:30-9 a.m.: Group 1 Practice

9-9:30 a.m.: Group 2 Practice

11 a.m.- 5:50 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying

HONORARY STARTERS: 8:30 a.m. – Colts’ Mascot Blue; 11 a.m. – President of the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee Mel Raines and NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee Board Co-Chair and WNBA legend Tamika Catchings

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $20. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult. Free entry for all military personnel with a valid military ID.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 9, Gate 10, and Gate 10A.

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

Today should be fun. The objective is twofold. If you have a fast car, get into the top 12 by the end of the day. if yopu aren’t contending for the pole, stay out of the last row.

The rain last night washed all the rubber off of the track. We may see more running in them practice sessions than we were expecting. Four consistent laps may be difficult,m especially for the early runners.

From last night: Qual;ifying Order

SCHEDULE (All times local):

8 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open

8:30-9 a.m.: Group 1 Practice

9-9:30 a.m.: Group 2 Practice

11 a.m.- 5:50 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying

HONORARY STARTERS: 8:30 a.m. – Colts’ Mascot Blue; 11 a.m. – President of the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee Mel Raines and NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee Board Co-Chair and WNBA legend Tamika Catchings

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $20. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult. Free entry for all military personnel with a valid military ID.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (8 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 9, Gate 10, and Gate 10A.

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

From last night: Qualifying order.

Qualifying Order

It’s time to set the grid for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. The byzantine format for qualifying, which I am not a fan of, starts out in a straightforward way, but gets complicated after every car has had their first attempt. I will save my annual rant on this subject for another time.

Friday was fun, and I hope today plays out much like yesterday ended. There is much more on the line today.

It looks like it will be a sunny day with temperatures reaching 68 degrees. When Ryan Hunter-Reay goes out for his run at 11, the temperature willbe 60 degrees.

Despite the green track after last night’s rain, we should see lots of speed.today.

Last evening’s rain means there is a green track. Tire degradation may be high, and therewill be a dropoff in speed on the final lap. The drivers who can manage tires the best will have an advantage.

The faster cars will try to be in the top 12 by the end of the day. there are more than 12 contenders. The slower cars will try to avoid being tone of the four slowest cars. there are more than four cars in this category as well.

Here are some things I’m looking for today:

Will Team Penske be a player again? Will Power and Josef Newgarden each topped the four lap averages lare yesterday.

How far can Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood carry Andretti Autosport? Herta has been in the top 10 all three days, and Kirkwood has just missed.

Could the slowest four be the entire Rahal Letterman Lanigan team? I amconcerned hat we might see that scenario. Katherine Legge had the only time not ranked in the thirties yesterday.

Is Meyer Shank back? Simon Pagenaud has been quick all week and Helio Castroneves had a good run late yesterday afternoon.

I will be updating qualifiying every couple of hours and have a wrapup after the day is finished.

From IMS

107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Qualifying Draw
1 23 Ryan Hunter-Reay
2 26 Colton Herta
3 12 Will Power
4 06 Helio Castroneves
5 98 Marco Andretti
6 8 Marcus Ericsson
7 45 Christian Lundgaard
8 7 Alexander Rossi
9 9 Scott Dixon
10 60 Simon Pagenaud
11 55 Benjamin Pedersen (R)
12 51 Sting Ray Robb (R)
13 6 Felix Rosenqvist
14 66 Tony Kanaan
15 33 Ed Carpenter
16 50 RC Enerson (R)
17 30 Jack Harvey
18 20 Conor Daly
19 29 Devlin DeFrancesco
20 15 Graham Rahal
21 21 Rinus VeeKay
22 5 Pato O’Ward
23 77 Callum Ilott
24 24 Stefan Wilson
25 11 Takuma Sato
26 18 David Malukas
27 14 Santino Ferrucci
28 10 Alex Palou
29 28 Romain Grosjean
30 27 Kyle Kirkwood
31 44 Katherine Legge
32 3 Scott McLaughlin
33 78 Agustin Canapino (R)
34 2 Josef Newgarden

IMS has been very busy today with drivers going out to make simulated qualifying runs. Instead of just tracking fastest laps, we are alsomtracking four lap averages.

The top four lap averages as of 3 pm:

Ed Carpenter Racing looks the strongest overall, and Andretti drivers aren’t far behind.

Takuma Sato has the fastest single lap at 234.753 mph

Current conditions – 80 degrees and cloudy. Tomorrow for quaqlifying the forecast is sunny and 72 degrees., mch different from today.

Notes

Another huge crowd is on hand today. Free parking inside turn 3 was fullt by 10 am.

I talked to Doug Boles a few minutes ago. He told me that Wednesday’s attendance was the biggest practice crowd since they started scanning tickets. Yesterday’s crowd was a little short of a record. He was very happy with the crowd at the GMR Grand Prix last Saturday.

Alexander Rossi just turned in the third best four lap average,

Pato O’Ward went 243 mph in the turn 3 trap. Kirkwood had a speed of 242 through that area.

Back later as things develop.

Today’s schedule:

10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public Gates Open

Noon-6 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice Peacock, Indycar Radio 8th

HONORARY STARTERS: Indianapolis Colts’ rookies

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $15 for Indy 500 practice days. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a 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 is located in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40), in the South Carousel Lot for motorcycle parking and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum Lot for ADA parking. Paid parking available in Lot 2, Lot 3G and Main Gate for $10 and Gate 1 for $20. Paid ADA parking in Gate 1 for $20.

Today is usually the fastest say of the year. The horsepower boost adds 50 horsepower to the engines. Speeds above 230 mph should be commonplace.

There is a threat of scattered showers after 2pm which may make the first two hours very busy.

So far the cars of Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow mcLaren have dominated the tuop 10. I don’t expect that to change. I’m alsokeeping my eye on Team Penske, especially Will Power. Simon Pagenaud had a good day yetsrday, and he could be a factor,

Will Andretti drivers other than Colton herta make some noise today? Kyle Kirkwood was in the top 15 for a while on Thursday. Romain Grosjean is languishing in the 20’s.

Ed Carpenter Racing can never be counted out when it’s time to run for the pole. Comor Daly was sixth yesterday, but he sar rhird for some of the day.

The laresr weather says the best chance for rain is after 5 pm, so it should be another good day for running nd watching race cars.

I’ll be back with updates throughout the day,

Here are some photos I took in the pits yesterday afternoon.

WE’ve reached the midway point of the day for practice two. Another ganassi car has the fastest lap of the day. Marcus Ericsson, lastbyear’s winner of the 500, posted a speed of 229.607. That lap tops takuma Sato’s fast time from Wednesday. All four Ganassi cars are in the top 10.

Pato O’Ward sits second at the moment at 227.734 mph. All four Arrow McLaren cars are also in the top 10. Santino ferrucci from A. J. Foyt Racing and Colton Herta from Andretti are the final two top 10 cars. Ferrucci issixth and Herta is eighth.

2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay is 12th, backing up his eighth place yesterday.

Callum Ilott, last yesterday, has found some speed and is currently 18th.

The Rahal team’s struggles continue. Katherine Legge leads the team in 26th place.

Earlier today I talked with David Malukas. He is happy with the pace of his car, but he siad they need to correct an oversteer issue. Malukas said he can’t pass anyone as the car was.Malukas is currently15th.

This morbibg Arrow Mb]cLaren announced a partnership with Hendrick Motorsport to allow Kyle Larson to run in the Indianapolis 500 in 2024 and 2025. I wil have a story about this later.

I’ll be back after 6 with a wrap up of the day.