Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Second Mass Vaccination Clinic at IMS; 36 Cars for 500?

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Photo: Indystar

Indianapolis Motor Speedway will have another mass vaccination clinic in April. The on e in early March lasted four days and administered more than 16,000 doses of the COVID vaccine. In April the speedway will have clinics on 16 days and hopes to vaccinate 96,000 people. Clinic hours are 9 am -7 pm. Clinic dates are April 1-3, 13-18, and 24-30.

Indiana residents age 16 and up become eligible on March 31. The current eligible age range is 40 years and over. Registration for the speedway clinics is open, but those under 40 cannot register until March 31.

April will be busy at IMS. An open test for Indianapolis 500 entrants is scheduled for April 8 and 9. No word yet if spectators will be permitted.

500 Car Count: Bumping Returns

The car count for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 will be more than 33 cars, assuring the return of bumping. Cars currently confirmed:

Chevrolet

Team Penske (4)-Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Scott McLaughlin

A. J. Foyt Racing (3)- Sebastien Bourdais, Dalton Kellett, Charlie Kimball

Carlin Racing (1)- Max Chilton

Arrow McLaren SP (3)- Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Juan Pablo Montoya

Ed Carpenter Racing (3) – Ed Carpenter, Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly

Paretta Autosport (1)- Simona De Silvestro

Honda

Andretti Autosport (5)-Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti

Chip Ganassi Racing(4)- Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Tony Kanaan

Dale Coyne Racing (2)- Ed Jones, Pietro Fittipaldi, 1 TBD, possibly James Davison

Meyer Shank Racing (2)- Jack Harvey, Helio Castroneves

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2)- Takuma Sato, Graham Rahal

Other possible entries- Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, Top Gun Racing, additional cars cars from Foyt, Raha, and possibly Andretti.

I anticipate 35-36 cars. In 2019 there was drama as two cars had to go home. What there wasn’t was the fastest 33 starting the race. I of course have a fix for that which I will discuss closer to qualifying day.

Penske Plays a Numbers Game; Another Clinic at IMS ?

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As always, Roger Penske is aiming high. He is aiming for 250,00 in fact. In a zoom conference today, the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Indycar said that 170,000 tickets for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 have “been accounted for.” Whether more tickets, including general admission, go on sale depends on the situation with COVId-19. Numbers in Indiana have been moving ina positive trend. Penske hopes to have a full house of 250,000 on race day.

Penske would not commit to a number because he does not have the final say on it.

“Our goal is to have 250,000,” Penske said. “That’s what we want to have. It’s outside. We’ve got the biggest stadium in the world here, and it’s a matter of where we’re going to be with the CDC and the governor and the mayor, so I don’t have any number that I’d want to hang my hat on.

“We’re not making any predictions at all, because anything I would say today could be completely wrong.”

Last year before the decision was made to hold the race without fans in August, the Speedway had planned to have 50% of capacity, which would be around the 170,000 fans that now have tickets.

A lot depends on the aftermath of the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament which Indianapolis is hosting. If the city doesn’t see a spike in COVID cases over the next few weeks, it is possible that the race could have a large crowd with COVID protocols in place.

Penske did say the race will run May 30 with however many fans that are allowed.

A Second Mass Clinic at IMS?

Penske also said that he is working out details with state and local governments to conduct a second mass vaccination clinic. The Speedway had a four day clinic march 5-8 and more than 16,000 people received the one shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Indiana is approaching 1 million fully vaccinated residents.

Foyt Announcement Tomorrow

A. J. Foyt Racing will have announcement billed as an “update on their 2021 plans.” I am hearing it is a major sponsor announcement. I will have a report on the Foyt news after 2 pm Eastern tomorrow. As usual, the news will break during my writing class. If you’re a regular reader, you need I need the class.

IMS Hosts Mass Vaccination Site

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Indianapolis motor Spoeeway has helped the nation as a training ground during the two world wars. It is now helping to combat the coronavirus as one of three staewide mass vaccination clinics this weekend. It will be a drive through vaccination site. Indiana opened vaccinations to residents 55 and older this morning. The three sites will administer the new johnson and Johnson one dose vaccine.

The release from the Indiana Department of Health:

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Health today announced that it has partnered with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, University of Notre Dame and Ivy Tech Community College to host three mass vaccination clinics to help eligible Hoosiers receive a free COVID-19 vaccine.

In addition, effective today, Hoosiers age 55 and older are now eligible to receive a free vaccine.

“Getting tens of thousands of vaccines in arms in a matter of days is a huge undertaking that requires incredible partnerships,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. “We are incredibly grateful to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Notre Dame and Ivy Tech for their willingness to meet this challenge head-on to help save Hoosier lives.”

The mass vaccination clinics will offer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which received its Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA on Saturday. The vaccine requires only one dose and has been shown to be safe and effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in clinical trials involving nearly 44,000 participants from all races and ethnicities.

“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine gives eligible Hoosiers a safe, effective and convenient way to protect themselves from COVID-19,” said State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Because it requires just one dose, every shot administered represents a Hoosier who can rest easier, knowing their risk of severe illness from this disease has dropped exponentially.”

The Indiana Department of Health has also begun planning for a future mass vaccination clinic in Gary in collaboration with local health officials. Additional mass vaccination sites in other locations will be planned as more vaccine becomes available.

All clinics will require advance registration through https://ourshot.in.gov or by calling 211. Proof of age and residency will be required. The mass vaccination clinics are listed as sites that eligible Hoosiers can select when making an appointment. No walk-ups will be permitted.

Indiana’s Area Agencies on Aging, AARP and nearly 70 libraries around the state also can help Hoosiers schedule their appointments.

The clinic schedules are as follows:


Indianapolis Motor Speedway
4790 W. 16th St., Indianapolis
March 5-7
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Enter through main gate off 16th Street; participants will remain in their cars for their vaccines.

Ivy Tech Community College
8204 County Road 311, Sellersburg 
March 12-13
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Participants will remain in their cars for their vaccines.

University of Notre Dame
Compton Family Ice Arena
100 Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame
March 26-27
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Additional dates may be added to each of the above sites depending on demand and vaccine availability.

A separate advisory with instructions for media interested in covering the clinics will be issued closer to the events.

For more information about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit https://ourshot.in.gov.

Fans Allowed in May at IMS. Who Gets to Go?

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway will welcome fans for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500 May 30. The number allowed is still a work in progress. With the race still htree months away, time is on the speedway’s side. Positive rates and deaths from COVID-19 are declining in Indiana, and today the state opened vaccine eligibility to people aged 60-64.

The consensus from what i hacve heard is that 50% capacity will be the target. The NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which will take place mainly in Indianapolis, will allow 25% of capacity attendance. That number is a bit deceiving, since team members, game support personnel, and invited team guests- approximately 420 per game-count towards the 25%. I estimate that leaves room for about 1,700- 1,900 fans per session, depending on the venue.

If IMS follows this capacity pattern, there could be possibly 75,000 or a bit more watching the race in person. The question is who gets to go and who doesn’t? The 2020 race ran without fans, although plans were made to accommodate some spectators. The track ultimately decided to keep the stands closed. Last year, IMS gave fans a choice to keep their tickets or defer them to 2021. They could offer that option again.

My feeling is I missed one race, and I don’t want to miss two in a row. I’m sure many fans feel the same way. I don’t envy the speedway’s position. The question of how many and which fans to let in coukl be a public relations nightmare.I have a couple of suggestions. Of course IMS has not listened to me in the past. Maybe this time?

Survey fans and offer the deferral option again. This will give those fans who still don’t feel comfortable attending the option of waiting another year. The track will have an idea of how many want to attend.

Fans who have held reserved seats for several years should have priority.

Limit general admission and employ the eight foot circles as Iowa did at their races last summer. The circles worked well at Iowa, and the hill accommodated quite a few fans.

I trust Doug Boles and Roger Penske will come up with a fair plan. They have more latitude than they had last year, and pandemic restrictions will probably be a bit looser by May.

Sato Reveals Borg- Warner Trophy Image

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In an online show on IMS.com, 2020 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato got his first look at his second likeness on the Borg-Warner trophy. Sato is a two time winner of the race. He first won in 2017 and finished third in 2019.The race is 100 days from today.

The 30 minute program featured segments with Doug Boles and Rahal Letterman team owners Mike lanigan and Bobby Rahal. Last year was Rahal’s second win as a car owner. He also won the 2004 race with Buddy Rice driving. The third team owner, David Letterman, appeared in a prerecorded video.

The full program is available for viewing on YouTube.

A Good Sign for 500 Fans?

The NCAA this morning announced that the NCCA men’s basketball tournament games will allow 25% capacity at the games, which be played entirely in Indianapolis. The tournament will take place at several venues in Indianapolis as well as at Purdue and Indiana University. The 25% includes the teams and game personnel, which narrows the actual number of fans at each arena. As I am writing this, Purdue just announced 12-13% capacity for the tournament games.

The positive part is that this may signal some good news for fan attendance at the Indianapolis 500. Marion County has been the most restrictive county in Indiana at times, but this allowance may be a great sign for May.

Music City Grand Prix Ticket Sales; Some Indycar Notes

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Correction: In my post about the entry list for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, I left out the Paretta team with Simona DeSilvestro driving. I have updated the post. Thanks to reader Matthew for bringing this to my attention. If yoyu missed the story, here is the link:

https://thepitwindow.blog/2021/02/15/500-field-update-how-many-beyond-33/

The Music City Grand Prix begins ticket sales next Tuesday, February 23. there is a lot of buzz about this new race on the Indycar schedule. Their website does not list prices as of yet. there several choices of three day packages. Follow them on Twitter if you haven’t done so.

Andretti Empire Expands and Looks for More

Andretti Autosport has partnered with Michel Jourdain in a touring car entry in the Mexican Super Copa Series. The partnership makes Andretti a part of seven different racing platforms. The organization has cars in Indycar, Indy Lights, Formule E, IMSA Prototype Challenge, Australian Supercars, Extreme E, and Super Copa.

Michael Andretti said they are also exploring the new LMDh formula which begins in 2023. The prototype formula is a car that can race in both IMSA and WEC. This class is wide open for right now with at least three manufactyurers committed to the new spec.

Alonso Released, Should Be Ready to Start Season

Fernando Alonso has been released from the hospital following surgery for a fractured jaw. Alonso sustained the injury in a bicycle accident while training for his return to Formula 1 this year. He will finish recuperating at home and expects to be ready for the first formula 1 race in Bahrain. The delayed start to the season has helped him have time to recover.

US Grand Prix Returning to IMS?

Formula 1 continues to seek expansion to a a second race in the United States. Except for 2020 the series has raced at Circuit of the Americas every year since 2012. Formula 1 held the US Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000-2007. It was widely assumed that Miami would host a second race, but according to Stefano Domeicali, F!’s CEO, they are ;looking at other venues. He said that “Indianapolis is in the equation.”

When Roger Penske bought IMS, he expressed the desire to host Formula 1 again.

I am taking a wait and see approach. Formula1 and its teams are notorious for mentioning possibilities just to play different entities against each other. The one advantage IMS has going for it is Penske. Stay tuned.

Bob Jenkins Reduces May Role as He Battles Brain Cancer

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Photo: Chris Owens, Indycar

Bob Jenkins, longtime broadcaster at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, shared on Doug Boles’ new show “by the Bricks’ that he has brain cancer. The video is linked below. He begins talking about how he discovered the cancer around the 19:45 mark. The entire video is worth watching.

I have seen two very important people in my fight cancer, and I have a friend who is fighting it now. I know what Bob has ahead of him and I wish him the best.

I have copied two Tweets. The first has an address where you can send a card to Bob. The second has the link to the video. Please keep Bob in your thoughts.

500 Field Update- How Many Beyond 33?

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We are just 104 days from the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500, and the entry list for the race stands 29 confirmed cars and drivers. This is a great number for this time, and while bumping is not guaranteed yet, it seems more possible then it ever did in 2021. Here is a rundown of who has committed:

Chevrolet

Team Penske (4)-Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Simon Pagenaud, Scott McLaughlin

A. J. Foyt Racing (3)- Sebastien Bourdais, Dalton Kellett, Charlie Kimball

Carlin Racing (1)- Max Chilton

Arrow McLaren SP (3)- Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist, Juan Pablo Montoya

Ed Carpenter Racing (3) – Ed Carpenter, Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly

Paretta (1)- Simona De Silcvestro

Honda

Andretti Autosport (5)-Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, James Hinchcliffe, Marco Andretti

Chip Ganassi Racing(4)- Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Alex Palou, Tony Kanaan

Dale Coyne Racing (1)- Ed Jones, 2 TBA

Meyer Shank Racing (2)- Jack Harvey, Helio Castroneves

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (2)- Takuma Sato, Graham Rahal

Other entries may come from a third Rahal entry,

Other entries may come from a third Rahal entry, Dreyer and Reinbold with one or two cars, and possibly a sixth Andretti entry. These possible additions would get the field to 33 or 34.

It would be great to have at least 35 cars and have a bit of a battle for the final two spots. How qualifying is set up this year remains to be seen. I will discuss my ideas in a later post.

Indy Autonomous Challenge Begins New Era of Innovation at IMS

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Photo from IMS website

The Indy Autonomous Challenge, set for October 23 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ushers i n a the next wave of automotive innovation. IMS used to be a proving ground for safety and other aspects of passenger vehicles. Modern racing has pushed that mostly to the side. This event, featuring autonomous vehicles, seeks to return the Speedway to its role as a developer of advanced automotive progress.

The release from IMS:

January 11, 2021 | By Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Energy Systems Network (ESN) and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), organizers of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), today unveiled the official race car that will be autonomously driven by scores of university teams in the world’s first high-speed, head-to-head autonomous race at the Racing Capital of the World on Oct. 23, 2021.

The primary goal of the IAC is to advance technologies that can speed the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), leading to increased safety and performance. In addition, the IAC is a challenging competition to excite the best and brightest university students from around the world to engage in hands-on engineering firsts.

“The Dallara-built IAC race car is the most advanced, fastest autonomous vehicle ever developed,” stated Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of ESN, and co-organizer of the IAC. “Our IAC sponsors are providing radar, lidar, optical cameras and advanced computers, bringing the value of each vehicle to $1 million.”

The IAC is scheduled for Oct. 23, 2021, at the IMS, with a qualifying simulation race during the Indy 500 week in May. The total IAC prize purse is $1.5 million: $1 million awarded to the winning team of the October IAC race, and an additional $500,000 for winners of the hackathons and simulation races, awarded by IAC sponsor, Ansys.

More than 500 undergraduate and graduate students, PhDs and mentors who excel in artificial intelligence software have responded to the challenge, representing 39 universities in 11 countries on four continents and 14 U.S. states.

Inspiration for the IAC was the DARPA Grand Challenge, as explained by 2005 winner, Sebastian Thrun: “The DARPA Grand Challenge proved that robots can drive themselves in very confined environments, but that they don’t have the agility and skill of a really well-trained human racecar driver to act in extreme situations. IMS is the best place in the world to challenge the robotics community to test self-driving cars. By going into a racing context, we will stretch self-driving cars to the absolute limit.”

The Modified Dallara IL-15 Autonomous Race Car

Since 2002, Dallara has been the sole race car supplier of the Indy Lights series, and now the modified Dallara IL-15 is the official IAC racecar.

“Dallara is the best race car engineering company in the world, yet designing the chassis for autonomous racing was really challenging,” explained Stefano dePonti, CEO and general manager of Dallara USA. “Dallara loves innovation and technological challenges, and we share the IAC’s passion for education and motorsports.”

The modified Dallara is retrofitted with hardware and controls to enable automation to enhance safety, control and performance. Components include rugged-edge on-board computing, vehicle-to-vehicle communications, perception systems, high-end graphics processing units (GPUs), drive-by-wire, and artificial intelligence acceleration and powerful central processing units to run IAC teams’ software and algorithms in the racecar.

One of the challenges for autonomous racing is solving edge case scenarios – challenges that occur only at extreme operating parameters, such as avoiding unanticipated obstacles at high speeds.

“We know how the world’s best race car drivers react in the Dallara, in high-speed scenarios, but now we have to anticipate the actions of a robot,” added dePonti.

Innovation at IMS

IMS has been a catalyst and proving ground for motorsport and transportation innovation since its inception in 1909. IMS hosts the crown jewel of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the Indianapolis 500 — annually the world’s largest single-day sporting event. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America’s premier open-wheel racing series.

“The IAC is going to bring the best minds from around the world to solve a very complex problem, right here at the Racing Capital of the World,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “As the birthplace of motorsports’ innovation, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a fitting setting for this event, and we can’t wait to see the winning entry cross the Yard of Bricks into history.”

IAC Sponsors and Contributors

Indiana Economic Development Corporation, ADLINK, Ansys, Aptiv, AutonomouStuff, Bridgestone, Clemson University’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), Dallara, Microsoft, New Eagle, PWR, RTI, Schaeffler and Valvoline. See IndyAChallenge.com for more information about these amazing companies realizing autonomous mobility.

About the Indy Autonomous Challenge

The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), organized by Energy Systems Network and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is a $1.5 million prize competition among universities to program modified Dallara IL-15 race cars and compete in the world’s first autonomous head-to-head race around the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Oct. 23, 2021. Racing at speeds of up to 200 mph, the primary goal of the IAC is to advance technology that can speed the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles and deployments of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). These enhancements will lead to increased safety and performance in all modes of racing and commercial transportation. In addition, the competition is a platform for students to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).