Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

ECR Unveils Daly’s Car for Indianapolis 500

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It’s nice to have some good news to talk about on what was supposed to be Fast Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ed Carpenter Racing unveiled Conor Daly’s car for the 104th running of Greatest Spectacle in Racing, now scheduled for August 23.

The livery is a tribute to the Bell X-1 aircraft in which Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier on October 14, 1947. The car’s number, 47, pays tribute to that date. 1947 is also the year the U. S. Air Force was founded by the National Security Act of 1947.

“It’s incredible to once again drive an iconic livery at the Indy 500. The U.S. Air Force does an unbelievable job paying respect to the history of the fighter jet and honoring the accomplishments of those who have served and are currently serving,” stated Daly. “This is such an exciting car, there’s so much that went into both the design and the number 47 that we’ll be representing. I can’t wait to drive the Indy car version of Glamorous Glennis and hopefully make Chuck Yeager himself proud!”

Daly drives for Ed Carpenter Racing in the number 20 car for road and street course races. The 20 car carries a different Air Force livery in those races. Daly began a partnership with the U. S. Air Force three years ago. In the 2019 500 he drove an Air Force sponsored car for Andretti Autosport, finishing a career best 10th.

The full press release from ECR:

U.S. AIR FORCE UNVEILS CONOR DALY’S INDIANAPOLIS 500 CAR AND NUMBER
Design of Daly’s No. 47 Pays Tribute to Chuck Yeager’s “Glamorous Glennis” Aircraft
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(INDIANAPOLIS) May 15, 2020 – Ed Carpenter Racing and the U.S. Air Force are proud to unveil Conor Daly’s No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevrolet for the 2020 Indianapolis 500.  With the same attention to detail and historical accuracy used to design his road and street course car, Daly’s Indianapolis 500 entry pays homage to the beginning of today’s U.S. Air Force and one of its most iconic aircraft, the Bell X-1.
While Daly’s road and street course car carries the No. 20, team owner and oval driver Ed Carpenter will step back into that entry for the Indianapolis 500. The No. 47 was selected for Daly’s car with double significance. The U.S. Air Force was officially founded on September 18, 1947 with the passage of the National Security Act of 1947. That legislation would separate the U.S. Air Force from the U.S. Army and allow the U.S. Air Force to become a separate branch of military service. Less than a month later, on October 14, 1947, an experimental U.S. Air Force rocket plane became the first crewed aircraft to exceed the speed of sound.
Flying the Bell X-1, U.S. Air Force Capt. Charles “Chuck” Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier. The aircraft was painted bright orange so it could be seen in test flights and named “Glamorous Glennis” by Yeager as a tribute to his wife. The aircraft reached Mach 1.06 (700 mph) at an altitude of 43,000 feet over the Mojave Desert in California. The Bell X-1 is now owned by National Air and Space Museum and is on display in Washington, D.C.
“It’s incredible to once again drive an iconic livery at the Indy 500. The U.S. Air Force does an unbelievable job paying respect to the history of the fighter jet and honoring the accomplishments of those who have served and are currently serving,” stated Daly. “This is such an exciting car, there’s so much that went into both the design and the number 47 that we’ll be representing. I can’t wait to drive the Indy car version of Glamorous Glennis and hopefully make Chuck Yeager himself proud!”
Maj Ross McKnight echoed Daly’s excitement. “The Bell X-1 and Brig Gen (Ret) Chuck Yeager are cornerstones of the Air Force and aviation in general. They are part of a rich history of high performance, pushing boundaries and advanced technology that are at the fabric of the U.S. Air Force and our Airmen!” said Maj McKnight, Chief, National Events Branch Air Force Recruiting Service. “We are really excited to pay tribute to the historic ‘breaking of the sound barrier’ at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing with a tribute livery that can be seen all round the track. Even if it can only go a fraction of the speed that Chuck and the Bell X-1 traveled, then Conor and No. 47 U.S. Air Force Chevy are in for a great result.”
Daly and the U.S. Air Force are continuing a partnership that originated three years ago. The Noblesville, Ind. native and Indianapolis-based Ed Carpenter Racing work alongside the U.S. Air Force to use Indy car racing to inspire young adults, communicate the service’s mission and build awareness about career opportunities. Daly will be attempting to qualify for his 7th Indianapolis 500 in 2020. Last year, he had his most successful Month of May to date by setting the fastest lap all practice sessions earning career-best “500” finish of 10th.
The 104th Running of the Indianapolis 500 was originally scheduled to run on May 24, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event has been re-scheduled to August 23, 2020. ECR’s three-car lineup for the 500-mile race will feature Daly, three-time Indy 500 pole winner Carpenter and rookie Rinus VeeKay, the team’s full-time driver of the No. 21 Chevrolet. Following a three-month delay, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season is currently scheduled to begin on June 6, 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway.
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About Ed Carpenter Racing
Ed Carpenter Racing (ECR) first entered the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in 2012. The Indianapolis-based race team has proven its versatility by collecting seven wins across each type of track the series competes on – street and road courses, short ovals and speedways. ECR is led by IndyCar’s only team owner/driver, Ed Carpenter, three-time pole winner for the Indianapolis 500 (2013, 2014 and 2018). The 2020 season will see Indiana natives Carpenter and Conor Daly in the No. 20 Chevrolet as Carpenter will drive the ovals and Daly will take over for the road and street course events. Both will be entered in the Indianapolis 500 alongside Dutch teenager Rinus VeeKay, who will compete for the Rookie of the Year title as he races the No. 21 Chevrolet for the full season. More information on Ed Carpenter Racing may be found at http://www.edcarpenterracing.com/.
About the U.S. Air Force
The mission of the U.S. Air Force is to fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. For 2020, Air Force Recruiting Service is hiring over 30,500 new Airmen. An emphasis is on recruiting people with no prior military service into one of about 140 enlisted career opportunities. The Air Force recruits the brightest candidates possible, then provides them with tough, highly technical training that gives them the right skills to sustain the combat capability of America’s Air Force. For more information about Air Force benefits and opportunities, go to http://www.airforce.com.

“Back Home Again” Airs May 24

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From Indycar:

'Back Home Again' To Give Inside Look at 2019 Indy 500 May 24 on NBC Sports

‘Back Home Again’ To Give Inside Look at 2019 Indy 500 May 24 on NBC Sports

Four-Hour Program To Provide Interviews, In-Depth Commentary from Pagenaud, Rossi, More

Key Points

•Program from 2-6 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 24 features special encore presentation of thrilling 2019 Indianapolis 500, including enhanced race presentation with exclusive commentary from winner Simon Pagenaud, runner-up Alexander Rossi

•NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico to interview Pagenaud, Rossi at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

•Pre-race coverage to honor military traditions of Indianapolis 500, recognize healthcare workers on front lines of COVID-19 pandemic

•Program to include essay by NBC Sports’ Tim Layden honoring Indianapolis 500 and return of racing, preview by NBC Sports lead INDYCAR voice Leigh Diffey of 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season debut Saturday, June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway on NBCSN

INDIANAPOLIS (May 14, 2020) – Indianapolis 500 winners Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi will join NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico for an enhanced encore presentation of the 2019 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge – “Indy 500 Special: Back Home Again” – at 2 p.m. (ET) Sunday, May 24 on NBC, celebrating “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and providing fans with exclusive, new content from the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The enhanced presentation will feature a pre-race conversation on site from Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Tirico, 2019 winner Pagenaud and 2016 winner and last year’s runner-up Rossi alongside the famed Yard of Bricks.

Once the green flag drops on the race encore, Pagenaud and Rossi will provide exclusive commentary during the broadcast, sharing their personal perspectives on key moments throughout the race and their memorable back-and-forth battle which punctuated NBC Sports’ inaugural Indy 500 broadcast last year.

“The goal of our enhanced broadcast is to honor the traditions of ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ and re-live elements of last year’s race through Simon Pagenaud and Alexander Rossi as they battled back-and-forth to the checkered flag,” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president, production, NBC and NBCSN. “We know the excitement, anticipation and intensity will be that much higher for the 2020 Indianapolis 500 on Aug. 23 on NBC, and we’re excited for the return of INDYCAR at Texas Motor Speedway on June 6 on NBCSN.”

Said Penske Entertainment Corp. President & CEO Mark Miles: “For more than a century, the Indy 500 at the Racing Capital of the World has served as a powerful and stirring tribute to our nation’s shared history of service, sacrifice and excellence. While this Memorial Day weekend will certainly be different, we’re pleased to join our partners at NBC Sports in continuing this tradition through this special TV presentation. We look forward to recognizing both our military and front-line COVID-19 heroes while providing motorsports fans some intense and behind-the-scenes INDYCAR action through the race replay.”

The enhanced broadcast will also feature traditional pre-race elements to recognize the military traditions of the Indy 500, as well as special additions to honor those who are currently fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Coverage will also include an essay by Tim Layden on a look at a different “Month of May” and a look ahead to the return of racing at IMS. NBC Sports’ lead INDYCAR play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will provide commentary looking ahead to the start of the 2020 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Saturday, June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway, on NBCSN. 

NBC Sports’ inaugural presentation of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on NBC in 2019 averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 5.475 million viewers, up 11 percent vs. the 2018 race (TV-only 4.913 million, ABC). Overall, viewership for the 2019 INDYCAR season on NBC and NBCSN (16 races) was up 9 percent vs. 2018 season viewership (ABC, NBCSN, digital).

Bump Tales- 1959: McWithey Weathers Nine Car Assault

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Photo: Jim McWithey gets ready for his first 500 Mile Race. Photo from 1960 Indianapolis Motor Speedway program

 

Time moves at a glacial pace for the driver on the bubble. The clock never seems to move during the last hour of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. As tough as it is for veterans, it is probably even tougher for a rookie. It’s hard enough being a rookie at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You have to pass the rookie test, then get your car up to qualifying speed, and finally take part in the 500 Mile Race. Add to that the pressure of being the slowest qualifier with one hour left on Bump Day. In 1959, Rookie Jim McWithey got to experience such stress.

Normally the Bump Day drama is on the track. On this day it was in the pits, watching McWithey nervously pace and switch seats for the final hour. He needn’t worry. No one came close to knocking him off the grid.

McWithey qualified just a couple of minutes after 5 pm on Bump Day, May 24. He completed the 10 mile run, the car’s second attempt, as the slowest car in the field. With nearly an hour to go, three drivers in nine cars went out to try to knock the rookie out of the field. None succeeded.

Dempsey Wilson first tried with the Novi, then took the Sumar Special out for an unsuccessful try. He drove the Central Excavating Special too slowly to qualify. With just a few minutes remaining, Wilson took another shot in the Novi. When that attempt failed, he climbed back in the Sumar car. Wilson didn’t get another chance as the gun went off as he sat in line.

Shorty Templeman took three failed attempts in three failed cars. Eddie Russo went out in two different cars in 13 minutes. He was on track when the gun went off. His first lap was too slow, but he completed the run.McWithey was in the race.

Russo’s final attempt was in the car owned by J. C. Agajanian. 1959 would be the third consecutive year that Agajanian did not have a car in the race. He would be back, however, winning the race in 1963 with Parnelli Jones. Jones also was the first driver to crack the 150 mile an hour barrier in 1962.

The 1959 field was not one of the best fields in history. just two former winners, Jimmy Bryan and Pat Flaherty, started the race. There were three future winners in the field- Rodger Ward, Jim Rathmann, and A. J. Foyt. Oddly, this trio would each win a 500 from 1959-1961.

Ward started sixth and led 130 laps. Rathmann finished second. Ward began a streak in which he did not finish lower than fourth from this victory through 1964. McWithey finished 16th and completed all 200 laps. In that time period coming from last to the middle of the pack and completing the race was quite an achievement.  McWithey made the race the following year, starting 32nd but only completing 60 laps. 1960 was his last 500.

1977- A Year of Firsts and Lasts

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1977 was an historic year in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the 500 Mile Race. It was the first year a woman made the starting field. There was the first four time winner. It was the first time someone other than Sid Collins would anchor the Race Day broadcast. It was the last win for a Speedway legend. Sadly, it was also the last race for Tony Hulman, who would die in the fall.

Collins died on May 2, so the program does not include tribute to him. Paul Page debuted as the new anchor for the IMS Radio Network.

The program for 1977 seemed to have a penchant for clairvoyance. Hulman and A. J. Foyt were on the cover. It now seems ironic that they rode around the track together  in the pace car after the race. Other parts of the program continued the ability to see the future.

In a brief blurb about five of the rookies entered, the article wonders if a future winner might be in the group. Rick Mears was one of the rookies profiled. Of the drivers listed, only Bobby Olivero made the 1977 race. Another feature on a rookie is entitled “Janet Guthrie-First Woman in the 500?”

A piece by John Hughes titled “World’s Most Exclusive Club, highlighted the former winners in the race. A new, even more exclusive club would begin on race day.

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Overall, the 1977 program is one of my least favorite. I find the graphics cartoonish and the print small. It continued a trend that began in 1976 when the cover departed from the traditional flags and wing and wheel designed that had graced the covers since the early 1950s. the programs are beginning to lose their soul, and I’m not sure they have ever recovered.

There are still the traditional elements of the program that I always seek out immediately- the Order of the Day, the Entry List,  and the summary of the previous year’s race. The Ortder of the Day was the usual. The “Star Spangled Banner” 10:44, “Gentleman, Start Your Engines” at 10:53, followed by the pace lap-s and the start. The command would be slightly modified this year. Some details from this page:

Jim Nabors sang. “(Back home Again in) Indiana”.

The pace car was an Oldsmobile Delta 88 deriven by James Garner.

Victory banquet tickets were $15. I have been to the last two banquets. I can assure you they cost a bit more now.

Continuing with the cartoonish theme, the starting lineup insert format thankfully didn’t last long. Before this year, the lineup simply listed names, car numbers and names, and speed by rows. For 1977, the y tried something which didn’t work:

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The car colors are correct at least.

I also like to look through the programs for ads from companies that no longer exist  or participate in the race. In 1977, there were ads for Raybestos, Stark & Wetzel, and AyrWay.

The race featured the first woman starter, Janet Guthrie, who qualified after struggling for most of the month with the car. She started 26th and retired with timing gear issues after 27 laps.

Gordon Johncock dominated the race, leading 129 laps, but a failed crankshaft on lap 184 gave the lead to Foyt, who held it for his record fourth 500 victory.

 

 

Bump Tales: New Qualifying Format Causes Withdrawal Pains in 2010

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Photo; Jay Howard. Photo from the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Program

A change in qualifying procedures shook up the paddock in 2010. It was just the third year of the newly merged  Indy Racing League. In an attempt to revive interest in qualifying, a new format was created. One of the features was a Fast Nine shootout for the pole. The first day of qualify would establish 24 positions.  The cars who didn’t make the top 24 would try again Sunday to fill the last nine slots, and  the slowest of Saturday’s 24 could be bumped from the field. Qualify was just one weekend instead of the two weekends which had been in place most years since 1952.

The drama began early Saturday when Tony Kanaan crashed during practice. The perennial crowd favorite had never started worse than 6th. His car would not be ready until the next day, meaning 25th was the highest he could start the race. Helio Castroneves easily won the pole in the shootout. The defending race and pole winner posted a blistering average on his first attempt in the shootout which no one else could come close to.

The track was not finished with Kanaan. In Sunday morning’s practice, he crashed in nearly the same spot. His crew did not have the luxury of 24 hours to repair the car this time. In the final hour, a chess match developed between Jay Howard, driving for Sarah fisher’s team, and Paul Tracy, driving for KV Racing. Before they began to play the withdraw/requalify dance, Tony Kanaan made the field at 5:23 with a speed that was not completely safe, but time was on his side.

Howard was bumped from the field by Takuma Sato at 5:41. Howard went back to reclaim his spot, but his average was slower than his first attempt. Tracy withdrew his time, putting Howard back in the field. Tracy went out for another attempt but waved it off after two laps that weren’t fast enough. The Fisher team decided to withdraw Howard’s car, fearing that Tracy would find the speed to bump him on his last try. Howard was in line ahead of Tracy and got the day’s final attempt. It was even slower than his second attempt. Howard and Tracy were both out of the race. if they had kept their times, both would have made the field.

Adding to the strangeness of the situation was the case of Sebastian Saavedra. He had qualified, then crashed his car during a practice period. Saavedra was at Methodist Hospital being checked for injuries during the final hour. He had been bumped twice, but the Howard and Tracy withdrawals and failures to go to fast enough put his car back in the race.

An historic field was set. For the first time, four women, Sarah Fisher, Danica Patrick, Simona De Silvestro, and Ana Beatriz would start the Indianapolis 500. The first row would feature two former winners, Castroneves and Dario Franchitti, and a future winner, Will Power. The last row had two future winners, Sato and Kanaan.

Indystar writer Bob Kravitz said of the new qualifying format, “In the end, this gimmicky pole day format worked as well, if not better, than anybody could have expected. we will know for sure in 20 years, when the Indianapolis 500 is still doing it exactly the same way.”

It’s not exactly as it was in 2010 just 10 years later, and i think it still has a ways to go, but the format is evolving. It will never make everyone happy.

Dario Franchitti won the 2010 race, his second win in a span of four years.

The iRacing Challenge- Some Thoughts

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The Indycar iRacing Challenge overall was a fun diversion. It kept Indycar in the public eye, allowed sponsors some publicity, and gave fans something to look forward to during the lockdown. I appreciate the time the drivers put in to making this work.

The first five races were fun, but the disappointing ending to Saturday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway left me with a sour taste. The last lap wrecks, at least one of which was unnecessary, showed that iRacing is, after all, just a computer game.

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The end of Saturday’s race reenacted the movie Turbo.

I did like several aspects of the six week series. I enjoyed the all star fields with drivers from different series joining every week. I thought it was nice to see some names who might not get much notice when the season actually begins have time at the front of the pack. the cars were realistic although I thought some of the tracks were not quite as I remember them.

The time slot probably wasn’t the most ideal for getting a large audience. I doubt if the series created any new fans because of this. In fact i know many diehard Indycar fans who didn’t watch any of the series.

There is not much from the results of these races we can transfer to the real thing. Some drivers who will not contend for the title are better sim racers than some title contenders. Alexander Rossi did not seem to enjoy this at all.  Simon Pagenaud and Will Power performed about the same as in real life, but they were about the only ones that did.

There has been talk of a winter iRacing Series after the season is complete. I don’t know that I would watch it again.  This was pretty much enough for me. I would prefer replays of actual races. The delayed start to the season is the perfect argument to bring back the equivalent of Speed channel.

The Month of May

It’s still may and I plan to continue Bump Tales on Thursdays. I will also look back at some Official Programs of the past on Tuesdays. In addition, i will repost some of my essays from the past. If you have a particular year you would like for me to talk about, let me know. Thanks for continuing to read during these strange times.

 

Quick Thoughts- First Responder 175

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This race turned out to be more video game like than the others in the series. The finish was crazy, but the last 15 laps seemed like the drivers all lost focus at once.

So much for calculated pit strategy. Will Power made the best move pitting again just 12 laps after his first stop. The late yellows hurt him though. They hurt everyone. It was fun with all the different pit strategies going on, but the ending ruined all of it.

Is it possible to be jealous of virtual fans? They got to spend a May afternoon at IMS.

If only passing were that easy in real life at Indianapolis.

The one touch of reality was the length of the next to last yellow.

A 200 mile race may have been better, but I’m not sure it would have produced a cleaner ending.

An all Arrow McLaren SP podium would have been fun to see.

When museums are allowed to open on June 13, will Conor Daly be giving tours of the Daly Technology Center?

Simon Pagenaud is the only Indycar regular to win any of these iRaces. As in real life, Penske drivers won four of the six races.

How much bad feeling between drivers has this iRacing challenge created. Will we see a carryover to actual tracks?

The sim events have been a nice filler, but it’s time to figure how to get back to real racing. We are still 35 days away from the scheduled first Indycar race.

Back tomorrow with more detailed thoughts on the iRacing Challenge as a whole.

 

 

It’s a Different May 1

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Photo above from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Facebook page

I have never been less excited about May 1 than I am today. Until 1974, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened for 500 mile race practice on this day. I was always excited to see who was the first car on track. After the time to prepare for the 500 was shortened, May 1 still meant that the time for the greatest race in the world was approaching. I still hung my flag up this morning, as did many others. It’s still May, dang it.

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I hope that the race can be run in August with fans. As I stated earlier, I’d rather the 500 be postponed until next year if fans can’t attend.