Tag: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Are All the Good Alternate Dates Gone?

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I am still hopeful that the 104th Indianapolis 500 can be run on its appointed date. The hope is mixed with a touch of skepticism as dates for other races in other series have been moved further back on the calendar. IMSA’s Weather Tech Championship and Le Mans have postponed events and taken three September weekends, two of which conflict with scheduled Indycar races.

If the 500 has to be moved, September would be the perfect time in Indianapolis. Around the middle of the month, temperatures moderate and it can be very pleasant. The only September weekend open would be the weekend of September 11-13. That would be the ideal weekend for a postponed 500. Unfortunately, Roger didn’t take my call.

An opportunity for filling in missing races arose last week with the postponement of the Olympics. Indycar has a 29 day gap in the schedule between the Iowa race July 18 and Mid Ohio August 16. NBC is looking to fill airtime in that period now. Indycar’s first priority should be running the 500.

August in Indiana can be hot and humid. I think fans will still turn out for the race. There have have been some very hot race days in May in the last few years, too. No decision on postponing the 500 has come forth as of yet. I think a decision needs to come fairly soon.

Alonso at Barber?

In a story from Marca.com last night, Fernando Alonso said he had planned to race at Barber with Arrow McLaren SP as a warm up for May.  It is bad enough for the series to miss Barber, but to miss a chance to see Alonso race on a road course doubles the frustration. Maybe he could run at Road America instead.

Documentary Binge Watching

I have spent my week watching racing documentaries. I have seen A Life of Speed- The Juan Manuel Fangio Story, The Gentleman Driver, Shelby American, and The 24 Hour War. I reviewed the Fangio documentary at the link below.

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/90591962/posts/2636637235

The Gentleman Driver follows four amateur drivers, Ed Brown, Paul Dalla Lana, Ricardo Gonzalez, and Mike Guasch through a season on the IMSA and WEC circuits. They are amateur drivers who own the teams they drive for. The four are highly successful businessmen who are not afraid to continue pushing hard. Racing gives them an escape and an outlet for their excessive energy. I found this a touching study of human nature. I also admire the heck out of all four of these men.

Shelby American is an excellent biography of Carroll Shelby. I learned a lot about him. He was quite the salesman. It was another film full of vintage footage of endurance races and interviews with some of the sport’s legends, including Dan Gurney and John Surtees.

The 24 Hour War mainly rehashes the Shelby film but goes more in depth about the battle between Ford and Ferrari. Some of the same clips are in both films. I watched this after watching the Shelby film. If you’re planning to watch the two films , I would recommend watching The 24 Hour War first.

The Greatest 33 Non-Winners: Final Grid- A Reader Request Post

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Editor’s Note: This is the first reader request; originally published May 9, 2017

What a fun project this turned out to be! It was fascinating seeing how much those who submitted grids both agreed and disagreed. Some drivers got just one mention, while others appeared on every ballot.  There was near unanimous placement for some drivers, and some drivers were near the front on some grids and near the back on others. The driver nearly everyone agreed should be on the pole is Michael Andretti (pictured above, from 1992).

I  noticed the rankings were along age lines. Older fans close to my age seemed to have near identical grids,  and younger fans as a group submitted similar lineups.  Many drivers from long ago in general fared better on the lists from the older group. I was surprised how well the current drivers stacked up against the racers of the past. Another interesting detail is that all 50 driver finalists had at least one mention. I didn’t expect that.

To rank the drivers, I assigned points to the drivers corresponding to their spot on each person’s grid. A driver on pole got 1 point, the last driver got 33. If a driver was listed on pole on five grids, his total was 5. The lowest total won the pole. If a driver did not appear on someone’s grid, he/she was given 34 points. To my shock, there were only two ties. I resolved placement by averaged each driver’s highest and lowest rank of all the grades, with the lowest average getting the higher spot. One of the ties was for 32nd and 33rd. It was just like qualifying for the 1963 500.

The front row- Michael Andretti, Rex Mays, and Ted Horn, is strong. These drivers were in the top 10 on everyone’s grid. Andretti led 431 laps, the most by any non-winning driver. he started on the front row three times and had 5 top 5 finishes.  Rex Mays, in the middle of the front row is the only other driver to lead more than 200 laps and not win. Mays was on the pole four times. Ted Horn, on the outside of the front row, finished in the top five 9 times in 10 starts.

So here they are, the Greatest 33 Non-Winners of the Indianapolis 500:

Row 1

Michael Andretti

Rex Mays

Ted Horn

Row 2

Harry Hartz

Marco Andretti

Lloyd Ruby

Row 3

Gary Bettenhausen

Ralph Hepburn

Roberto Guerrero

Row 4

Scott Goodyear

Carlos Munoz

Robby Gordon

Row 5

Eddie Sachs

Tony Stewart

Jack McGrath

Row 6

Wally Dallenbach

Tomas Sheckter

Will Power

Row 7

Danica Patrick

Tony Bettenhausen

Joe Leonard

Row 8

Jimmy Snyder

Ed Carpenter

Danny Ongais

Row 9

Pancho Carter

Mel Kenyon

Kevin Cogan

Row 10

Vitor Meira

Russ Snowberger

Paul Russo

Row 11

Tom Alley

Johnny Thomson

George Snider

it’s kind of fitting that Snider is last on the grid. his trademark was jumping into a car on Bump Day and getting into the field starting near the back. Thanks to everyone who submitted a grid. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts and reasoning as to how yo put your grids together.

I will be back tomorrow with some 500 news and a report on my visit to the A. J. Foyt exhibit at the Speedway Museum. The cars were great to see, but the memorabilia was even more amazing to me. Thursday I will have my Indianapolis Grand Prix preview with my normally inaccurate winner’s prediction.

 

 

 

 

 

Monaco Cancelled; Indy Still Hoping to Run as Scheduled

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The Grand Prix of Monaco, the Formula 1 equivalent of the Indianapolis 500, is cancelled for 2020. The two other Formula 1 races in May, the Netherlands, and Spain, have been postponed. Monaco could not find a feasible replacement date.

Can the Indianapolis 500 be far behind? Per Adam Stern, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is making contingency plans in case the race needs to be postponed, but the goal is still to run the race May 24.

I’m hearing July 4 weekend in conjunction with the NASCAR race at IMS, which I think is a horrible idea. It just sounds like a logistical and scheduling nightmare. I’ve also heard some people thinking of Labor Day, but there are too many negatives there as well. The Kentucky Derby is now set for the Saturday of that weekend. The NHRA US Nationals aree scheduled at Lucas Oil Raceway, just 20 minutes from the Speedway. Indycar also has a race scheduled at Portland that weekend. Moving the Portland race is probably the easiest problem to solve of the three conflicts.

A decision needs to be made soon, probably within the next couple of weeks. Given the current situation, I don’t see the 500 running May 24.

Waiting is the Hardest Part

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I am not a patient person by nature. Waiting for word on the start of the Indycar season, which is a long way off, has been a real test for me. I have some thoughts on the way things might work out.

The Indianapolis 500 is the big domino. As the days go by, I think it is less likely the race will be run on May 24. While the date is past the eight week window the CDC established, there is nothing to say it won’t extend the window. The Kentucky Derby’s postponement until September 5 is not a good omen for Indianapolis.

The series should probably make a decision on when the 500 can run before any other race is rescheduled. If there is just one race this year, this is the one that it has to be.

How Many Races for a Legitimate Championship?

To crown a series champion I think there would have to be a minimum of 10 races. Remember the three race championship of the IRL’s first season? I never thought that was a legitimate championship. I can’t see getting in that many races this year. perhaps Indycar would consider carrying over this season’s results into 2021. If that’s what they decide to do, if the 500is run this year it cannot be double points. That would be too much of an advantage for the winner.

What We Have Missed So Far

We may have lost the chance to see Felipe Nasr race for Carlin. With IMSA also postponing events, more conflicts may arise. He was one of the new drivers I was looking forward to seeing last weekend. I have always enjoyed watching him drive at Daytona and Sebring.

Sebastien Bourdais has lost three of the four races he had scheduled to drive for A. J. Foyt Racing. His fourth race at Portland, like everything else, is not certain at this point. I’m disappointed that we may not see him in Indycar at all in 2020. The misse time with Bourdais in the car is also a setback for the team. Bourdais would have helped them sort out their car for the rest of the year. Foyt has lost invaluable feedback.

Will we still see Scott McLaughlin this year? Australian Super Cars is also shuffling their schedule. Another talented driver may have to defer his Indycar debut until 2021.

How many of the smaller teams can afford this hiatus? How many teams that were planning 500 only programs will still be able to enter?

Teams’ Generosity

Per Jenna Fryer of AP, unused food from the Indycar teams’ hospitality at St. Pete was donated to The Rescue Food Ministry, an organization which donates leftover food to local community shelters and agencies. They usually donate to St. Vincent DePaul, but there was so much food that they also contacted the Salvation Army to help distribute all of it. McLaren alone donated nearly 380 pounds of food.

The teams in all gave away nearly 1,200 meals.  In Indianapolis I volunteer at Second Helpings, a food rescue and redistribution organization.  They would be ecstatic with a donation of that size. Second Helpings received a substantial donation of food after the Super Bowl in2012, and they also receive good sized donations during May.

What Do You Want to See Here?

During this time of no racing activity, what content would you like to see in this space? I began reposting “Bump Tales” yesterday, and I plan to still do that on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I may put in a couple of new ones I was planning for May.

I would like to know what else you might want to see. Please respond in the comments section of this post.

 

 

2019 Indianapolis 500 Tomorrow on NBCSN

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Update: NBCSN will show the 2019 St. Pete race tomorrow instead of the 500. Still at 2:30 ET

It is a bit of consolation for race starved Indycar fans. NBCSN will show the 2019 Indianapolis 500 tomorrow beginning at 2:30pm ET in place of the cancelled Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. I have heard from two of my three readers who have already been watching old Indycar races on YouTube. For those like me who don’t have televisions smart enough to do that, tomorrow’s showing will be a welcome treat. I’m hoping for a huge rating on this rebroadcast.

Other items from yesterday:

The Long Beach Grand Prix still is looking for a way to reschedule the Acura Grand Prix.

Many drivers are talking about doing sim racing and inviting people to watch. I believe Discord is setting up something.

In addition to the cancelled races, the open tests at Richmond and Indianapolis Motor Speedway will not occur either. My guess is the IMS test will possibly move to early May.

If you have any suggestions for content you would like to see in this space for the next six weeks, send along your ideas to tutorindie@yahoo.com. I’m planning to repost some Bump Tales and do a couple biographies of drivers from the past.

Indycar’s Numbers Games

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Numbers are the big story in the NTT Indycar Series this week. A famous car number is switching teams, an increased number of entries may cause problems at certain tracks, and there is lots of speculation about how many entries there will be for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500.

We are still waiting official word that J. R. Hildebrand will return to Dreyer and Reinbold Racing for the 500.  He not only still needs a car, he needs a number as well. In 2018 Hildebrand drove car 66. Last year, Hildebrand was in car 48. Both of those numbers have gone to Arrow McLaren SP cars. Fernando Alonso will drive the 66, and the 48 will be on the car Jimmie Johnson tests next month at Barber.

A team isn’t going to the trouble of requesting another team to relinquish a car number just for a test. This step makes it fairly definite that Johnson will drive in at least one race next year. I would think he would be in more than one race. I don’t think DRR gave the number to AMSP for free.

Lots of Cars, Not Enough Pits

Marshall Pruett had a story on Racer.com yesterday about the increased number of entries at certain tracks and the possible dilemma that may create with pit space. Mid Ohio and Toronto are the two venues where this potential issue may arise. As usual, Indycar President Jay Frye had anticipated this and was already working on it.

You can read the full article here:

IndyCar venues working to accommodate expanded grids

With 24 full time teams, some tracks are already at their limit. I think we will see 26 cars at several races this year. Pruett states that the finale at Laguna Seca could see 28 cars. I anticipate at least that many for the GMR Grand Prix at Indianapolis as well.

500 Car Count

For now I an sticking with my prediction of 35 cars for the Indianapolis 500. I will not be upset if there are more. Marotti Racing hinted at an announcement coming soon. That is an entry I didn’t expect.

 

Newgarden: Aeroscreen Will Affect Setups

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In a teleconference this morning Josef Newgardenand Simon Pagenaud agree the 2020 season will be interesting as teams  look to figure out setups with  the aeroscreen. Newgarden said that it seems to affect setups differently at different tracks.  He said the first team that gets a handle on how to work with it best will have an advantage.

“… it’s very different, I would say. It’s reacting differently to different tracks so far. I’ve had a taste of it at Richmond, COTA and Sebring. Those are all pretty different places. So you get these small characteristic differences everywhere. Sebring was quite interesting. It was very fun I think for all three of us yesterday to sample that and see what it was all about. But the moral of the story is I think there will be definite differences with the car. It’s going to want certain things from a setup standpoint, certain things from a driving standpoint. We’re not the same as 2019. I think it always brings an opportunity for us to try to figure that out quicker than the rest of the pack. We’re working pretty hard as a team right now to make sure we come out of the gates the best with the new opportunity and try to get on top of it the quickest. It’s always fun to have that. As a driver you like change, the opportunity to try and shine at something new. Yeah, we just need to make sure we’re on top of it when we get to St. Pete next week.”

Simon Pagenaud, commenting on Scott McLaughlin, who may drive in as many as eight races for Team Penske this season:

“Scott got the first taste of it in 2020. I must say he did a really good job. He’s obviously a great champion. You don’t win the V8 Supercars champion twice without being an incredible driver. It’s expected for him to jump into anything and be fast and end up understanding the series. I’m as excited as you are. First of all, having champions come from other series for INDYCAR is really good. It just shows the interest. It just shows that the series is on the upward trend. I’m excited to see him come in, do a few races this year. I think he’s going to bring fresh for us blood, a new perspective. That could be very interesting for our development, as well. I’m looking forward to it. He’s a great guy, so far it’s been a great relationship starting. We’ll see how he goes. I hope he does well. I think it’s going to be awesome for us to gather more fans.”

Jimmie Johnson to Test for Arrow McLaren SP

Seven time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson had a sat fitting at the Arrow McLaren SP shop in Indianapolis today. He will test in the team’s Indycar next month at Barber Motorsports Park. There has been talk that Johnson would like to run some Indycar road and street course races in 2021 following his retirement from NASCAR after this season. He currently has made no commitments to running a race next year.

Johnson’s Tweet:

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I think it would be amazing if Johnson and Fernando Alonso drove in the same race next season.

On the Way!

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway began mailing tickets for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 today. Receiving the blue envelope is one of the most exciting days of the year.

 

Alonso Goes “Home” for Indianapolis 500 Ride

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The announcement from McLaren:

https://www.mclaren.com/racing/team/arrow-mclaren-sp-and-fernando-alonso-join-forces-104th-indianapolis-500

Thoughts

I hope this team has its act together this year. Missing the race two consecutive years would be embarrassing.

Interesting that Alonso had a former Andretti sponsor on board.

We probably won’t see the same level of Fernandomania this time around. It’s great to have a former F1 champion enter the race, but I think the buzz of 2017 is totally gone.

What a strange relationship Alonso and McLaren have.

I hope fellow countryman Oriol Servia joins the entry list as well.

From Earlier:

A Bonus for Fans and penalties for the Grid: More Changes for 2020

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/90591962/posts/2601821392

 

A Bonus for Fans and Penalties for the Grid; More Changes for 2020

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Two changes for the 2020 NTT Indycar Series season came to light today. One is for the fans and one is a return to a rule from 2012-2013.  In Roger Penske’s drive to improve the fan experience, there will be a public drivers’ meeting at every race this coming year. The meetings will follow the pattern of the Legends’ Day ceremonial meeting the day before the Indianapolis 500.

The Indianapolis 500 drivers’ meeting is mainly to introduce the drivers, hand out awards, and for the race director to give instructions about the start and other race procedures. Any issues will be discussed in a closed drivers’ meeting earlier in the weekend. I’m not sure how the logistics will work at some tracks like Long Beach or St. Pete. With open access a large open area will be needed.

I’m glad that Penske Entertainment is actively seeking and implementing ideas for fan interaction. It will allow some fans who usually don’t have the chance to see drivers up close to get a view. My concern is when you take an element that has been unique to the Indianapolis 500 and make it universal, it cheapens that aspect of the event.

I’d rather see newer, more original ideas for fan interaction. You can’t do everything every race just like it’s done for Indianapolis. I do applaud  the Penske team for jumping right in and looking for more ways to involve the fans. I just want the Indianapolis 500 to remain unique in more ways than the race itself.

Grid Penalties Return

Unapproved engine changes will once again result in a grid penalty and may under certain conditions also result in a loss of driver and entrant points. A loss of 10 grid spots for changes not approved by Indycar was in force for a few years early in the last decade. The penalty was switched to a loss of engine manufacturer points through 2019. The penalties are different this time.

On road and street courses, a driver must start six places further back than where he/she qualified. On ovals other than Indianapolis the grid penalty is nine positions. I addition, an unapproved engine change initiated by the entrant also results in a 10 point penalty for both the driver and the entrant.

A full season entrant is allowed four fresh engines. each engine must run 2,500 miles before it can legally be changed. There is an allowance for an engine damaged in a crash. If an unapproved change is done at a test, the grid penalty applies to the next race.

Trackside Online’s Steve Wittich published a fine article outlining the approved and unapproved changes. If you aren’t a subscriber, today would be a great time to sign up.

I think the grid penalties are fair and will hopefully prevent the mad engine swapping out that occurred among the contenders at the end of last season. With the manufacturers’ title already decided in favor of Honda, neither OEM had anything to lose by giving the drivers going for the championship a fresh engine. The grid penalties are more reasonable than the punishments doled out in Formula 1, where a driver might spend the rest of his career satisfying a grid spot penalty.

I do not like the double jeopardy of losing grid spots and 10 points. I can understand losing grid positions, especially if a car has a brand new engine. I can even understand entrant points. I don’t understand penalizing the driver as well. Engine issues are rarely the driver’s fault. Ten points could be quite a hit in the middle of a championship battle.

I think overall these are two good changes for Indycar. I do have some concerns about the unintended consequences, but I do appreciate Penske’s innovative thinking.

Look for a post on Thursday and my season preview beginning Friday.