Tag: NTT Indycar Series

Boles: Come Early Sunday, Be Patient

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Speedway president Doug Boles encourages fans to get to IMS early Sunday for the 107th running of the Indiamnpolis 500. A crowd of 325,000 is expected. Boles said less than 5,000 reserved seats remain unsold and that infield parking is sold out. He believes by race day there could vbe just thousand seats left.

“If you don’t already have a parking pass, find another place to park,” Boles said.

Uber and Lyft riders will be dropped off and and poicked up at 10th and Polco.

Attendance will be the largest since the 100th running in 2016, it willbe the best attended race in 25 years, excepting 2016.

” I can tell you that this year’s crowd is going to be the best crowd that we’ve had in the last 25 years with the exception of 2016. And last year, you heard that same story. The crowd that we had last year, we are going to be significantly more dense in terms of our population ,” Boles explaine

Entry is expectred to be easier on race day with the use of new walk throiugh gates. Fans will not have to empty their pockets of items. if the detectoers sense something unusual, the fan will undergo a secondary screening.

Boles and the security personnel present emphasized the ban on drones at the speedway.

NTT Data will provide real time updates on the Indycar app to show fans which gates are the least busy, and fans are encouraged to go to those gates for faster entry. The technolgy will also informspectators which cioncession stands have the shortest lines a swell. The system displays red, yellow, or green dots to indicate the staus of the gates and concesion stands.

Chief Upchurch of the Speedway Police Department said that there will be 1,100 security personnel present on Sunday.

More than 28 local, stae, and federal agencies coordinate to ensure fan safety for the race.

After the race, Boles emphasized that fans need patience when leaving. The first priority is pedestrians. He expects it will take two and a half hours to get everyone out of the track.

“When everybody at the exact same time wants to get out there’s only so many roads. So it does take a little while. We just ask peopleto have patience with coming in. But especially getting out. We’ll hear 15 inutes after the race has stopped why aren’t we moving? Well, first of all, we have to give 325,000 pedestrians out before we allow the roads immediately near the Speedway, especially north of 16th Street to have cars on them.”

INDYCAR To Hold Special Session Thursday for Two Indy 500 Entries 

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From Inycar:

I think this a fair decision.

 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing/Cusick Motorsports, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing To Participate

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 24, 2023) – INDYCAR has announced a special session Thursday, May 25 for the No. 24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet and the No. 44 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda after an Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice incident Monday involving both teams.

The 15-minute session will take place from 4:30-4:45 p.m. ET in preparation for final practice from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday on Miller Lite Carb Day. Graham Rahal is driving the No. 24 DRR Cusick Carekeepers Chevrolet, while Katherine Legge is behind the wheel of the No. 44 Hendrickson Honda fielded by RLL.

Each team will be allowed unlimited install laps (out and in) within the time frame. They will not be allowed to stay on the track to cross the start-finish line and the Yard of Bricks.

The 107th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 28 (11 a.m. ET, NBC, Peacock, Universo, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Rahal to Replace Wilson

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Graham Rahal is back in the Indianapolis 500. Rahal, bumped out of the field on Sunday by teammate Jack Harvey, will drive the number 24 Chevy on Sunday in place of Stefan Wilson

Wilson was imjured in a crash during practice yesterday. He fractured the 12th thoracic vertebra and will not be able to drive.

Stefan Wilson

“I don’t feel good filling in for an injured driver…Unfortunately in racing, things happen. But (given his relationship with the Wilsons) I felt like it was my calling to come help,” Rahal said.

Wilson (right) was injured Monday in this crash

Rahal has been a long time family friend of the Wilson family. he owes his Indycar career to Stefan’s late other Justin, who advised him to not pursue a Formula 1 career.

Wilson qualified 25th, but the driver change means the car will start 33rd, ironically next to Harvey.

Rahal said had it been another team and driver, he is not sure he would have taken advantage of the opportunity.

On driving a Chevy powered car instead of a Honda, Rahal said, “There’s a lot to learn.”

Car owner Dennis Reinbold said that he is grateful that Honda, Chevy, and all the sponsors involved were able to work things out.

Rahal drove for Reinbold at Iowa in 2010

The 24 car will have a different look when it rolls ono the track for Carb Day Friday.

The Indycar community always comes together to hep each other out when a team or driveris in a difficult situation.The 500 is bigger than any one individual, and once again we see the community come together to for the good orf the race and the series.

Power Fastest in Crash Marred Practice

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Will Power nipped Scott Dixon near the end of today’s post qualifying practice. Power turned a lap at 229,222 mph. Early in the session Dixon set the fast time of 229.184.Pokle sitter Alex Palou was fourth fastest.

Power said that he thinks he has a car that can win the 500.

The first crash since the track opened for the 500 involved Katherine Legge and Stefan Wilson. Legge made contact with back of Wilson’s car in turn 1 and both cars made contact with the wall. Wilson hit head on. He was assisted from the car by the AMR safety team and was sent to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation.

As we learned about an hour ago, Wilson suffered a fracture of the 12th thoracic vertebra and has been ruled out of driving in the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500. No replacement driver has been named, and probably won’t be until tomorrow. I will not speculate about whom might replace him.

This result is devastating for a driver who has worked so hard to enter the 00. He finally got together with a good organization for this year, only to be sidelined.

Results

Legge and Wilson Crash Halts Practice

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With about 45 minutes left in today’s two hour practice session, Katherine Legge ran into the back of Stefan Wilson, sending both cars into the wall. Legge made right rear contact with the SAFER barrier. Wilson did a three quarter spin nand contacted the SAFER barrier head on. Legge continued down the ntrack and made wall contact in turn 2.

Stefan Wilson

Legge got out ofmthe carb without assistance. Wilson was assisted out of the car by the AMR safety team and placed on a stretcher. he was taken to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation.

Katherine Legge

The accident was the first incident of the Indianapolis 500 preparation weeks. Indycar reset the clock to 30 minutes as practice resumed.

I will have a report on practice later today.

Thoughts on Qualifying Weekend

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Today’s schedule:

11 a.m.-3 p.m.: Public Gates Open

1-3 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice Peacock, Indycaradio

TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $15. Children 15 and under are admitted free with paying adult.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN (11 a.m.-3 p.m.): Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 7S, Gate 10, and Gate 10A.

PARKING: Free parking is located in the IMS infield. Enter through Gate 10 from 30th Street or through Gate 2 from 16th Street.

Indianapolis 500 qualifying gave fans quite a shiow. Fans saw the fastest qualifying time by a rookie (Benjamin Pedersen) and a female driver (Katherine Legge), the closes front row in history, and the second fastest pokle speed.

Saturday’s nonstop action was better than many qualifying days with gaps in the proceedings. Sunday had high drama in the Last Chance Qualifying with Jack Harvey’s last lap bump of teammate Graham Rahal

I have never liked the new format for qualifying, but I thought this was the first year it actually worked well. Sunday’s program is a;ways going to be in flux, since it depends on the number of entries.

For this current format to work well, the entry list has to be at least 35 cars. That number would eliminate the down time in the LCQ round. There would also be one less car that is safe and would have tothink about a second run.

I’m no engineer, but I understand why they would wabnt to cool the engines before a second run, but Harvey showed yesterday that a driver can still go fast enough to get in the field even with two runs somewhat close together. Wouldn’t everyone be equal if there were no cooling off period?

Having the Fast Six pole runs immediately after the LCQ was ant-climactic After the frenzy of and excitement of bumping, seeing six cars make one and done qulifying runs. stole a lot of the crowds enthusiasm for the pole winner.

The pole shootout and LCQ need to have some separation. I have always advbocated for deciding the pole on Saturday.. Sunday should be just for bumping.The pole winner can be on television Sunday, talking about his accomplishment and publicizing the race.

Palou Wins Pole; Harvey Squeezes In

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It was a game of thoudandths at both ends of the field this afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Jack Harvey earned the final spot on the grid on the final lap of his third attempt. Alex Palou edged Rinus VeeKay by six thousandths of a mile per hour to win the pole for the 107th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Jack Harvey

In the last chance shootout, Christian Lundgaard and Sting Ray Robb easily secured spots 31 and 32. Jack Harvey qualified next. Graham Rahal quickly bumped Harvey out of the field. Harvey took a second try, but failed to beat out his teammate.As time ran out, Harvey returned to the track. After three laps, he was still behind, but close. His fourth lap was good enough to earn the final starting position by sevn thoiusandths of a mile per hour.

The Fast Six run for the pole saw Palou post a 235 mile per hour lap on his first circuit. he ended with a 234.217 mile per hour average. It was just enough to edge Rinus VeeKay by six thousandnths of a second. Fekix Rosenqvist was third after an anticlimactic run.

Notes

Today continued the drama of yesterday. The only issue I had is with the last cg=hance qualifying. It needs at least 5 cars to work. Havign justfour cars left too much diwn time as Harvey tried to run out the clock before his final runs. Six cars would be ideal in the last chance.

The pole was definitely earned. Having to make three qualifying runs over two days is a grind for the drivers qand the teams. The money awrd for the pole needs to be bigger. The points award should go up as well.

This week was devastating to the Rahal team., One the biggest stars of the series is on the sidelines for the biggest race in the world. it is not the first time this has happened. I believe this isw the first time that a father and son have both had the misfortune to be bumped from the race. Bobby waqs bumped in 1993.

Today’s attendance was the largest I’ve seen on a qualification day in at least 10 years, maybe longer.

I’ll Have some more thoughtson the weekend tomorrow. Thanks for following along this weekend.