108th Indianapolis 500 Spotters’ Guide
Tag: NTT Indycar Series
Day 4- A Better Day Ahead?
From @Indycar_Wxman last night:
INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 15, 2024) – Information about 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice track activity Thursday, May 16 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
SCHEDULE (All times local):
10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open
10 a.m.-6 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (All cars) Peacock and Indycar radio
TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The General Admission ticket will provide the opportunity to move between the IMS infield viewing mounds and first-come, first-served access to selected grandstands to view racing action from different vantage points.
PUBLIC GATES OPEN (10 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7S, Gate 7, Gate 10, Gate 10A.
PARKING: Free public parking is available in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40). ADA accessible parking is available in the following lots: West Museum Lot, Flag Lot, Tower Terrace Lot and Lot 7 (North 40).
CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.
Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located in Pagoda Plaza and outside Turn 1 by concessions stand 7. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted.
MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation.
On Track at Last! Mclaughlin Sets Fast Time
After 12 hours of lost practice time the green flag for Indianapolis 500 practice waved a few minutes after 3 pm. The session had several interruptions for track inspections and moisture.
It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon. It finally felt like May. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for the best weather day of the week. Friday looks iffy at the moment.
From earlier
Think This Weather is Bad? Look at 1956
All 34 cars were on track in a very busy afternoon. I enjoyed getting a look at all the liveries. If you blue and orange combinations or the color pink, you will enjoy this year’s grid.
There were several yellow flags, the longest the last one for what started as sprinkles three hours after the green flag waved.
Scott McLaughlin had the fastest lap of 229.49 mph3. His Penske teammates, Will Power and Josef Newgarden are second and fourth. Colton Herta finished third.
Tomorrow’s practice begins at 10 am Eastern and runs until 6 pm.
Results
Let’s Try This Again
Another Day of weather watching.
Today at IMS
| Information about 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice track activity Wednesday, May 15 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: SCHEDULE (All times local): 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (All cars) TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The General Admission ticket will provide the opportunity to move between the IMS infield viewing mounds and first-come, first-served access to selected grandstands to view racing action from different vantage points. PUBLIC GATES OPEN (10 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7S, Gate 7, Gate 10, Gate 10A. PARKING: Free public parking is available in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40). ADA accessible parking is available in the following lots: the West Museum Lot, the Flag Lot, Tower Terrace and the Lot 7 (North 40). CASHLESS OPERATIONS: Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located in Pagoda Plaza and outside Turn 1 by concessions stand 7. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted. MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation. |
Day 1 Wrap-up: 24 Minutes of Fun
The good news: cars were on track today turning practice laps in preparation for the Indianapolis 500. Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti, and Takuma Sato were the top three.
29 cars ran laps. One driver who did not get out was Alex Palou.
The bad news: After 24 minutes rain began to fall, lightly at first, then more heavily and steadily. Track activity was cancelled around 2 pm.
In an attempt to make up some of today’s lost time, practice tomorrow will start at 10 am instead of noon. There will not be a break as was planned for today.
Bronze badge holders who were not at IMS early lost out on their opportunity to spend some time in the pits. IMS will not reschedule this experience this year.
There was a bit of news today.
The hybrid system will make its debut at Mid-Ohio July 5-7. This date was long assumed to be the target. I appreciate the series waiting until I return from Le Mans to have its premiere. I guess I asked nicely.
I heard that there are fewer than 10,000 grandstand seats unsold for the race. No word on how close General Admission is to being declared full.
Here are the results from today’s abbreviated practice:
INDYCAR Announces Full Debut of NTT INDYCAR SERIES Hybrid Era at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
From Indycar. This race was expected to be the first race for the hybrid. Nice of IndyCar to wait until my first race after Indy to debut it.
Final Full-Field Test of Settings, Parameters Scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 at Milwaukee Mile
| INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 14, 2024) – Through a commitment to an intensive, thorough process of meticulous development and production, the hybrid era for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES will make its competition debut Friday-Sunday, July 5-7 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid. INDYCAR, Chevrolet and Honda have worked in collaboration to develop the first-of-its-kind hybrid unit. The 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engine was initially paired and tested with hybrid power Aug. 16, 2023, at Sebring International Raceway. In just seven months, a total of 23,518 miles were successfully completed among 28 NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers. “The strength of this uncharted partnership between Chevrolet and Honda has pushed this innovative project to the grid in 2024,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The INDYCAR-specific hybrid power unit will bring a new and exciting element to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with additional energy and overtake options. We cannot wait to see the start of this new era at Mid-Ohio.” INDYCAR’s hybrid power expands the series’ efforts to deliver the most competitive motorsport on the planet. The new powerplant unit will feature additional overtake (Push to Pass) options, ultimately giving INDYCAR SERIES drivers more choices and control – enhancing the on-track competition and excitement. The innovative hybrid system is made up of the low voltage (48V) Motor Generator Unit (MGU) and Energy Storage System (ESS) – consisting of 20 ultracapacitors – both of which fit inside the bellhousing, located between the Chevrolet and Honda INDYCAR SERIES internal combustion engine and the gearbox. During regeneration, acting on the clutch shaft, the MGU builds power to be stored in the ESS. The additional horsepower is deployed through the same motor generator on driver demand. For competition, options for automatic “regen” via braking or throttle position and manual “regen” via selected steering wheel paddles and buttons will be available. Deployment of stored energy will only be available manually through a latching button, similar to the existing Push to Pass system. While available to use in addition to the traditional INDYCAR Push to Pass system on road and street circuits, the two systems will come with different rules. Push to Pass will still have a restriction on amount of time per use and total time used over the course of a race. Rules for the hybrid power unit will limit the amount of energy deployed per lap – based on track length. Used in combination on road and street circuits, the added boost will provide an additional 120 horsepower for a total of 800+ for the first time in two decades. Additional horsepower is expected in the coming years as hybrid unit development evolves. Safety elements include the low voltage system and the ability for drivers to restart the car by themselves if they spin and stall the engine on the track – avoiding the need for the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team to be deployed and creating more green-flag action in races. “The introduction of hybrid technology provides an opportunity to integrate electrification technologies into the NTT INDYCAR SERIES,” General Motors Executive Director, Motorsports Competition Eric Warren said. “During the development of any new technology, extensive analysis and testing are done to identify as many issues as possible. We support INDYCAR’s decisions throughout this process to study testing data carefully and make sure that when the hybrid technology is integrated, the operation and performance are exactly what is expected .“This approach has given INDYCAR and the engine manufacturers the opportunity to ensure the high level of competition continues uninterrupted.” “Hybrid technology is playing an ever-increasing role in both our racing programs and the production vehicles created by Honda and Acura,” Honda Racing Corporation USA President David Salters said. “More than a quarter of Honda’s total sales in 2023 – nearly 300,000 vehicles – were Honda CR-V and Accord hybrids. Introducing electrification to INDYCAR at Mid-Ohio further aligns our racing efforts with Honda’s passenger car production as we operate multiple manufacturing and R&D facilities in central Ohio, employing more than 13,000 associates there. “This is exciting new technology and, like all things new, has presented challenges to us at HRC as we have stepped in with our competitors to help INDYCAR make the hybrid system compact enough, powerful enough, light enough and reliable enough to work within the highly-restricted confines of an INDYCAR chassis. We are proud of our associates’ work to develop the supercapacitor pack and control software for the system. We look forward to hybrid tech adding another dimension to the great racing spectacle and entertaining our great Honda and INDYCAR racing fans.” A full-field test of INDYCAR’s power unit is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 at the Milwaukee Mile to allow teams to finalize implementation ahead of the July debut. On-track testing has taken place at Barber Motorsports Park, Homestead-Miami Speedway road course, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IMS road course, Milwaukee Mile, Road America, Sebring and World Wide Technology Raceway to effectively mirror the disciplines of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule. The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid will be broadcast on NBC, Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, July 7.The next event for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26. Coverage begins at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with a Spanish-language broadcast available on Universo. Audio coverage is also available from the INDYCAR Radio Network via the INDYCAR App powered by NTT DATA and SiriusXM channel 218. |
Dixon at 229 Before Rain Halts the Action
After a three minute delay cars rolled out on the track to begin practice for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. Thirty-one cars got some laps in before moisture halted the action after 24 minutes.
Scott Dixon turned a lap at 229.107 miles an hour to lead the field, followed by Marco Andretti at 228.399 and Takuma Sato at 225.551.
Scott McLaughlin had the best no tow lap at 219.656.
The track is currently onnhold as a light rain is falling. Radar shows some rain and possibly thunderstorms approaching from the south and west. Once the storms arrive, it looks like we will try again tomorrow.
Results of the first 24 minutes
I’ll be back later when we receive official word on today’s status. I’m alsomworking on a couple of other stories I hope to post later today.
Eight Former Winners, Five Series Champs Ready To Start ‘500’ Preparation
From IMS:
| INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 13, 2024) – Preparations for the 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge will start this week with a field consisting of eight former winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” and five NTT INDYCAR SERIES champions. There are 34 entries set to contest the 33 starting spots for this year’s edition of the “500.” Practice is scheduled to start Tuesday, May 14, with PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 18-19. All track activity on the historic 2.5-mile oval leads into Race Day, Sunday, May 26. SEE: Entry List Josef Newgarden earned his first career “500” victory last May after passing 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson on the final lap after a late red flag created a one-lap shootout for a spot on the Borg-Warner Trophy and racing immortality. That was the record-extending 19th “500” victory for Team Penske. Other former winners aiming for a spot in the race this year include four-time winner Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009, 2021) and two-time winner Takuma Sato (2017, 2020), plus single winners Scott Dixon (2008), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016) and Will Power (2018). The record for winners in one field is 10, set in 1992 .Castroneves earned a spot with A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears in the most prestigious club in motorsports – four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – with his emotional victory in 2021, for Meyer Shank Racing. A record-breaking fifth would put Castroneves alone at the top with most victories. Additionally, Castroneves is 49 years old, and a victory would make him the oldest winner in “500” history, a record held by Al Unser, who won the 1987 edition just five days shy of his 48th birthday. Newgarden has a chance to become the first back-to-back winner since Castroneves accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002. If Newgarden secures a repeat win, he will earn a bonus of $440,000 courtesy of BorgWarner, the namesake of the Indy 500 trophy. That amount is more than the entire yearly purse up to and including the 1962 Indianapolis 500, which paid out $425,652. The field includes five past INDYCAR SERIES champions: Dixon, Hunter-Reay, Newgarden, reigning champion Alex Palou and Power. 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson will attempt to become the fifth driver to complete the Memorial Day “double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart, Robby Gordon and Kurt Busch. The last driver to complete the feat was Busch in 2014. Larson is one of seven drivers competing for top rookie honors, along with Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson. Live Race Day coverage begins on NBC, Peacock, Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network at 11 a.m. (ET), with the green flag set for 12:45 p.m. 2024 ENTRY BREAKDOWN: Winners (8): Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Josef Newgarden, Will Power, Alexander Rossi, Takuma Sato Rookies (7): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Kyle Larson, Linus Lundqvist, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson U.S. drivers (13): Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Conor Daly, Santino Ferrucci, Colton Herta, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Kyle Kirkwood, Kyle Larson, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Sting Ray Robb, Alexander Rossi, Nolan Siegel International drivers (21, from 13 countries): Marcus Armstrong, Tom Blomqvist, Agustín Canapino, Helio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Pietro Fittipaldi, Romain Grosjean, Callum Ilott, Katherine Legge, Christian Lundgaard, Linus Lundqvist, Scott McLaughlin, Pato O’Ward, Alex Palou, Will Power, Christian Rasmussen, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay Engines (34): Honda 18, Chevrolet 16 (all cars use Dallara chassis and Firestone tires) |
Tomorrow at the Track
From IMS:
Note to Bronze Badge holders:
Don’t forget your Bronze badge is also valid for Pit Entry tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14) during public gate hours. This special access will only be available on Opening Day. It will not be available on Monday, May 20. This opportunity is available rain or shine.
| INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 13, 2024) – Information about 108th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice track activity, Tuesday, May 14 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: SCHEDULE (All times local): 9 a.m.-6 p.m.: Public gates open 9-11 a.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (All cars) 1-6 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice (All cars) TICKETS: General Admission tickets are $25. Children 15 and under are admitted free with a paying adult. The General Admission ticket will provide the opportunity to move between the IMS infield viewing mounds and first-come, first-served access to selected grandstands to view racing action from different vantage points. PUBLIC GATES OPEN (9 a.m.-6 p.m.): Gate 1, Gate 2, Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 6S, Gate 7, Gate 10, Gate 10A. PARKING: Free public parking is available in Turn 3 and Lot 7 (North 40). ADA accessible parking is available in the following lots: the West Museum Lot, the Flag Lot, Tower Terrace and the Lot 7 (North 40). CASHLESS OPERATIONS: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a cashless facility. Please be prepared to complete your ticket, credentials, parking, concession and merchandise purchases with ease during your event via debit or credit card.Tap-to-pay phone payments will be accepted, as will credit and debit transactions. Cash-to-Card machines, which convert paper money onto a temporary debit card, will be located in Pagoda Plaza and outside Turn 1 by concessions stand 7. These funds can be spent inside the venue, outside the venue, online or anywhere in the world where Mastercard/Visa debit cards are accepted. MUSEUM: The IMS Museum is closed for a major renovation, reopening in April 2025. To learn more, please visit imsmuseum.org/renovation. |
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 