Carb Day Notes, 2017

James Hinchcliffe blew his Honda engine during "Carb Day" practice today, leaving quite a bit of oil on the track in the process. We count at least 5 blown Honda engines this month.

My memory was hazy too, trying to remember if a blown engine caused a competitor to start at the back of the pack. No, at Indy, it's the car CHASSIS that counts. Change the driver or the chassis and you'll go to the back of the starting grid. But fixing a crashed car or changing the engine doesn't change the starting position at Indy, at least not this year.

The weather forecast for Indy on Sunday is grim, with an 80% chance of rain, including strong thunderstorms. When you're at the Indy 500, you become a meteorologist…

This year's weather for Carb Day race activities, along with a Keith Urban concert, have yielded an impressive crowd here at IMS. And pound for pound, one of the loudest crowds I can remember. The party has already started!

— Tim Wohlford, reporting from IMS