Indy 500 notebook for Friday
The entrants will compete in four rounds to determine the winner of a $40,000 prize.
***
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY CENTENNIAL ERA FACT OF THE DAY: When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series and Wintergreen won the Kentucky Derby. Other notable facts from 1909:
· The cost of a postage stamp was 2 cents.
· A bottle of Coca-Cola cost 5 cents.
· A gallon of gas cost 6 cents.
***
Travis Iles, the 2009 winner of the Purdue Grand Prix, was the honorary starter for race practice today.
TRAVIS ILES: (On starting practice): "It felt awesome. Seeing these races and practices from all around the circle but never from the frontstretch like that, it was unbelievable." (On getting the call to participate): "I was really, really excited. I flew back from New Orleans just last night to do this today. So I was very excited." (On just what exactly goes into the Purdue Grand Prix): "The go-karts we use can't be purchased. There's a lot of fabrication, things that are involved that wouldn't go into other go-kart racing. They offer a lot of mechanical challenges. It's also hard to get everything together when you're a full-time college student. There's a lot of long hours, a lot of late nights. But it's worth every second."
***
Five-time Indianapolis 500 starter Roger Yasukawa is still holding out hope for a ride this weekend.
ROGER YASUKAWA: "We're working on it. There's not many opportunities out there, so we're not so sure. I've got some funds put together; maybe it's only about 30 to 40 percent. I'm still waiting to hear back from a couple of options. You never know what could happen on Sunday, so I'm just keeping my fingers crossed and just being ready."
***
Panther Racing co-owner John Barnes spoke to a group of more than 400 current and former bariatric patients today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Barnes had the surgery at Clarian Bariatrics in Carmel, Ind., in early 2008 when he weighed approximately 350 pounds and battled diabetes, injecting himself with insulin six times per day.
JOHN BARNES: (On his situation just before surgery and its effect on his work): "I was a slug at that point in time. I had everything in the world going on with me. In this business, if you don't think it can get hectic or that it can get a little challenging, you should try it some time." (On finding the Clarian program): "I was blown away. I'm in a business where we really have to rely on each other. It's about the support. If we have an issue like we did here Saturday, where we have a crash during Qualifying Day and burn the car pretty bad, three hours later we were on the racetrack totally rebuilt and in business because of the group that we had. I felt the same feeling the first time I met Dr. (Samer) Mattar and his crew. I walked away, and I e-mailed my friend and surgeon buddy, and I said, 'I'm in. This is perfect.'" (On how he feels now): "I went from a size 46 pant to a size 34. I can say I'm really proud of that." (On his appearance): "We travel all over the country and all over the world and have a pretty big fan base. If somebody walks past me, it could be a friend of 45 years, and they'll walk past me and turn around and they'll say, 'John, is that you?' And I say, 'Yeah, it's me.'"
***
Hoyt "Doc" Kerr, 92, is working on the Hemelgarn Johnson team for the 2009 Indianapolis 500, handling "deadman" valve duties during fueling. The deadman valve is a lever that starts and ends the flow of fuel from the tank into the hose during a pit stop
Kerr also rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater car at Chicagoland Speedway and drove the Indy Racing Experience car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Hemelgarn Johnson fields the No. 91 entry for 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier.
DOC KERR: (About working the dead man during the race): "A long time ago it used to be a dangerous job. Now it is not. It's almost routine. I am going to claim something this year – I'm going to claim to be the oldest living deadman." (On riding in the two-seater in Chicago): "Two years ago, I was the oldest person ever to ride in the two-seater. Davey Hamilton drove us in Chicago. It wasn't as strenuous as I thought it would be, and it was fun. We did about 175 (mph)." (On driving the one-seater at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "It was interesting. I did it two years ago in June. It was a lot of fun. It wasn't as scary as I thought it might be. I gave it all it was worth. I didn't let up; I didn't lift at all. I just put the throttle on the floor and went as fast as the motor would take it. Some people tell me it probably got up to 120 or 125 (mph)." (About his age): "Officially, I don't carry my birth certificate with me. But I'm 92 and going on 93 after the 8th of June. People ask me how old I am, and I say my age is the same as the number of 500s that have been run."
***
5:43 p.m. – Indy Racing League officials have closed the track for the day due to loose bricks on the famed Yard of Bricks on the front straightaway. They are expected to be repaired in time for track activity on Saturday.
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF SESSION:
|
Pos. |
Car |
Name |
Time |
Speed |
|
1. |
9 |
Scott Dixon |
40.3951 |
222.799 |
|
2. |
5 |
Mario Moraes |
40.4440 |
222.530 |
|
3. |
8 |
Townsend Bell |
40.5152 |
222.139 |
|
4. |
3T |
Helio Castroneves |
40.5955 |
221.699 |
|
5. |
6T |
Ryan Briscoe |
40.6198 |
221.567 |
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS AMONG DRIVERS WHO HAVE NOT YET QUALIFIED:
|
Pos. |
Car |
Name |
Time |
Speed |
|
1. |
8 |
Townsend Bell |
40.5152 |
222.139 |
|
2. |
17 |
Oriol Servia |
40.6982 |
221.140 |
|
3. |
06T |
Robert Doornbos |
40.7601 |
220.804 |
|
3. |
34T |
Alex Tagliani |
40.7601 |
220.804 |
|
5. |
19 |
Tomas Scheckter |
40.8134 |
220.516 |
***
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway played host to a dozen members of the Indiana Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association today at the first ISSA Day at the Speedway. The group of writers and broadcasters toured the pit, garage and media areas and talked with IMS President and Chief Operating Officer Joie Chitwood and Senior Vice President of Communications Fred Nation over lunch.
***
BRIAN BARNHART (Indy Racing League President of Competition and Racing Operations): (About loose bricks closing the track): "There's four or five bricks that have come loose, the mortar has come loose on it. It's just something that's going to take too long to fix tonight (before the end of practice). We need to make sure it's right for tomorrow's qualifying. I think that's a first for us around here. We're awfully proud of the Yard of Bricks around here, and I think that's the first time it's caused a delay in practice."
***
A total of 48 cars are currently at the Speedway and have passed technical inspection. Forty-three drivers have been on the track to date and turned 2,036 laps today and 9,809 laps this month. Helio Castroneves turned 105 laps, the most laps today, while Raphael Matos has turned 435 laps this month, most of any driver. There were six cautions today for a total of 36 minutes.
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
|
7 a.m. |
Garages open |
|
10:15-11:15 a.m. |
IndyCar Series practice |
|
Noon-6 p.m. |
Third Day Qualifying |
05/15/09 Indy Racing League Director of Engineering Jeff Horton won the 43rd annual BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award for the development of the Head and Neck Restraint Extension, a safety add-on to the existing HANS Device used by all drivers in IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights events.
Horton received a $10,000 award May 15 from BorgWarner, presented by the Indiana Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers. Horton is donating the prize on behalf of the IRL to the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a charity founded by the late Paul Newman.
"It's kind of unbelievable," Horton said of receiving the award. "I never thought my name would be on that list."
The Head and Neck Restraint Extension helps prevent injury to drivers by enabling the head, neck and shoulders to slide unobstructed against the headrest during a rear-end collision. The device fastens to the top portion of the HANS Device.
"The head, neck and body should move as a complete system," Horton said. "Life is pretty good when that happens. When one of those pieces stops, that's when injuries occur."
The device was developed over a two-year period and refined through 16 test runs on the IRL's THOR crash simulation dummy, Horton said.
***
Page returns to IMS Radio Network broadcast: Former IMS Radio Network anchor and ABC Indianapolis 500 anchor Paul Page will offer commentary during the IMS Radio Network broadcast of the 2009 Indianapolis 500.
Page will provide pre-race, mid-race and post-race comments. Page will join former IMS Radio Network anchor Bob Jenkins and current anchor Mike King for a pre-race commentary on past "500" radio broadcasts.
***
IZOD to sponsor The Rollie: IZOD, the official apparel sponsor for the IndyCar Series, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Firestone Indy Lights, will serve as the presenting sponsor for one of the major annual events at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course, The Rollie.
The fourth annual The Rollie golf tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, May 20 at the 18-hole championship course at IMS. The event is named in honor of Brickyard Crossing Professional Emeritus Rollie Schroeder, who served as head pro for 39 years at the course.
Participants in The Rollie will include current and former Indianapolis 500 drivers, team owners, celebrities, local media personalities and motorsports insiders.
This year's event will pay special tribute to Indianapolis 500 racing legend Lloyd Ruby and local catering favorite Jug Eckert, longtime supporters of the event who died since last year's tournament.
***
Coke Zero Music Fest Saturday: Coke Zero Music Fest on Saturday, May 16 will feature Grammy Award-nominated alternative rock band Plain White T's on the Coke Zero Stage. The band's acoustic ballad, "Hey There Delilah," was nominated for a Grammy in 2008. Hollywood Records artist Plain White T's is touring to support its latest album, "Big Bad World."
The Post Script will open the concert, which starts at 2 p.m. The band won the "Breakout Band" contest promoted by Indianapolis' Radio Now 100.9 to determine one of the opening acts alongside DJ Orion.
***
SIRIUS XM providing complete Indy coverage: SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI), the Official Satellite Radio Partner of the Indy Racing League (IRL), is offering comprehensive coverage of the Indianapolis 500 to both XM subscribers and SIRIUS subscribers with the "Best of XM" programming package.
SIRIUS XM will broadcast "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indianapolis 500, live from Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24 on Indy Car Series Racing, XM channel 145 and SIRIUS channel 211 (part of the "Best of XM"). Motorsports fans will hear pre-race programming starting at noon (ET), including pre-race commentary and analysis by the IMS Radio Network broadcast team, interviews with drivers and live coverage of driver introductions. When the green flag drops at 1 p.m., SIRIUS XM listeners will hear live wheel-to-wheel action on the track through every turn and straightaway.
In addition to the Indy 500, SIRIUS XM will broadcast the Firestone Freedom 100 race from the Firestone Indy Lights series at 12:15 p.m. Friday, May 22 on Indy Car Series Racing, XM channel 145 and SIRIUS channel 211 ("Best of XM"). After the race, SIRIUS XM will air IMS Radio Network's review of all the action from Miller Lite Carb Day, offering a recap of the day's Indy 500 practice, the Pit Stop Challenge and the Firestone Freedom 100.
On Community Day, Wednesday, May 20, SIRIUS XM's exclusive all-sports talk channel, Mad Dog Radio, will broadcast a special Indy 500 preview live from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. from the infield at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Host Gary Williams will preview Sunday's race, interview some of the series' top drivers, team owners and past Indy 500 champions, and talk with IndyCar fans from around the country. Mad Dog Radio is available nationwide exclusively on SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144.
SIRIUS XM's coverage will include live broadcasts of all Indy 500 qualifying sessions, including "Bump Day" on Sunday, May 17, the final day of qualifying.