Friday Morning Update from the Grand Prix in Indianapolis

Can Power make it win 4?

It is not a pretty morning here in Speedway, Indiana. Dark clouds are surrounding the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, lingering from last night’s rain storms. The temperatures are not going to be ideal for racing but we are on the road course for this race weekend. It is 50 degrees outside now with a high of 60 degrees predicted for today and tomorrow.

This will be the first race the Indycars will run with the Advanced Frontal Protection (AFP) on their racecars. The titanium device is located directly in front of the driver and is designed to deflect objects coming toward the . AR1 is hearing that some drivers are having issues with the device while they are coming into the pits. It seems that the drivers that sit low in the car are having more issues with the new safety device.

Takuma Sato, winner of the 2017 Indy 500, told AR1 that he has some issues coming into the pits with the AFP. Sato, who used to drive for Andretti Autosport, had to have his seat remade when he joined Rahal, Letterman, Lanigan Racing because of where he was sitting in the car.

Driver view of AFP

Marcus Ericsson, driving the number 7 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry, is a rookie at Indianapolis. Ericsson has now tested on both the road course and the oval at IMS. AR1 asked him about his experience with the AFP. “I don’t see the device. It is so close to you when you look far away, your eyes filter it out.”

This weekend will be crammed into two days instead of the normal three day event. There are two practice sessions for the IndyCars today, first one at 9:15 am and the second one at 12:30 pm. Qualifying will be at 4:35 pm this afternoon. Other series also on track today are the Indy Lights, Indy Pro 2000 and the USF2000.

Lucille Dust reporting live from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway