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| MONTH OF MAY - INDIANAPOLIS 500 2012 LIVE UPDATES |
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| MONTH OF MAY - INDIANAPOLIS 500 2012 LIVE UPDATES |
THURSDAY, MAY 17 UPDATES
Thursday Photos
Thursday Schedule Highlights
Indy 500 Practice.
$10
Kids 12 and under free.
8 - 9:30 a.m. -- Rookie Orientation Program
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. -- Gates Open
12 p.m. - 6 p.m. -- Practice
3:30 PM
Sunny and about 75 degrees - just perfect. Forecast looks to continue to
be great throughout the qualifying weekend!!
Rookie Orientation has been extended for Katherine Legge and will
continue tonight from 6-6:40 PM. Not sure I ever remember IMS staying
green after it should have closed just for one driver's benefit.
Loving the speed chart today, with surprising people at the top! As of right
now, the top three are: Rookie Josef Newgarden at 222.709, Charlie
Kimball and Justin Wilson.
Cars will all get more turbocharger boost levels for Fast Friday, along with
the two days of qualifications - speeds will rise (to hopefully something
that will catch our attention for once). The increase will result in the
addition of 40-50 horsepower. Boost levels will remain lower for all other
practice days and Race Day.
After saying in a quote yesterday that he felt "unsafe" in his
Lotus-powered car (because all of the cars around him were going
significantly faster), I'm not sure Jean Alesi's 207's today will make him feel
any better (but that's as fast as it will go - it's not him...it's the motor).
One of the fun past-times I've had in other years has been spotting current
and former IndyCar drivers walking the garage area, trying to put together
a deal to get in one of the "T" or backup cars. That aspect of this month
has sadly been eliminated this year with the unavailability of any spare
engines due to the new programs by Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus. What's
on the track today is what's going to run the race.
1:15 PM
The only incident of the month came at around 5:45 PM Wednesday when
rookie Josef Newgarden (driving for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing) spun
coming out of turn four, lightly touching his left front wheel, nose and left
rear wheel. He was unhurt. Ironically, Newgarden posted the fastest
speed of the day at 222.785 mph. He has been fastest on three of the last
five days of practice - very impressive!
The honorary starter for today's practice was rob Weissert of Indianapolis,
who is attending the Indianapolis 500 for the 48th time. He is the grandson
of Homer Cochran, who was instrumental in introducing Tony Hulman to
Wilbur Shaw when Eddie Rickenbacker was selling the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in 1945.
12:00 PM
Another gorgeous and perfect weather day at IMS today! After last year's
cold and rainy days, this is a welcome change.
This morning IndyCar officially approved Dragon Racing's move from
Lotus power to Chevrolet. Both of their drivers - Sebastien Bourdais and
Katherine Legge - still needed to do an ROP refresher test, so practice for
all cars has been moved back to 1:00 PM to allow Bourdais and Legge to
get their ROP laps in. Jay Penske (owner of Dragon Racing) says they've
got a commitment from Chevrolet for one motor for the remainder of the
IndyCar season, and he's working on the second motor commitment.
Thursday Photos
Thursday Schedule Highlights
Indy 500 Practice.
$10
Kids 12 and under free.
8 - 9:30 a.m. -- Rookie Orientation Program
10 a.m. - 6 p.m. -- Gates Open
12 p.m. - 6 p.m. -- Practice
3:30 PM
Sunny and about 75 degrees - just perfect. Forecast looks to continue to
be great throughout the qualifying weekend!!
Rookie Orientation has been extended for Katherine Legge and will
continue tonight from 6-6:40 PM. Not sure I ever remember IMS staying
green after it should have closed just for one driver's benefit.
Loving the speed chart today, with surprising people at the top! As of right
now, the top three are: Rookie Josef Newgarden at 222.709, Charlie
Kimball and Justin Wilson.
Cars will all get more turbocharger boost levels for Fast Friday, along with
the two days of qualifications - speeds will rise (to hopefully something
that will catch our attention for once). The increase will result in the
addition of 40-50 horsepower. Boost levels will remain lower for all other
practice days and Race Day.
After saying in a quote yesterday that he felt "unsafe" in his
Lotus-powered car (because all of the cars around him were going
significantly faster), I'm not sure Jean Alesi's 207's today will make him feel
any better (but that's as fast as it will go - it's not him...it's the motor).
One of the fun past-times I've had in other years has been spotting current
and former IndyCar drivers walking the garage area, trying to put together
a deal to get in one of the "T" or backup cars. That aspect of this month
has sadly been eliminated this year with the unavailability of any spare
engines due to the new programs by Honda, Chevrolet and Lotus. What's
on the track today is what's going to run the race.
1:15 PM
The only incident of the month came at around 5:45 PM Wednesday when
rookie Josef Newgarden (driving for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing) spun
coming out of turn four, lightly touching his left front wheel, nose and left
rear wheel. He was unhurt. Ironically, Newgarden posted the fastest
speed of the day at 222.785 mph. He has been fastest on three of the last
five days of practice - very impressive!
The honorary starter for today's practice was rob Weissert of Indianapolis,
who is attending the Indianapolis 500 for the 48th time. He is the grandson
of Homer Cochran, who was instrumental in introducing Tony Hulman to
Wilbur Shaw when Eddie Rickenbacker was selling the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway in 1945.
12:00 PM
Another gorgeous and perfect weather day at IMS today! After last year's
cold and rainy days, this is a welcome change.
This morning IndyCar officially approved Dragon Racing's move from
Lotus power to Chevrolet. Both of their drivers - Sebastien Bourdais and
Katherine Legge - still needed to do an ROP refresher test, so practice for
all cars has been moved back to 1:00 PM to allow Bourdais and Legge to
get their ROP laps in. Jay Penske (owner of Dragon Racing) says they've
got a commitment from Chevrolet for one motor for the remainder of the
IndyCar season, and he's working on the second motor commitment.