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28 Apr 2004, 13:13 (Ref:954635) | #1 | ||
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"Open Test" Thread
Today and tomorrow (April 28 & 29), the Brickyard will be busy with the "Open Tests" for this year's Indy 500 entrants....
Please make note of the time that I place this post, because they are supposed to take the track in about an hour (local time)...and the actual sessions run from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. local time in Indy... A Few Notes: The weather today and tomorrow will be sunny and comfortable...highs in the mid-70s Fahrenheit.... But wind will be a big issue... The forecast if for southerly winds at 20 m.p.h. gusting to 30 m.p.h. These winds will "push" the cars down the backstretch and in turn will lessen some of the downforce that hey will have.... the north end of the track (Turns 3 & 4 plus the Short Chute) will be experiencing cross-winds that could be problematic for the drivers when they are gusting.... Both of those corners are very different at IMS....most drivers have been quotes as saying that they really have to "drive" or "steer" the car through Turn 3, in particular, and a cross-wind coming out of that corner could cause real headaches (or other body aches) if it pushes the cars closer to the wall... I believe there will be "Live Timing and Scoring" for these sessions, but I am not sure of this... You may want to check in with the IRL site to see if it is available... I look forward to reading your posts.... and P.S. -- Yes...I do plan to try to take my "Lunch Hour" or a little more time out there either today or tomorrow... |
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28 Apr 2004, 13:52 (Ref:954683) | #2 | |
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Here's hoping we have two days of good, safe testing.
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28 Apr 2004, 14:16 (Ref:954706) | #3 | ||
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Quick Note:
Today's session will "officially" begin at 9:20 a.m., Indy time (wich is 10:20 a.m. EDT)...according to the IRL "Live Timing & Scoring" link That's in about 5 minutes.... |
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28 Apr 2004, 15:13 (Ref:954759) | #4 | ||
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Thus far:
1. Castroneves 216.7 2. Sharp 215.9 3. Carpenter 215.869 4. Dixon 215.845 5. Hornish 215.807 6. Barron 215.6 Note 6 chevys in the Top 10 thus far....so they must not be TOO far behind... |
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28 Apr 2004, 16:10 (Ref:954800) | #5 | ||
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As of 11 a.m. Indy time:
1. Dixon 218.7 2. Barron 218.6 3. Carpenter 217.9 4. Scheckter 217.7 5. Castroneves 217.4 All of the Top 10 are over 216 m.p.h. Chevy sure doesn't look "behind" from these results.... |
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28 Apr 2004, 16:15 (Ref:954806) | #6 | ||
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BTW....
Buddy Rice is the top Honda...in 9th...at 216.4 Wheldon is the to AGR car thus far...in the mid 214's.... The one car that I noticed that has not been on the track is Robby Gordon.... Giaffone is a tick under 215 in 11th spot thus far... |
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28 Apr 2004, 16:51 (Ref:954828) | #7 | |
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Caution is out due to smoke from Gordon's car.
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28 Apr 2004, 18:04 (Ref:954878) | #8 | ||
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Final results from A.M. Session...they will start up agin in a few minutes:
1. Dixon 218.7 2. Barron 218.6 3. Carpenter 217.9 4. Scheckter 217.7 5. Giaffone 217.5 The screen just cleared off this morning's times!!!! But Castroneves was 6th at 217.4 and Robby Gordon was 7th, also at 217+ Lots of Chevy's, a couple of Toyotas....Honda might have one in the Top 10....but I'm not sure of it....Buddy Rice was 9th at one point, but I think Giaffone & Gordon bumped him out of the Top 10. |
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28 Apr 2004, 18:14 (Ref:954885) | #9 | |
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Sarah Fisher and Bruno Junqueira are the only two drivers having done laps in the second session so far.
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28 Apr 2004, 19:43 (Ref:954946) | #10 | |
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Caution out for a cut tire on Fernandez car.
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28 Apr 2004, 20:39 (Ref:955017) | #11 | ||
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Mark Taylor had a cut tire in the morning session....but I don't think there was any contact....
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28 Apr 2004, 20:43 (Ref:955020) | #12 | ||
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Hornish just passed 219MPH.
It looks like these guys will go over 220 soon. It seems like the smaller engines are working out the way they wanted them to. I wonder what they'll top out at? |
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28 Apr 2004, 20:45 (Ref:955024) | #13 | |
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Don't know about the rest of you, but I think it's great to see Robby Gordon right up there (2nd fastest so far). Could obviously be my big stock-car interest playing in just a tad here
Kosuke Matsuura is the top Honda so far, currently 8th fastest. |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:02 (Ref:955039) | #14 | ||
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Checkered flag - Hornish and Castroneves were the only two over 219 today.
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28 Apr 2004, 21:04 (Ref:955041) | #15 | ||
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The Session ends for the day in five minutes...everyone but Junquiera and takagi have pulled into the pits:
1. Hornish 219.2 2. R. Gordon 218.9 3. Dixon 218.8 4. Castroneves 218.4 5. Manning 218.3 6. Carpenter 217.9 7. Barron 216.5 (ran only 5 laps; he was fast in the a.m.) 8. Matsuura 216.4 9. Sharp 216.0 10. Wheldon 215.2 Toyota had 4 of the Top 5, and 5 of the Top 10... Chevy had 3 Top 10, and the 2nd best time Honda was 8th & 10th... Chevy supposedly did a lot over the past few weeks to tweak more power from their engines...according to Barron on today's noon news... Keep in mind also that these speeds were run in incredibly gusty winds today....they measured wind gusts up to 45 mph at IMS (also heard that on the noon news here)... I think they will be in the low 220s on Pole Day...and maybe someone might squeeze out a 224 or 225 lap.... Supposedly, this new rule was to cut about 100 hp...but the engine people have already found a few tweaks to get 15-20 of it back...and that is probably low.... no one is going to say what they've "really" gotten back... all that will do is tell their competitors that more speed is there and to go back to look for it.... |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:05 (Ref:955045) | #16 | ||
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A Note:
Thomas Knapp is heading up Gordon's effort....he knows his way around Indy and how to set up an IRL car... Robby will be fast all month long... |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:11 (Ref:955050) | #17 | ||
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Wouldn't you know it!!!!!
Caastroneves went out in the final few minutes an topped 219, but just a tick or two below Sam's time.... So it was Penske cars 1 & 2 for taoday, with Robby Gordon 3rd... all others remained in the same order as above... |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:17 (Ref:955064) | #18 | ||
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Fernandez is still having problems getting up to speed. I hope to see him get competitive. No speed for Sarah today either.
Good to see Sharp in the top 10, he was looking forward to getting these new engines, and basically starting his season over again. |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:18 (Ref:955066) | #19 | ||
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Never count out the Penske's at The Brickyard
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I can't drive 55. |
28 Apr 2004, 21:21 (Ref:955070) | #20 | |||
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Quote:
Never.....Ever..... It is his single, most important prize of the year....bar none.... But I REALLY want to see ANYONE else in but Penske this year... Four in a row (even if it's Sam!) is a little much to take!!!! I'm pulling for Robby or an AGR Car.... The Andretti Curse has to be broken sometime!!!! The law of averages would at least say that.... |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:35 (Ref:955099) | #21 | ||
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If you look at both sessions combined, Giaffone was in the Top 10 with a lap at 217.5 in the morning round....and Wheldon slides out of the list...
provided you don't count drivers who were in the Top 10 in both sessions twice..... even then, I believe he is in the Top 10.... Not bad for his first spin in the car!!!!! Junquiera was at 214...even with Jim McGhee in their garage, they have steep learning curve in front of them... This is their first time with these chassis....remember how Team Green struggled almost the entire month a couple of year ago..only to sort it out on the final day of qualifying....they barely made the field...Michael withdrew his qualified car (that would have been bumped) and ran good laps in his backup, and tracy and Franchiti got the answers they needed to make the show... That carried over to Race Day, but.... Bruno won't have that luxury this year...the other series is in Monterrey on "Bump Day"... So he has one week in May to get it squared away.... |
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28 Apr 2004, 21:37 (Ref:955103) | #22 | ||
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Finally....
Marty Roth will have to top the 210 barrier tomorrow or in May in order to be eligible to qualify.... That is the basement number this year for "laps at competitive speeds" for the fourth and final phase of his Rookie Orientation... |
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29 Apr 2004, 02:11 (Ref:955316) | #23 | ||
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This is fun! I am having a good time changing the word "Chevy" to "Ford" since the "Chevy" engine is made by "Cosworth."
Professional Open Wheel racing is just so accessible and easy to understand for the casual fan... |
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29 Apr 2004, 06:37 (Ref:955384) | #24 | ||
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However, I'm really relieved, cos Chevy (or whatever) enined cars are competitive and can fight for the win, at least it appears to be like that ( I just hope they're not running underweight, for instance)
Is anyone informed about rev limiters, now that engines have been reduced to 3.0 liters? |
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29 Apr 2004, 13:13 (Ref:955751) | #25 | ||
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Not sure about what rpm the rev limiters are set at on the new engines, climb...god question to ask...
Three Notes...one from yesterday, two for today: Yesterday....when the top times from the moring and afternoon sessions were correlated: Chevy had 6 of the Top 10 times in the combined results: Gordon (3rd), Barron (5th), Carpenter (7th), Scheckter (8th), Giaffone (9th), and Mark Taylor (10th)... Toyota had the other four Top 10 spots: 1 & 2 - Penske Team, and 4 & 5 with Ganassi... Top Honda: Matsuura -- 12th spot... For Today: 1. The weather forecast is for temps in the mid-70s with very few, if any clouds....the winds will still be blowing but only about half the speed they experienced yesterday (10-20 m.p.h., and the higher winds aren't expected until this afternoon....) Thus, I anticipate speeds in the low-mid 220s....they definitely will top that 220 mark today....much better condictions.... 2. Hornish will take a G-Force chassis for a spin today....Penske wants to cover all ofthe bases like he did last year....I guess it is because both Dallaras were so close yesterday, they will be able to compare Sam's times in the G-Force with Helio's in the dallara today under similar condictions so that htey can make some chassis choices before may 9th rools around... |
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