2005 Indianapolis 500 Practice Thread

[rustyfan]

I'm surprised no one has started a thread yet, but anyhow, the practice activities at Indy has finally gotten underway, with Rookie Orientation being held yesterday and today. Open practice starts tomorrow, May 10th.

Here's a report on the first day (by IMS press office and posted on Motorsport.com):

Indy 500: Opening Day rookie orientation notes - PATRICK POSTS TOP SPEED AS SIX ROOKIES COMPLETE ROP AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

INDIANAPOLIS, Sunday, May 8, 2005 -- Danica Patrick led a group of six rookies through the four phases of the Rookie Orientation Program on the Opening Day of the 89th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Patrick, driving the No. 16 Rahal Letterman Racing Argent Pioneer Panoz/Honda/Firestone, lapped the 2.5-mile oval in 40.6388 seconds, 221.463 mph.

"It's what we came here to do," said Patrick, who will attempt to be the fourth woman to start the Indianapolis 500. "I was given a good car by (teammates) Buddy (Rice) and Vitor (Meira) with all of the hard work they did last year. I have to give a lot of the credit and speed to that. I knew I had time today."

Also passing ROP were Ryan Briscoe, Jeff Bucknum, Patrick Carpentier, Paul Dana and Tomas Enge.

Scott Mayer, driving the No. 41 Dallara/Toyota/Firestone for four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt, passed three phases of the test. Mayer and Sebastien Bourdais, who completed the first two phases, can complete the final phases of ROP on May 9 when the rookies return to the track.

The first practice open to veterans of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 10.


SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 37 Newman Haas Racing Team Centrix Panoz/Honda/ Firestone): "Obviously, we had a lot of adjustments to do. The car was not ready on time, and the deal came together kind of late, so it was difficult for the team, and it's a real challenge for us. You know a one-off like that, for a Champ Car operation, it's difficult to put together an IRL car. There are a lot of things to do in a very short amount of time. So far, it's going OK. We completed the first two phases. We had time to check the second car, which is actually my car, which wasn't ready. The T-car was in better shape, so we used it and went out there with my car in the end, and the weather is going to be all right for us tomorrow and we can get some work done."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 33 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz/Toyota/Firestone): "I think it is a good program here at the Speedway, because it is a unique track and it is good to let it get up to speed step-by-step. We had no problems today. We took it easy and went through the phases. At the end of the day, we sort of started slightly trimming out the car just a little bit. We still have a long way to go, but it was just good to get some confidence on the track. We are learning all the time. It is very unique. I have just been experimenting a little bit with lines. I've been watching the wind. It has been changing a bit this afternoon, so it has definitely been interesting. It is a long month ahead."

JEFF BUCKNUM (No. 44 Investment Properties of America Dallara/Honda/ Firestone): "It went good. It was my rookie test, so I had nothing to gauge it off of. We just went through the phases that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway wanted us to go through. That went smooth. After that, we just tried a couple extra things for balance and that was good."

PATRICK CARPENTIER (No. 83 Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara/Toyota/Firestone): "It was good. I think that it was very important. At first, we were not sure we were going to do (ROP), then we ended up doing it. It was very important for me to do it today before we get everybody running. Once we start running three abreast, it is a different story down the straightaway. I loved it. It is a beautiful place and a beautiful track. I had a great time today. We were starting to get the car working at the end. They gave us some time to get adjusted and the car was really bad. It was pushing really bad. We came in and fixed, and they allowed us to run a little bit more. I am very happy. I needed the time before everyone else came in. I ran 219 (mph). It is not the fastest, but we had a lot of downforce. I am very happy."

PAUL DANA (No. 91 Ethanol Hemelgarn Racing Dallara/Toyota/Firestone): "Mission accomplished. We did it, and we did it real quick. I mean, four, 10-lap runs, no problem. We got through it pretty easily. I'm pretty sick actually, so we knew that as soon as we cleared the minimum we needed to go to get through the rookie day that we were going to park it. I need to get home and get to bed. We'll come back tomorrow and start taking some wing out of it and see how fast we can go. The Hemelgarn team has a lot of experience around here. They've won it. Tim Wardrop, our engineer, has won here several times, so they know what they're doing. They just put a lot of downforce in the car and nailed it to the track, so it was pretty much as stable as it's ever going to be. That's as easy as it's going to get. When we start taking the wing out, it'll start getting touchy, but maybe I'll be a little more mentally acute. I'm kind of laid out right about now. It's a special day. It's something that you think about and work for your whole life. To do it is really cool. It's a long, long month, and we need to qualify for the race, we need to finish the race, so this is a milestone, but there are much bigger ones to come this month, and I'm just focusing on those."

TOMAS ENGE (No. 2 ROCKSTAR Panther Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone): "The track is fantastic. Maybe a little bit too fast for me, because the faster you go, the smaller the track looks. It is nice. It is something special, something fantastic. The first feeling is good. The car might be a little too tight when we set up the car for the first run to be more safe. To be more safe, the car was a little bit understeer."

SCOTT MAYER (No. 41 ABC Supply Co. Inc. Dallara/Toyota/Firestone): "It was stressful going through the first two (phases). Once we got into phase three, the car felt phenomenal. The quicker we go, the more comfortable it felt. I feel the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders. I feel very blessed by God to be through the ROP and the three sessions, and tomorrow we will go out there and start hitting it hard."

DANICA PATRICK (No. 16 Rahal Letterman Racing Argent Pioneer Panoz/Honda/ Firestone): "I'm sure things will get more tricky as the car gets trimmed out. But the car felt good, and I'm looking forward to going faster." (About running at Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "This event is amazing. There are a lot of media and a lot of things going on. It was opening day, and there were fans out there. Even in Turn 3, when we were coming in the pits, you could see people on the inside, sitting on the grass. I think it's important to look at this place like another race track. It's really nice that we get to come here early, and build confidence, as opposed to going out there and spooking ourselves, or making a mistake that could put us out for a while. It's tradition, and this event is very much tradition. Rookie Orientation is a great format. It's the right way to do it."

Motorsport.com has a report of their own on the first day as well, available here:

http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=184378




As a reminder, here is the official entry list (as of May 4th):

http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...=184295&FS=IRL


It has been revised already, however, now that PDM Racing and Marty Roth have joined forces which means the number of cars entered drops by one. A press release has the following on the matter:

Marty Roth and PDM Join Forces

Officials with Roth Racing and PDM Racing announced May 6 that they will join forces for the Indianapolis 500 with Marty Roth, the owner/driver of Roth Racing, driving the No. 25 Roth/PDM Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone.

Both teams had filed separate entries for the event, and IRL officials expect official paperwork reflection the joint effort to be filed shortly.

"We are very pleased to partner with Marty and his team for the Indy 500," said Paul Diatlovich, team principal for PDM. "I have known many of the guys on the team for over 20 years and know that they are a very talented group. We are excited for this opportunity, and especially excited about the package in which we plan on competing with for 500 miles."

Roth, a native of Toronto, is a veteran of the Menards Infiniti Pro Series, and finished 24th in the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 2004.

"I can't wait to run the 500 this year," Roth said. "The team has grown over this past year, and we have been able to improve our staff and equipment. We have really taken a step forward in terms of adding experience and expertise. First we brought in Pancho Carter as race strategist, then Steve Erickson as Engineer, and now we have aligned ourselves with PDM who brings with them many years of experience in running the 500, as well as a relationship with Chevy. The combination of Roth Racing, PDM and Chevrolet, whose performance this year has been outstanding, should provide us with a strong entry for the Indy 500."

That should do pretty good for a first opening post, I think

[jock25]

Danica's fastest lap was less than 1mph slower than Buddy Rice's four-lap average for pole last year (222.024 mph was the pole average). Fine it was a one-off lap and not four consistent fast ones but it certainly shows that Patrick should be able to post respectable times.

It certainly looks as if lap times will be faster this year but Danica's laps were apparently run in very favourable conditions (sunny and warm). Is this good or bad? Up to you...

Definitely exciting to know that the cars are on the track and the month of May has officially started.

Bourdais and Newman-Haas certainly look as if it might be on the back-foot already. IMHO with the development battle between Honda/Toyota, the manner in which AGR have raised the bar and the benefits of multi-car outfits, i think it is going to be much harder now for a non-IRL team to be really competitive and potentially even win.

[rustyfan]

One thought that struck me just now is... How does Danica's machinery stack up against what Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher had in their respective Indy efforts in terms of how competitive it is?

Not the easiest to answer perhaps, but surely Danica's overall situation has to be one of the better ones a female driver has had at the Brickyard?

As for Newman/Haas, I think they will be able to step up their game as the month progresses - they are too big a team and too professional to give up without a fight.

Originally Posted by jock25

Definitely exciting to know that the cars are on the track and the month of May has officially started.

Heck yeah

[jock25]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

One thought that struck me just now is... How does Danica's machinery stack up against what Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher had in their respective Indy efforts in terms of how competitive it is?

Good point. In the other Danica thread this was hardly mentioned and is a big factor. In the case of Fisher, she was always running with, relative to Rahal-Letterman, small teams with limited resources. Patrick is running with an Indy 500 winning team, that ran Kanaan and the AGR steamroller pretty close in the championship last season. Danica is talented but unlike Fisher, she has a better opportunity to demonstrate that talent.

I don't doubt Newman-Haas are a very good and very motivated team but i still think the amount of testing and development work teams like AGR, Penske and Rahal-Letterman do, plus the fact they are multiple car teams just means the sheer volume of data and understanding of the cars will be hard to overcome in a month. I DO still hope that they come good though - IRL/CCWS needle at Indy makes it all the more interesting

[GP Racer]

All the drivers sound pretty confident, and they all seemed to do pretty well, which is good to see! You can tell listening to these guys that Indy still has that mystique, and aura surrounding it. To hell with the naysayers!

Even guys like Paul Dana, who has had an absolutely miserable start to his IRL career, and likewise for Jeff Bucknum, who spun on the first turn, of the first lap, in his first race sound confident! I hope both can pick-up their performances.

Alot of talk about Danica, which I guess is to be expected, but isn't the idea of equality to show no favoritism or differences with the other's? She's just another "driver" out there.

I had high hopes for PDM for the last two years. I thought they were going to be a full-time team, but teaming with Roth shows me there nowhere close to that.

Good start guys!

[drdisque]

I've already started my nerdy notetaking on what cars have actually appeared on the track during the month. It comes in handy on bump day knowing what cars have actually been on the track (and therefore actually exist) that are available.

[mabs_nsx]

how many cars will be racing in the indy 500?

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by mabs_nsx

how many cars will be racing in the indy 500?

Unless some of the smaller teams manages to wipe themselves out in major practice accidents, I think it's safe to say 33 won't be a problem. We should even see some qualifying bumps this year

[rustyfan]

Some notes from second day of Rookie Orientation...


Some speeds from yesterday:

Danica Patrick, 222.741mph
Tomas Enge, 219.914mph
Sebastien Bourdais, 219.421mph
Jeff Ward, 211.200mph
Scott Mayer, 204.217mph


Danica Patrick had the following comments following day two: "I've had fun these last couple of days, just being able to learn it by myself before I get out there with everybody else and felt uncomfortable blowing around in their wind. I was curious what the orientation was going to be like, but it's been good. That's what you do at Indy, you just keep trimming it out. You go faster and you just make sure you're still comfortable, and that's kind of what the program is. And of course there's going to be setup issues that are going to come up along the way, and we're going to do a little bit here and a little bit there until the balance is right, but for the most part, Buddy (Rice) and Vitor (Meira) worked really hard last year and the engineers worked really hard and the car is really good. Basically, I'm driving what they drove last year, and it's actually going pretty well, so I'm pleased."


Tomas Enge had some discomfort due to his ribs, but still logged 74 laps on day two. He had this to say: "Driving the track for me today felt much better. This track is so special and so unique that it can be very difficult for the drivers. So we're just trying to take it slow in our RockStar Chevy and work our way up to faster speeds. My ribs still feel the same, but I'm getting comfortable and now we can start to work on the car. The speeds are getting better, and now I want to get into the groove of this track."


Sebastien Bourdais had this to say: "This place is legendary. It's a racetrack you have to treat with a lot of respect. I'm really happy that CENTRIX made this possible for me; they were going to run one car for Bruno but expanded their involvement for a second car for me. I didn't know what to expect here, I've got absolutely no experience. It was really important for me to participation in ROP because I've never driven an IRL car before.

"The only time I drove an open-wheel car with low downforce was in September of 2003 at a test in Fontana. For me, on Superspeedways, we are really starting from scratch. Since 1999 in my first participation in Le Mans, I have always liked driving different cars under different circumstances with different teams. You are enlarging your possibilities in front of you for your career. You can use this experience bit by bit and I know it has helped me a lot. I have been able to get up to speed a lot quicker in the different situations I have been in because of it.

"The team has been working their behinds off. There was too much work to be ready in time but it took the pressure off of me. At the end of the day I felt good in the car and I'm ready to start testing."


Jeff Ward took the refresher course driving the Vision Racing 20T car, which is Ed Carpenter's spare. Ward admitted it had been a long time since he last raced an Indy car and "even if I went out with one of my old cars it would have felt weird. But it felt fine," the 7-time motocross champ admitted. "Right now the brain is trying to catch up with the speed, particularly in the corners but it's good so far. Hopefully tomorrow will be better."


Paul Dana was expected to drive yesterday but didn't show up. After passing his rookie orientation on Sunday he went home to rest as he apparently wasn't feeling well, so that is probably the reason he decided to skip yesterday's running.


Ryan Briscoe, Patrick Carpentier, Larry Foyt and Jeff Bucknum all decided to sit out yesterday's running. Foyt was on hand to assist Scott Mayer who eventually passed three of the four phases that are part of the rookie orientation.


34 drivers have passed their physicals and are eligble to run in practice that is set to start today at 12pm ET, and a total of 39 cars are now at the Speedway of which 24 have passed technical inspection.

[marcus]

well done Rustyfan

this slipped past me that orientation was beginning , kinda gets the goosebumps going doesnt it ?

Ive already booked the day off work , so I can stay home and watch it (god i hope it doesnt rain )

good to see the rookies doing well and I hope the month of may is a strong and safe one.

bring on Indy

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by GP Racer

Alot of talk about Danica, which I guess is to be expected, but isn't the idea of equality to show no favoritism or differences with the other's? She's just another "driver" out there.

Of course, but at the same time one can't ignore the fact that she is a woman in an enviroment traditionally - and still currently - dominated by men.

And until at least one third of the field consists of female racers who not only competes on equal terms but also win races on a regular basis, any female racer will continue to attract a lot of attention.

I'd say Danica has reached the first step, in getting a competitive ride, and I definitely believe she has the talent to reach the second step, becoming a race winner.

Anyhow, enough OT from me

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by marcus

this slipped past me that orientation was beginning , kinda gets the goosebumps going doesnt it ?

It certainly does

Originally Posted by marcus

Ive already booked the day off work , so I can stay home and watch it (god i hope it doesnt rain )

Hm, now that you mention it I also need to take Monday off since I'll be watching the Coca-Cola 600 afterwards as well.

Going to be a looong day of racing

And yes, rain would suck.

Originally Posted by marcus

good to see the rookies doing well and I hope the month of may is a strong and safe one.

I haven't heard of any accidents during rookie orientation, so they are certainly off to a good start (knock on wood).

[rustyfan]

Some more notes...

- Speeds are estimated to reach around 226-228mph.

- Penske Team President Tim Cindric extinguished rumors about the team running a third car this month even though it has three on the entry list. "Not a chance," he said.

- Scott Mayer has to complete the fourth phase of the rookie test today if he doesn't want his Month of May to end before it has started for real.


Regarding Cindric's comment, I don't think that would eliminate the chance of someone else buying into the car and fielding it under another name, so to speak (as done in previous years). I reckon this was pretty much expected even before Cindric's comment though...

[jock25]

When do the big guns come out to play? Is it today? Assuming the conditions are favourable it certainly looks as if this year's pole time will be a good 2-4mph faster than last years.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by jock25

When do the big guns come out to play? Is it today? Assuming the conditions are favourable it certainly looks as if this year's pole time will be a good 2-4mph faster than last years.

Open practice starts today, yes. This year was the first time Rookie Orientation has opened the activites at Indy - in the past Rookie Orientation was usually held a couple of weeks before opening day.

The IndyStar has a good piece on opening day available here:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...505090369/1052




Also, some comments about Indy from some of the "outsider" newcomers:

Said by Sebastien Bourdais:

"I'm definitely excited," he said. "Everybody knows about the Indianapolis 500 and it's a great honor to be a part of it."

Said by Ryan Briscoe:

"This is one of those races that since I was a young kid I've looked at as, I don't know how to say it, like a fantasy," the 23-year-old Australian said. "And all of a sudden, here we are."

Thought it was interesting in the sense that Indianapolis, despite what many naysayers prefer to insist, still has a special place among drivers all over the world.

[jock25]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Thought it was interesting in the sense that Indianapolis, despite what many naysayers prefer to insist, still has a special place among drivers all over the world.

I hate to be a naysayer but... I think Bourdais/Briscoe might be the last 'generation' who think that way. Like me they are old enough to remember the pre-96 split times and have some sort of understanding of who Rick Mears, Mario, Jim Clark, Foyt are/were - Emmo, Mansell, Al Unser, Paul Tracy, the awesome Penske-Mercs in 93.
The question is whether the next batch will still talk about Indy with the passion and excitement it deserves having grown up in the post-96 open-wheel wilderness. Teenage race fans in the US at the moment probably have something more to say about Daytona or crazy Nextel Cup tracks like Talladega than Indy.

Thanks for the info rustyfan.

[jock25]

Just in case anyone else is like me and a bit confused about the new Indy qualifying format, here is a helpful, simple summary:

http://www.indycar.com/news/2005/ind...edia_quals.pdf

Should also be a good help for the Pick Ems contest...

[Snrub]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Thought it was interesting in the sense that Indianapolis, despite what many naysayers prefer to insist, still has a special place among drivers all over the world.

What else do you expect them to say? I don't want to be here, my sponsors are wasting their money? If a driver has a choice between driving and not driving, they're going to pick the former. If a driver was given the opportunity to run at Indy, most would take it. Look at the 24 of Daytona, it had a star studded lineup not because anyone was forced to race, but because they wanted to drive. I think we can all agree that it is a far less significant event than Indy.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by Snrub

What else do you expect them to say? I don't want to be here, my sponsors are wasting their money? If a driver has a choice between driving and not driving, they're going to pick the former. If a driver was given the opportunity to run at Indy, most would take it. Look at the 24 of Daytona, it had a star studded lineup not because anyone was forced to race, but because they wanted to drive. I think we can all agree that it is a far less significant event than Indy.

It doesn't hurt to have such a sweet payday to look forward to, either....the car that finishes last will earn a six-figure paycheck for the team, which is usually larger than a winning purse for most racing series events.

[jock25]

Wheldon fastest in practice so far - 224.998mph! Plus another 5 drivers are in the 223mph bracket:

Castroneves; Sharp; Franchitti; Junqueira; Matsuura all 223mph bracket.

Looks like my views on Newman-Haas struggling were complete rubbish!!!

Top rookie: Briscoe 222.251 mph 10th fastest

Top Chevy: Scheckter 222.485 mph 8th fastest

[Tim Northcutt]

and it is rather warm and humid here today...they haven't even begun to trim them out yet....

The new racing surface is going to surprise everyone by how quick it will be this year....

[mac]

Interesting story from Chip Ganassi on indycar.com:

CHIP GANASSI (Owner, Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “I told Ryan that I had hired a two-time winner, Arie Luyendyk, to help him with little tips and suggestions. I told him that couldn’t remember everything and wouldn’t be available at times during the month. I guess it was a lot for him to take in because as the conversation ended, Briscoe asked me, “What’s that guy’s name again?”

[GP Racer]

Three drivers broke 226MPH, almost getting 227 today, Wheldon, Sharp and Castroneves. Wow, these 3 are fast right out of the gate! Tim, I think your right, this is going to be one fast 500.

So I guess Snrub was right mac, Arie Luyendyck's name is not as memorable or big as I thought it was!

[drdisque]

ya, remember last time they paved the track speeds jumped 4 mph with few rules changes.

Also, Mayer can complete ROP at any time, he only has to complete it before he can make a qualifying attempt. The Rookie days are there to give the rookies days where there are less cars on the track and there won't be a bunch of fast veterans riding their ass.

[mabs_nsx]

Briscoe 7th out of 39 cars