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98th Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500 Teams Turn Attention to Race Setup

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After two days of entertaining but hectic qualifications, the 33 starters for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race turned their attention to Race Day car set-up during a five-hour session on the 2.5-mile oval.

“I feel good about where our cars are in race trim, (but) you can always use one more solid day of practice just to tune on things, get a little better, make sure both myself and (teammate) JR (Hildebrand) are happy,” said Verizon P1 Award winner Ed Carpenter, who logged 49 laps with a fastest of 224.492 mph in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka car.

All 33 starters turned a cumulative total of 2,329. Josef Newgarden, who qualified eighth in the No. 67 Hartman Oil/Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing car, was fastest with a lap of 227.105 mph (39.6292 seconds). Juan Pablo Montoya, who qualified 10th, was second (226.532 mph) in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske car. Drivers will have a 60-minute race tune-up May 23.

An incident involving Kurt Busch brought out a yellow flag 95 minutes into the session when the No. 26 Suretone car for Andretti Autosport made right-side contact with the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier. Busch was checked at the IU Health Infield Medical Center at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and cleared to drive.

“I was starting to feel comfortable,” said Busch, who had just completed a lap of 223.433 mph (his 56th). “That’s when I made the mistake of just letting my guard down or settling into that long run-type mentality whereas with an Indy car you have to be on edge. I was trying to find that rhythm and pace myself as I would on (Race Day, May 25) and I just got behind on the adjustments on the car.”

Busch, who qualified 12th, will be the fourth driver to attempt the feat of competing in the Indianapolis 500 and a NASCAR race in Concord, N.C., on the same day (and the first since Tony Stewart, who in 2001 completed all 1,100 miles).

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Mark Cuban will serve as honorary starter for 98th Indianapolis 500

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The Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced that Dallas Mavericks Owner and star of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” Mark Cuban will serve as the honorary starter of the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 25.

Cuban will wave the green flag to start the field of 33 drivers in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” which begins at noon (ET) and will be televised live on ABC.

“Whether it’s winning an NBA Championship or the honor of waving the green flag to start the Indianapolis 500, there are certain sporting events that are monumental for any true sports fan,” said Cuban. “I am excited to come back to Indiana, not just to attend, but actually participate in this historic race.”

“Marc Cuban brings Indiana ties, a passion for sporting events, and a diverse following of fans around the globe to the flag stand at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “His successes and personality are well known in the business and entertainment world and we look forward to watching him wave the green flag to start the 98th Indianapolis 500.”

Since the age of 12, Mark has been a natural businessman. Selling garbage bags door to door, the seed was planted early on for what would eventually become long-term success. After graduating from Indiana University – where he briefly owned the most popular bar in town – Mark moved to Dallas. After a dispute with an employer who wanted him to clean instead of closing an important sale, Mark created MicroSolutions, a computer consulting service. He went on to later sell MicroSolutions in 1990 to CompuServe.

In 1995, Mark and long-time friend Todd Wagner came up with an internet based solution to not being able to listen to Hoosiers Basketball games out in Texas. That solution was Broadcast.com – streaming audio over the internet. In just four short years, Broadcast.com (then Audionet) would be sold to Yahoo for $5.6 billion dollars.

Since his acquisition of the Dallas Mavericks in 2000, he has overseen the Mavs competing in the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history in 2006 – and becoming NBA World Champions in 2011. They are currently listed as one of Forbes’ most valuable franchises in sports. He shares his wealth of experience and business savvy in his first published book “How To Win At The Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It.” On top of his business adventures, the 55-year-old is also a “shark” investor on the popular ABC television series “Shark Tank,” which he joined in 2010.

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

 

Off-Road Truck Racing Comes to IMS on Carb Day

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One of the greatest achievements in the history of off-road racing will occur on Friday, May 23 when the Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS series competes on the world’s most famous race track – the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by TRAXXAS race will take place on Coors Light Carb Day in conjunction with Indianapolis 500 Race Weekend. The Stadium Super Trucks will race on a modified course on the front straight of the famed 2.5-mile oval and a portion of the infield road course.

“Coors Light Carb Day is a fan favorite at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway because it combines racing and other entertainment in one afternoon and the addition of the TRAXXAS series to our schedule provides further excitement during the day,” said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. “The Stadium Super Trucks race often with the Verizon IndyCar Series and produce an incredibly exciting style of racing everywhere they run and we look forward to seeing them put on a show at IMS.”

The Formula Off-Road Presented by Traxxas series features identically prepared trucks, which are made to resemble their scaled-down TRAXXAS radio-control-car counterparts. Like their TRAXXAS namesake, the trucks are designed to take flight and withstand aggressive driving, however, unlike RC trucks, they produce 600 horsepower generating speeds greater than 130 miles per hour.

The opportunity to race at the Brickyard will also mark the third time in 2014 the TRAXXAS series will race with the Verizon IndyCar Series, and marks the return of series-founder Robby Gordon to competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“My first trip to Indy as a competitor was in 1993 driving for A.J. Foyt,” said Gordon, who is a ten-time Indianapolis 500 competitor and a 12-time Brickyard 400 driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Indianapolis. “I grew up watching Rick Mears, A.J. and others race at the Speedway and dreamed of driving there, but I never imagined we would race off-road trucks at Indy. I have a lot of great memories from Indianapolis and this will be another one added to the list.”

The Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by TRAXXAS race on Coors Light Carb Day will be broadcast on NBCSN June 13 at midnight EDT. The schedule for Coors Light Carb Day is:

Friday, May 23 – Coors Light Carb Day

  • 11:00 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Practice
  • 12:30 p.m. Indy Lights Freedom 100 Race
  • 2:00 p.m. Tag Heuer Pit Stop Competition
  • 3:15 p.m. Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by Traxxas Practice
  • 3:30 p.m. Coors Light Carb Day Concert with Sammy Hagar and the Wabos and Sublime With Rome
  • 4:40 p.m. Menards at the Brickyard Formula Off-Road by TRAXXAS Race

The Stadium Super Trucks that will race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will hit man-made ramps at more than 100 mph at multiple locations throughout the circuit hurling drivers nearly 20 feet in the air and 150 feet down course. The series was created to bring the excitement of Baja-style desert racing to large crowds of race fans.

The first rounds of the 2014 Formula Off-Road Presented by TRAXXAS series were held at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix and the Long Beach Grand Prix. Both events have produced incredible racing in front of nearly 100,000 fans at each venue.

The franchise format created for the Stadium Super Trucks makes business sense for drivers and marketers given that they don’t have to outspend other teams to be competitive. Each week the series builds, maintains and delivers race-ready trucks to competitors, which eliminates start-up costs and day-to-day overhead of running a team. A driver’s focus is on winning races and delivering for their sponsors. All of which is ultimately a benefit to fans.

SOURCE: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

98th Indianapolis 500 Practice Schedule for May 19th

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Information about 2014 Indianapolis 500 activity on Monday, May 19 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

DAY: Indianapolis 500 Practice

SCHEDULE (all times local):

  • 10:00 a.m. Public Gates Open
  • Noon Verizon IndyCar Series Practice Begins
  • 5:00 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Practice Concludes
  • 6:00 p.m. Public Gates Close

TICKETS: $15, children 12 and under free.

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: 10:00 a.m. (local time). Pedestrian gates open are Gates 1B, 2, 4, 6, 6A, 7 South, 9A, 10, 10A, 12.

STANDS OPEN: B Stand (As needed GA – Sec. 22-25), E Stand (Open-GA), North Vista Wheelchair (As needed GA, Sec. 21), Northwest Vista (As needed GA, Sec. 1-4), Northwest Vista Deck (Open-GA), Paddock (As needed GA, Sec. 9-18), Paddock Pressbox (Open-GA), Paddock Penthouse (As needed GA, Sec. 9-30), Pit Road Terrace (Open-GA), South Terrace (Open-GA), Tower Terrace (As needed GA, Sec. 37-42), Tower Terrace Wheelchair (Open-GA), Wheelchair Accessible (Inside-Open GA), Backstretch Mounds (Open-GA), Backstretch Family Mounds (Open-GA), Turn 2 Mounds (Open-GA), Turn 3 Mounds (Open-GA), Gasoline Alley Roof (Open-GA)

MUSEUM HOURS: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for fans 6-15 years old, with children under 6 free. Gate admission to the Indianapolis 500 is not included in Museum admission and must be purchased separately.

Ed Carpenter back-to-back Indianapolis 500 Pole Winner

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Ed Carpenter will start from the pole of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race for the second year in a row. The 33-car field is the fastest in Indianapolis 500 history (229.382 mph), breaking the previous record of 228.648 mph set in 2002.

The owner/driver of the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet was the final qualifier May 18 and recorded a four-lap average of 231.067 mph to bump James Hinchcliffe from the top spot and claim the $100,000 Verizon P1 Award for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500.

Carpenter is the 11th driver to earn back-to-back poles for the Indianapolis 500 — the most recent Helio Castroneves in 2009-10. Carpenter’s four-lap average was the fastest since 2003, when Castroneves won the pole (231.725 mph) and was the race runner-up. Carpenter earned the Verizon P1 Award last May with a four-lap average speed of 228.762 mph.

“It’s awesome to do this two years in a row; I was surprised last year and didn’t expect to do it this year with such deep competition. It’s exciting, but after going through this last year and not winning the race I’ve been so much more determined,” said Carpenter, who led 37 laps but finished 10th. “Now it’s all about the race, and we want to close the deal.”

The Fast Nine Shootout closed two intriguing days of qualifications under a new format that set the field May 17 and determined starting positions May 18.

Juan Pablo Montoya recorded a four-lap average of 231.007 mph average in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske car to lead the qualifiers for positions 10-33. He’ll be on Row 4 with reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon (230.928 mph average) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and first-year competitor Kurt Busch (230.027) in the No. 26 Suretone car for Andretti Autosport.

Six of those 24 qualifiers registered four-lap averages above 230 mph, and all but four bettered their average speed from Round 1. Row 11 features the youngest – 19-year-old Sage Karam – and oldest – 46-year-old Buddy Lazier – alongside Sebastian Saavedra, who will be 24 on June 2.

The difference in time between Carpenter and Lazier (2.1509 seconds) is the closest field by time in the history of the Indianapolis 500. The previous closest was 2.5399 seconds in 2011. The difference in speed between Carpenter and Lazier (3.147 mph) is the second-closest field by speed in the history of the race. The closest was 3.130 mph in 1953.

Hinchcliffe, who eight days earlier suffered a concussion in the Grand Prix of Indianapolis and was cleared to drive May 15, registered a fast lap of 231.618 mph on his first lap in the session and averaged 230.839 mph in the No. 27 United Fiber & Data car. Will Power (230.697 average) will start on the outside of Row 1 — his second front-row start.

Castroneves, seeking his fourth Indy 500 victory, recorded the fastest qualifying lap of the two days (231.671) in the Fast Nine Shootout in the No. 3 Pennzoil Ultra Platinum Team Penske car. Simon Pagenaud (230.614) and Marco Andretti (230.544), who qualified third last year, will join Castroneves on Row 2.

Carlos Munoz, who started and finished second last year as a rookie, qualified on the inside of Row 3 (230.146) in the No. 34 Cinsay AndrettiTV.com HVM car. Josef Newgarden, in his third season with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing, qualified eighth (229.893) and JR Hildebrand (228.726), the 2011 race runner-up as a rookie and the first qualifier in this session, qualified ninth.

SOURCE: INDYCAR

98th Indianapolis 500 Starting Lineup

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Results of qualifying Sunday for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Rank, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and four-lap average speed in parentheses:

1. (20) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevy, 02:35.7992 (231.067)
2. (27) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:35.9528 (230.839)
3. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.0488 (230.697)
4. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.0812 (230.649)
5. (77) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.1049 (230.614)
6. (25) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.1526 (230.544)
7. (34) Carlos Munoz, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.4224 (230.146)
8. (67) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.5946 (229.893)
9. (21) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.3938 (228.726)
10. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dallara-Chevy, 02:35.8396 (231.007)
11. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Chevy, 02:35.8930 (230.928)
12. (26) Kurt Busch, Dallara-Honda, 02:35.9913 (230.782)
13. (98) Jack Hawksworth, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.1779 (230.506)
14. (19) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.3480 (230.256)
15. (7) Mikhail Aleshin, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.4881 (230.049)
16. (10) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.5750 (229.922)
17. (11) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 02:36.6259 (229.847)
18. (16) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.6905 (229.752)
19. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.7132 (229.719)
20. (15) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 02:36.7756 (229.628)
21. (18) Carlos Huertas, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.0328 (229.251)
22. (63) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.0521 (229.223)
23. (14) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.0671 (229.201)
24. (68) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.1038 (229.148)
25. (6) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.1990 (229.009)
26. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.2376 (228.953)
27. (5) Jacques Villeneuve, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.2400 (228.949)
28. (33) James Davison, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.2977 (228.865)
29. (41) Martin Plowman, Dallara-Honda, 02:37.3333 (228.814)
30. (8) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.4028 (228.713)
31. (22) Sage Karam, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.5931 (228.436)
32. (17) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.8335 (228.088)
33. (91) Buddy Lazier, Dallara-Chevy, 02:37.9501 (227.920)

Be a Follower – IndyCar drivers on Twitter

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Here’s a list of all 33 drivers entered in the 98th Indianapolis 500 and their Twitter handles. Go! Be a follower!

Juan Pablo Montoya – @jpmontoya

Helio Castroneves – @h3lio

Jacques Villeneuve – @27villeneuve

Townsend Bell – @townsendbell99

Mikhail Aleshin – @mikhailaleshin

Ryan Briscoe – @ryan_briscoe

Scott Dixon – @scottdixon9

Tony Kanaan – @tonykanaan

Sebastien Bourdais – @bourdaisontrack

Will Power – @12willpower

Takuma Sato – @takumasatoracer

Graham Rahal – @grahamrahal

Oriol Servia – @oriolservia

Sebastian Saavedra – @sebsaavedra

Carlos Huertas – @carlos_huertas

Justin Wilson – @justin_wilson

Ed Carpenter – @edcarpenter20

JR Hildebrand – @jrhildebrand

Sage Karam – @sagekaram

Marco Andretti – @marcoandretti

Kurt Busch – @kurtbusch

James Hinchcliffe – @hinchtown

Ryan Hunter-Reay – @ryanhunterreay

Carlos Munoz – @carlosmunoz034

Martin Plowman – @plowey

Pippa Mann – @pippamann

Josef Newgarden – @josefnewgarden

Alex Tagliani – @tagliani

Simon Pagenaud – @simonpagenaud

Charlie Kimball – @racewithinsulin

Buddy Lazier – @lpr_indycar

Jack Hawksworth – @jackhawk98

James Davison – @jddavison007  <— NOT @hinchtown like the spotter’s guide at IMS says. Though you really should follow @hinchtown because he’s hilarious.

98th Indianapolis 500 Pole Day Qualifying Schedule

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Information about 2014 Indianapolis 500 activity on Sunday, May 18 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

DAY: Old National Armed Forces Pole Day

SCHEDULE (all times local):

  • 7:00 a.m. Public Gates Open
  • 8:30 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Practice Begins
  • 9:00 a.m. IMS Midway Open
  • 9:30 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Practice Concludes / Sam Schmidt Event Begins
  • 9:45 a.m. Enlistment Ceremony Begins – Plaza Stage
  • 10:15 a.m. Enlistment Ceremony Concludes – Plaza Stage
  • 11:00 a.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Group 1 Qualifying / (Positions 10 – 33, each driver will make one attempt)  / Rapid Fire Concert Begins – Plaza Stage
  • Noon Rapid Fire Concert Concludes – Plaza Stage
  • 12:15 p.m. American Dairy Pin Distribution Begins – Pagoda Plaza
  • 1:15 p.m. American Dairy Pin Distribution Concludes – Pagoda Plaza / Qualifying Pre-Race Show Begins – Pagoda Plaza Stage
  • 2:00 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Fast 9 Qualifying Begins / Qualifying Pre-Race Show Concludes – Pagoda Plaza Stage
  • 2:45 p.m. Verizon IndyCar Series Fast 9 Qualifying Concludes
  • 3:00 p.m. Verizon Pole Award Celebration
  • 4:00 p.m. IMS Midway Close / Public Gates Close

TICKETS: $20, children 12 and under free.

PROMOTIONS: 12:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m. Chevrolet Pin Distribution – Pagoda Plaza

HONORARY STARTERS :

  • Verizon (4 Representatives)
  • Sunoco (6 Representatives)
  • NCAA – President Mark Emmert
  • Bryant – John Gibbons
  • Hoosier Mama – KC Cranfill
  • Deem Representative (TBD)
  • Safety Management Group Representative (TBD)
  • Sysco Representative (TBD)
  • Stanley / Black & Decker Representative (TBD)

PUBLIC GATES OPEN: 10:00 a.m. (local time). Pedestrian gates open are Gates 1, 1B, 2, 3, 4, 6, 6A, 7 South, 9, 9A, 10, 10A, 12.

STANDS OPEN : A Stand (As needed GA Sec. 1-4), B Stand (As needed GA – Sec. 22-25), B Penthouse (Open GA-Sec. 22-25), E Stand (Open-GA), E Penthouse (Open-GA), North Vista Wheelchair (As needed GA, Sec. 21), Northwest Vista (As needed GA, Sec. 1-6), Northwest Vista Deck (Open-GA), Paddock (As needed GA, Sec. 9-18), Paddock Pressbox (Open-GA), Paddock Penthouse (As needed GA, Sec. 9-30), Pit Road Terrace (Open-GA), Southeast Vista (As needed GA Sec. 1-3), Southeast Vista Deck (Open-GA), South Terrace (Open-GA), Tower Terrace (As needed GA, Sec. 37-42), Tower Terrace Wheelchair (Open-GA), Wheelchair Accessible (Inside-Open GA), Backstretch Mounds (Open-GA), Backstretch Family Mounds (Open-GA), Turn 2 Mounds (Open-GA), Turn 3 Mounds (Open-GA), Gasoline Alley Roof (Open-GA)

MUSEUM HOURS: 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for fans 6-15 years old, with children under 6 free. Gate admission to the Indianapolis 500 is not included in Museum admission and must be purchased separately.