So Robin Miller has had a few interesting quotes about Cleveland over the last few weeks. He said a few weeks ago that Cleveland might return as an oval (?!) on the airport track, and then threw in his normal vitriol. Granted, that vitriol would have been justly administered if it turned out to be true that they were considering going to Cleveland and not running the road course that was so successful for years. Seems he only got half the story and has now amended his earlier statement. On…
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IndyCar – Bump Day Extravaganza
Bump Day has come and gone and the field of 33 is set for the 93rd installment of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on this the 100th anniversary of the opening of the track in 1909. As if to honor the heady history of the venue, today’s on track action was superb. As it relates to qualifying, today’s weather was the best we have seen yet. Bright and sunny, low wind and mild temperatures allowed for the track to become predictably faster as the day went on. Action started at…
Read MoreIndyCar – Bruno Makes 3 Too Many
Bruno Junqueira has been confirmed in the #36 car for Conquest Racing. Granted, Indy has the highest payday on the circuit, but Conquest didn’t show up at Kansas and has openly admitted that their results at Indy (read payday) will determine if they show up at Milwaukee in two weeks. It seems a strange move to add an additional car in such an uncertain financial environment for them. But then again, Bruno is a proven commodity. He has sat on the pole at Indy before and he is a wily…
Read MoreIndyCar – Friday Action at Indy
Friday was the final practice before this weekend’s resumption of qualifying at the brickyard, and it was a day full of intrigue. Mike Conway was cleared to drive by the IRL’s medical staff this morning. He sustained a mild concussion which prompted the series to let him sit for a few days before taking a brain scan this morning to compare it with his baseline results observed before the season started. Mike was still running at the tail end of the field in speeds, so this weekend promises to be…
Read MoreIndyCar – Conway Home from Hospital
Mike Conway wadded up his #24 Dreyer and Reinbold entry Sunday morning during practice as he prepared for day 2 of qualifying for the Indy 500. The wreck was serious enough that he was transported to Methodist Hospital where he was diagnosed with a minor concussion and a bruised lung. Conway was released today and will be evaluated on Friday by IndyCar series staff for his potential return to action in time for Day 3 of qualifying on Saturday. I say potential due to Robin Miller’s report that Dennis Reinbold…
Read MoreIndyCar – 2nd Day of Qualifying
Raphael Matos put his car into the 12th starting spot for the Indianapolis 500 today with a 223.429 mph. Raphael spent most of his day Saturday on the bubble and was unable to put his car into the show until today. Sarah Fisher was the first to make an attempt today, but she had a major bobble and put up a poor time. She later withdrew that time and made a second attempt, ending up in 21st. Alex Taglianni made contact with the wall in practice this morning. He was…
Read MoreIndyCar – Helio on Pole for Indy 500
The weather today was certainly changeable. Winds varied from strong to non-existent. The sun kept peeking through the clouds and the relative humidity was all over the place. All of which made car setup a nightmare today for the drivers and engineers. Due to the strange weather conditions, many potential first day qualifiers opted to forgo their pill draw position in favor of waiting for better conditions. But as the day wore on, ideal qualifying conditions did not become readily apparent. Helio Castroneves ended up making his pole run in…
Read MoreIndyCar – Fast Friday Highlights
IndyCar – Fast Friday Results
Here we sit on the brink of Pole Day, and once more we get to analyze the practice times. Team Penske tops the charts with Ryan Briscoe, followed by teammate Helio Castroneves. Clearly Roger Penske wants pole and his drivers seem intent on bringing it home for him. On a side note, Roger’s license plate on his car is “1 INDY 14”. Also of note is that Will Power was 7th quick. Franchitti and Dixon were 3rd and 4th quick overall for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon has made comments…
Read MoreIndyCar – Sato+de Ferran+Roth=?
Is It May Yet? has been doing some trackside math after observing that Takuma Sato and Gil de Ferran are on the ground in Indy. Marty Roth has a sign up in Gasoline Alley over his garage space, but as of yet they have not moved equipment over from his shop. It could be inferred that he is mounting a one or two car effort on one of the 2nd week engine deals, but it certainly is confusing that they haven’t at least started preparation for that. Roth has had…
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