NOTES: Updates are listed with most recent post at the top. If you have any specific questions that I can
answer regarding activities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, please e-mail them to me HERE and I'll do
my best to post a response below.
Sunday, May 11 - 2nd Day Qualifications (rained out) PHOTOS - (photos are actually from late afternoon on Pole
Day, but because there's no activity going on at IMS today - Sunday - I thought I'd post them to enjoy today)
Saturday, May 10 - STARTING GRID AFTER POLE DAY (top-11 cars qualified)
INDY 500 QUALIFYING PROCEDURE
Schedule for Sunday, May 11th - 2nd Day of Qualifications:
8:00 am - Public Gates Open
10:15-11:15 am - IndyCar Series Practice (all cars)
Noon-6:00 pm - Second Day Qualifying
6:15 pm - Third Day Qualifying Draw
Sunday's Television Schedule
Noon-2:00 pm - ESPN2
5:00-6:30 pm - ESPN2
UPDATES:
4:00 pm
Just got back from a walk-through of the garages. Aside from three clowns walking in the rain (literally), there
was no one around. Most of the teams were either given the day off, or had left. Some of the drivers were
around in the morning, giving interviews, but they were long gone as well. Forecast for Monday and Tuesday
when the track is closed look to be good - partly sunny. However, rain is supposed to arrive on Wednesday just
in time to play havoc with more on-track practice - time that many of the transition teams and drivers who don't
run a regular schedule desperately need. And, I hate to say it, unfortunately, the rest of the week - including next
weekend's final days of qualifications - looks rainy as well. Let's hope the weather forecasters are just plain
wrong.
2:25 pm
Medical Update Correction - An announcement was just made in the Media Center correcting the earlier item that
stated Dale Coyne Racing chief mechanic Chuck Buckman had been released from Methodist Hospital. The
announcement stated that, upon further examination, Methodist Hospital will keep Buckman for further
evaluation.
2:15 pm
Just spoke with P.J. Jones, who visited the Media Center. He's not actively looking for a ride for this year's Indy
500 as he doesn't think that anything will be available for him. He's here working with Roy Garibaldi of radio
station KXAM 1310 out of Phoenix, which has a program called "Positive Side Of Sports," and P.J. does some
motorsports reporting for it. P.J. has raced in NASCAR a bit this year, in Trucks and has tested for Robby
Gordon, and will continue to do some west coast racing, possibly on the road courses, as well as continue testing
for Gordon this year.
1:45 pm
Medical Update on Dale Coyne Racing chief mechanic Chuck Buckman: Chuck has been released from
Methodist Hospital.
Two Rahal Letterman Racing mechanics en route to the team's headquarters in Hilliard, Ohio, to repair the
damaged car of Ryan Hunter-Reay were involved in an accident of their own. Mike Kranz and Jim Volini were
uninjured in the collision with a deer on Interstate 70. Their car, however, needed to be towed nearly 100 miles
to the shop.
Indianapolis 500 veteran Roberto Moreno was wandering the garages on Pole Day looking for a ride for this
year's Indy 500.
KV Racing drivers spent their down time in Gasoline Alley today with practical jokes, which included an electronic
noise maker that Oriol Servia used to embarrass teammate Will Power during an interview in the garage. The
noise maker, which was operated by a remote control that Servia was carrying, interrupted Power's interview and
sent him into hysterics that concluded the questioning. Power apologized to the interviewer and explained where
the noises were really coming from. Oriol Servia: "It's just something we have to do to entertain ourselves on
days like today."
12:05 pm
Today's activities have just officially been called off. However, I am still here at the IMS Media Center and will do
some more updates as the day progresses and I can get out in the rain to talk to some people. Public areas
won't be open, but the garages will be for the teams, and I'll head over there in a bit to see what's going on.
11:30 am
I took some more photos of yesterday's Happy Hour bumping action, but didn't post them because I was dealing
with the 150 photos I took from earlier in the day. The remainder of the photos from Pole Day will be able to be
seen HERE soon.
Have heard that we might see Jeff Simmons get a shot at A.J. Foyt's backup #41 this week.
9:30 am
Rain, rain, rain... and a whole bunch of wind. That's the story for today. This is the second day of qualifications,
and we were supposed to lock in positions 12-22, but it looks like we'll end up qualifying the rest of the field next
Saturday, scheduled to be the third day of qualifications as today is likely to be a total wash-out. They have not
officially closed the track yet - but expect it sometime early this afternoon.
answer regarding activities at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, please e-mail them to me HERE and I'll do
my best to post a response below.
Sunday, May 11 - 2nd Day Qualifications (rained out) PHOTOS - (photos are actually from late afternoon on Pole
Day, but because there's no activity going on at IMS today - Sunday - I thought I'd post them to enjoy today)
Saturday, May 10 - STARTING GRID AFTER POLE DAY (top-11 cars qualified)
INDY 500 QUALIFYING PROCEDURE
Schedule for Sunday, May 11th - 2nd Day of Qualifications:
8:00 am - Public Gates Open
10:15-11:15 am - IndyCar Series Practice (all cars)
Noon-6:00 pm - Second Day Qualifying
6:15 pm - Third Day Qualifying Draw
Sunday's Television Schedule
Noon-2:00 pm - ESPN2
5:00-6:30 pm - ESPN2
UPDATES:
4:00 pm
Just got back from a walk-through of the garages. Aside from three clowns walking in the rain (literally), there
was no one around. Most of the teams were either given the day off, or had left. Some of the drivers were
around in the morning, giving interviews, but they were long gone as well. Forecast for Monday and Tuesday
when the track is closed look to be good - partly sunny. However, rain is supposed to arrive on Wednesday just
in time to play havoc with more on-track practice - time that many of the transition teams and drivers who don't
run a regular schedule desperately need. And, I hate to say it, unfortunately, the rest of the week - including next
weekend's final days of qualifications - looks rainy as well. Let's hope the weather forecasters are just plain
wrong.
2:25 pm
Medical Update Correction - An announcement was just made in the Media Center correcting the earlier item that
stated Dale Coyne Racing chief mechanic Chuck Buckman had been released from Methodist Hospital. The
announcement stated that, upon further examination, Methodist Hospital will keep Buckman for further
evaluation.
2:15 pm
Just spoke with P.J. Jones, who visited the Media Center. He's not actively looking for a ride for this year's Indy
500 as he doesn't think that anything will be available for him. He's here working with Roy Garibaldi of radio
station KXAM 1310 out of Phoenix, which has a program called "Positive Side Of Sports," and P.J. does some
motorsports reporting for it. P.J. has raced in NASCAR a bit this year, in Trucks and has tested for Robby
Gordon, and will continue to do some west coast racing, possibly on the road courses, as well as continue testing
for Gordon this year.
1:45 pm
Medical Update on Dale Coyne Racing chief mechanic Chuck Buckman: Chuck has been released from
Methodist Hospital.
Two Rahal Letterman Racing mechanics en route to the team's headquarters in Hilliard, Ohio, to repair the
damaged car of Ryan Hunter-Reay were involved in an accident of their own. Mike Kranz and Jim Volini were
uninjured in the collision with a deer on Interstate 70. Their car, however, needed to be towed nearly 100 miles
to the shop.
Indianapolis 500 veteran Roberto Moreno was wandering the garages on Pole Day looking for a ride for this
year's Indy 500.
KV Racing drivers spent their down time in Gasoline Alley today with practical jokes, which included an electronic
noise maker that Oriol Servia used to embarrass teammate Will Power during an interview in the garage. The
noise maker, which was operated by a remote control that Servia was carrying, interrupted Power's interview and
sent him into hysterics that concluded the questioning. Power apologized to the interviewer and explained where
the noises were really coming from. Oriol Servia: "It's just something we have to do to entertain ourselves on
days like today."
12:05 pm
Today's activities have just officially been called off. However, I am still here at the IMS Media Center and will do
some more updates as the day progresses and I can get out in the rain to talk to some people. Public areas
won't be open, but the garages will be for the teams, and I'll head over there in a bit to see what's going on.
11:30 am
I took some more photos of yesterday's Happy Hour bumping action, but didn't post them because I was dealing
with the 150 photos I took from earlier in the day. The remainder of the photos from Pole Day will be able to be
seen HERE soon.
Have heard that we might see Jeff Simmons get a shot at A.J. Foyt's backup #41 this week.
9:30 am
Rain, rain, rain... and a whole bunch of wind. That's the story for today. This is the second day of qualifications,
and we were supposed to lock in positions 12-22, but it looks like we'll end up qualifying the rest of the field next
Saturday, scheduled to be the third day of qualifications as today is likely to be a total wash-out. They have not
officially closed the track yet - but expect it sometime early this afternoon.
| LIVE UPDATES Sunday, May 11 - 2nd Day Qualifications |
