| LIVE UPDATES Monday, May 12 - TRACK CLOSED |
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.
Monday, May 12 PHOTOS (track closed)
UPDATES:
3:00 pm
Sometimes here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and maybe oftentimes - if you hang around here long
enough, something special is bound to happen. Today was one of those times.
I was taking a tour of the garage area trying to dig up some good information for you, but was disappointed as
there was no one around. There were I'd say a third of the teams that were working (although others may have
been behind closed garage doors), but many of the teams had the day off or had left early. So I was just taking
some general pictures of the grounds on an off-day here, when I decided to go see what the Indy Racing
Experience two-seater program was doing (www.indyracingexperience.com). Jeff Sinden, Joe Kennedy and Scott
Jasek run the Indy Racing Experience for the IRL.
I thought I'd take a few pictures of the custom-made two-seater and be on my way, when I ran into Danica Patrick
exiting from one of the public restrooms across from the F1 garages. Hmmmmm. What would lure her from the
privacy of the motorcoach or suite for such a task? She was in a huge hurry to get somewhere, so I didn't ask. I
was taking a picture of the cars when up walks Indy 500 veteran Stephan Gregoire, who was piloting one of the
two-seaters today, with Panther Racing's sponsor, National Guard, all over his car, firesuits, pit equipment and
helmets. We exchanged pleasantries and I went to turn around and bumped straight into a firesuit-wearing Mario
Andretti, who was the other driver for the two-seater experience today! He told me he was giving quite a few rides
today before heading to Sam Schmidt's Racing To Recovery Gala this evening, and then heading home to
Nazareth, Pa., for the week. He seemed a little bit jazzed about the cars, too!
So I head out to pit lane where a big group of people representing Peak were waiting for their IndyCar ride
experience - they were having a corporate day at IMS today, which explains why Danica was there as Peak
sponsors her (she gave a Q & A to the group earlier).
Mario was suited up in a Mario Andretti Racing School (www.andrettiracing.com) firesuit, looking as fit as the day
he drove here last. He chatted with the riders a bit - very relaxed - posed for pictures, and had a bit of a
conversation with Gregoire, Sam Schmidt, and Davey Hamilton (who also gives two-seater rides and whose Indy
500 sponsor - HP - adorned the car Mario was driving) before getting his trademark Andretti helmet on and
hopping in the two-seater. What a treat for those Peak employees! Mario's twin brother Aldo also showed up to
witness Mario back in a car at the Speedway again! Hamilton told me, "Mario's taking my place (driving the
two-seater) - they've got the 'real man' now." They let Mario take a few laps on his own to get a feel for the car as
he had never been in this particular two-seater before. An IRL employee related that Mario actually really wanted
to drive the Indy Racing Experience two-seater today - Mario said it was a better car than his own school's car
(mainly because the Dallara the IRL uses is custom made and has a huge 3.5 liter engine in it - it will really
move). Any excuse to get back into a race car - I guess you can't take the driver out of the man! The first rider
was a sports anchor who absolutely went nuts when Mario was pulling back into the pits after his ride, pumping
both arms in the air and screaming at the top of his lungs. He got on air right as he got out of the car and was like
a little kid at Christmas after they had just gotten their prized favorite gift. The camera stopped but this guy just
kept exclaiming to anyone who would listen that he couldn't stop shaking - it was a great moment.
The two-seaters take riders around this 2.5-mile oval for three laps - a total of 7.5 miles. They are allowed to go
up to 180 mph with a rider as the policy is to only let them go to 75% of an IndyCar's qualifying speed at any given
track, but I was told they typically "only" go 170-175 mph. I wondered aloud if Mario pushed it above that 180 mph
barrier in his practice laps as he did not have a rider at that time - no one seemed to have a clock on him,
though. The custom Dallara is 28" longer than an IRL IndyCar machine, and is not a toy car - it's a
fully-functioning IndyCar. The Indy Racing Experience,has been giving rides since 2000, and now has four
two-seaters in their stable. However, if you want to join in the fun, it might be next year before you can find an
open slot - I was told they "might" have had one date open up this year.
See today's photos for some really neat shots of Mario's two-seater rides!
I spoke with Davey Hamilton while we were watching Mario's "joy ride," and congratulated him on a successful first
promotion of the famed Terre Haute Action Track by DHK Promotions, of which Hamilton is the "H" (IMS Radio
Host Mike King is the "K" and Terre Haute businessman Brian Dorsett is the "D"). Although THAT drew about
2200 fans for it's first race, a MSCS non-winged Sprint show a few weeks ago, Hamilton was a bit disappointed in
that figure (although he said they didn't lose any money), blaming a lower-than-expected attendance on the race
being moved from a Friday to a rain date Sunday against another local sprint show. He said to me, "You know,
people keep coming up to me and congratulating me on "saving" the Terre Haute Action Track, but I'm not doing
it. It's up to you (the fans) - you have to come and support it. I've put enough of my own money into it, and
before I sink anymore in, I'll walk away. I'm not saving it - the fans have to do that themselves by coming to the
races. We'll see how it goes on the 22nd (USAC National Sprint Car Series 'Tony Hulman Classic')."
11:30 am
The track is closed today and there is no on-track activity (except the IndyCar 2-Seater rides), but the public
gates are open and the teams are actively working on their speed machines in preparation for practice later this
week. Most teams who have yet to qualify have indicated that their strategy changed after yesterday's rained-out
second day of qualifying - from working on a qualifying setup to now solely working on a solid race setup.
It's a beautiful day here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and, of course, there's no practice scheduled
today! It's sunny and supposed to get up to around 65 degrees. I believe the forecast is the same for tomorrow.
But then more rain is expected for Wednesday, the next day the cars are scheduled to b on track for practice.
Long-range forecast predicts chance of rain every day after that through the weekend. What a bummer!
It's quiet around here - a strange feeling after such a busy Pole Day! No staff and only a few yellow shirts blowing
their whistles! After a stressful week of rain and preparations for Pole Day, I'm sure people are taking a
well-deserved day off.
Will head to the garage area in a bit to see what's going on today!
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.
Monday, May 12 PHOTOS (track closed)
UPDATES:
3:00 pm
Sometimes here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and maybe oftentimes - if you hang around here long
enough, something special is bound to happen. Today was one of those times.
I was taking a tour of the garage area trying to dig up some good information for you, but was disappointed as
there was no one around. There were I'd say a third of the teams that were working (although others may have
been behind closed garage doors), but many of the teams had the day off or had left early. So I was just taking
some general pictures of the grounds on an off-day here, when I decided to go see what the Indy Racing
Experience two-seater program was doing (www.indyracingexperience.com). Jeff Sinden, Joe Kennedy and Scott
Jasek run the Indy Racing Experience for the IRL.
I thought I'd take a few pictures of the custom-made two-seater and be on my way, when I ran into Danica Patrick
exiting from one of the public restrooms across from the F1 garages. Hmmmmm. What would lure her from the
privacy of the motorcoach or suite for such a task? She was in a huge hurry to get somewhere, so I didn't ask. I
was taking a picture of the cars when up walks Indy 500 veteran Stephan Gregoire, who was piloting one of the
two-seaters today, with Panther Racing's sponsor, National Guard, all over his car, firesuits, pit equipment and
helmets. We exchanged pleasantries and I went to turn around and bumped straight into a firesuit-wearing Mario
Andretti, who was the other driver for the two-seater experience today! He told me he was giving quite a few rides
today before heading to Sam Schmidt's Racing To Recovery Gala this evening, and then heading home to
Nazareth, Pa., for the week. He seemed a little bit jazzed about the cars, too!
So I head out to pit lane where a big group of people representing Peak were waiting for their IndyCar ride
experience - they were having a corporate day at IMS today, which explains why Danica was there as Peak
sponsors her (she gave a Q & A to the group earlier).
Mario was suited up in a Mario Andretti Racing School (www.andrettiracing.com) firesuit, looking as fit as the day
he drove here last. He chatted with the riders a bit - very relaxed - posed for pictures, and had a bit of a
conversation with Gregoire, Sam Schmidt, and Davey Hamilton (who also gives two-seater rides and whose Indy
500 sponsor - HP - adorned the car Mario was driving) before getting his trademark Andretti helmet on and
hopping in the two-seater. What a treat for those Peak employees! Mario's twin brother Aldo also showed up to
witness Mario back in a car at the Speedway again! Hamilton told me, "Mario's taking my place (driving the
two-seater) - they've got the 'real man' now." They let Mario take a few laps on his own to get a feel for the car as
he had never been in this particular two-seater before. An IRL employee related that Mario actually really wanted
to drive the Indy Racing Experience two-seater today - Mario said it was a better car than his own school's car
(mainly because the Dallara the IRL uses is custom made and has a huge 3.5 liter engine in it - it will really
move). Any excuse to get back into a race car - I guess you can't take the driver out of the man! The first rider
was a sports anchor who absolutely went nuts when Mario was pulling back into the pits after his ride, pumping
both arms in the air and screaming at the top of his lungs. He got on air right as he got out of the car and was like
a little kid at Christmas after they had just gotten their prized favorite gift. The camera stopped but this guy just
kept exclaiming to anyone who would listen that he couldn't stop shaking - it was a great moment.
The two-seaters take riders around this 2.5-mile oval for three laps - a total of 7.5 miles. They are allowed to go
up to 180 mph with a rider as the policy is to only let them go to 75% of an IndyCar's qualifying speed at any given
track, but I was told they typically "only" go 170-175 mph. I wondered aloud if Mario pushed it above that 180 mph
barrier in his practice laps as he did not have a rider at that time - no one seemed to have a clock on him,
though. The custom Dallara is 28" longer than an IRL IndyCar machine, and is not a toy car - it's a
fully-functioning IndyCar. The Indy Racing Experience,has been giving rides since 2000, and now has four
two-seaters in their stable. However, if you want to join in the fun, it might be next year before you can find an
open slot - I was told they "might" have had one date open up this year.
See today's photos for some really neat shots of Mario's two-seater rides!
I spoke with Davey Hamilton while we were watching Mario's "joy ride," and congratulated him on a successful first
promotion of the famed Terre Haute Action Track by DHK Promotions, of which Hamilton is the "H" (IMS Radio
Host Mike King is the "K" and Terre Haute businessman Brian Dorsett is the "D"). Although THAT drew about
2200 fans for it's first race, a MSCS non-winged Sprint show a few weeks ago, Hamilton was a bit disappointed in
that figure (although he said they didn't lose any money), blaming a lower-than-expected attendance on the race
being moved from a Friday to a rain date Sunday against another local sprint show. He said to me, "You know,
people keep coming up to me and congratulating me on "saving" the Terre Haute Action Track, but I'm not doing
it. It's up to you (the fans) - you have to come and support it. I've put enough of my own money into it, and
before I sink anymore in, I'll walk away. I'm not saving it - the fans have to do that themselves by coming to the
races. We'll see how it goes on the 22nd (USAC National Sprint Car Series 'Tony Hulman Classic')."
11:30 am
The track is closed today and there is no on-track activity (except the IndyCar 2-Seater rides), but the public
gates are open and the teams are actively working on their speed machines in preparation for practice later this
week. Most teams who have yet to qualify have indicated that their strategy changed after yesterday's rained-out
second day of qualifying - from working on a qualifying setup to now solely working on a solid race setup.
It's a beautiful day here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and, of course, there's no practice scheduled
today! It's sunny and supposed to get up to around 65 degrees. I believe the forecast is the same for tomorrow.
But then more rain is expected for Wednesday, the next day the cars are scheduled to b on track for practice.
Long-range forecast predicts chance of rain every day after that through the weekend. What a bummer!
It's quiet around here - a strange feeling after such a busy Pole Day! No staff and only a few yellow shirts blowing
their whistles! After a stressful week of rain and preparations for Pole Day, I'm sure people are taking a
well-deserved day off.
Will head to the garage area in a bit to see what's going on today!
