| LIVE UPDATES Thursday, May 22 - FREEDOM 100 PRACTICE/QUALS |
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.
Thursday, May 22 PHOTOS - Firestone Indy Lights Practice / Qualifying
Starting Grid for Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100
UPDATES:
4:15 pm
Tomorrow's Carb Day Schedule:
11:00am-noon - IndyCar Series final practice
12:30-1:30pm - Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 Race
1:30-3:00pm - Pit Stop Challenge
3:30pm - Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring the Stone Temple Pilots
NBC 'Nightly News with Brian Williams' will be airing from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Carb Day.
4:00 pm
The #12 Symantec Luczo Dragon Racing car driven by Tomas Scheckter will feature the logo of Eyes on the
Road, a campaign to fight blindness, during the Indy 500.
The Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series, and the Grand Prix Association of Long
Beach have agreed to a five-year contract that will have the cars and stars or the IndyCar Series racing on the
streets of Long Beach beginning next year through 2013.
Indianapolis 500 veteran Sarah Fisher is continuing her role as TAG Heuer brand ambassador by promoting the
motorsport-inspired TAG Heuer "Avant Garde" Eyewear.
Angie's List, where thousands of consumers share their ratings and reviews on local service providers in more
than 330 categories, has signed on as primary sponsor of the #5 KV Racing Technology entry driven by Oriol
Servia.
LIDS, a brand of Indianapolis-based specialty retailer Hat World, Inc., has signed as the primary sponsor of Marty
Roth's #25 car for the Indianapolis 500. LIDS will also be an associate sponsor of John Andretti's
1-800-Las-Vegas #24 car.
Planet Green, the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network from Discovery Communications
launching June 4, is coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend to spread a little
green at the Indianapolis 500, the largest-attended single-day sporting event in the world. Planet Green is
teaming up with the IndyCar Series to offer a greener experience at this year's Indy 500 and to educate fans
about how they can help the environment. After the last car has rounded the track and all of the fans have left
the Brickyard, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's greening efforts will still be in full swing. On Monday, May 26,
Planet Green will outfit the Indy cleanup and recycling crew in organic cotton Planet Green "Green Team" T-shirts
before they get to work on the enormous day-after cleanup. The network will also provide additional volunteers
to help pitch in with the cleanup efforts. The crew will make sure the Speedway and most of the garbage
produced during the race is sorted, and those items that can be recycled are put in proper containers and taken
to recycling centers. The cleanup will be captured on film and featured as a special part of Planet Green's new
series, "The 'G' Word: With "Garbologist" Todd Sutton.
The Firestone Indy Lights fight for the Firehawk Cup takes on more significant meaning today, with the
introduction of a new and more impressive trophy worthy of the name "Firehawk Cup." The new cup, a Bruce
Fox, Inc., design made of fine silver, nickel silver, carbon fiber and proprietary resin, standing 38 1/2 inches tall
and weighing 68 pounds, was created as part of Firestone's ongoing commitment to support the Indy Racing
League's driver development series. In March, Firestone became title sponsor of the renamed Firestone Indy
Lights and announced additional prize incentives totaling more than a quarter-million dollars for 2008.
3:15 pm
With 27 Firestone Indy Lights cars on the grounds, that qualifying session was LONG! Congratulations to Dillon
Battistini for his first pole position! What a place to accomplish that feat! And a big kudos to the two women in
the field - Ana Beatriz who qualified fourth, which is the highest starting position for any woman in the Freedom
100, and Cyndie Allemann, who timed eighth.
Jeff Simmons is doing the "double"' here at IMS - racing in both the Indy 500 and the Freedom 100. He qualified
24th for Sunday's Indy 500, and 10th for tomorrow's Freedom 100.
It didn't pay to have a "name" here at the Speedway during Freedom 100 qualifying. Sean Guthrie, Arie
Luyendyk Jr. and Al Unser III, the sons of past Indianapolis 500 competitors, qualified 16th, 18th and 19th,
respectively.
The top seven cars are separated by less than half a second, and the top 14 cars are separated by less than
one second - what a competitive field!
12:30 pm
Second practice session is done, with only one minor incident. Mark Olson, who was last on the speed chart after
the first practice, whitewalled the SAFER Barrier with the right rear at the exit of turn 2 and he continued to pit
lane. He remained the slowest of the bunch after both sessions, with a speed of 183.488 mph compared to JR
Hildebrand, who topped the chart at 191.575 mph.
When I stated in the last report about the aggressiveness of the drivers during this morning's practice sessions, I
wasn't the only one that noticed. Word has it that Pablo Perez was "called into the trailer" (in NASCAR speak) for
a little meeting about his driving style during today's early activities.
It's a gorgeous day here at IMS - perfect practicing conditions. Unfortunately, with the IndyCars parked for today,
there's few fans in the stands to appreciate it. It's about 65 degrees and sunny, with no rain in sight for today.
Local forecast calls for a 30% chance of showers on Carb Day (temps about 68 degrees). But the good news is
that both Saturday and - more importantly - Sunday look to be clear, sunny and temps low to mid 70s!
This year's "Dancing With The Stars" winner Kristi Yamaguchi will wave the green flag to send the 33 drivers on
their way in this year's Indy 500 on Sunday. Helio Castroneves' pro partner from the Season 5 championship,
Julianne Hough, will sing the national anthem. Hough will also lead the opening production of the 2008 IPL 500
Festival Parade on Saturday, May 24. Hough will join 400 members of the Indianapolis Children's Choir as they
perform the song "I Won't Dance/Shall We Dance."
Yesterday IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and Firestone Indy Lights driver Logan Gomez helped with the
construction of Habitat for Humanity's latest project in Central Indiana by installing Johns Manville insulation into
two homes being built by employees of Eli Lilly. The materials for the homes were provided by Menards, which
sponsors Carpenter and Gomez.
10:00 am
Today's action is all about the Firestone Indy Lights Series, as they'll practice and qualify today and race
tomorrow during Carb Day activities. There's no IndyCar on-track action today at all - the big cars are back on
track for tomorrow's last practice before Sunday's Indy 500.
The first Firestone Indy Lights practice of the day has just concluded, with one incident - a spin by Marc Williams.
From the very first laps of practice, these developmental drivers were going at it hard, with three-wide racing
happening throughout the field. Winning here at Indy - no matter what type of car you are driving - is the ultimate
prize for any race car driver, and these pilots know how much a win here can change a career...and it shows by
the on-track action today.
JR Hildebrand, who led the first practice session, gave up baseball to become a race car driver, but his baseball
skills haven't diminished in the time away from the diamond. The Firestone Indy Lights points leader traded in his
driving gloves for batting gloves May 20 when he and fellow Firestone Indy Lights driver Logan Gomez visited
Victory Field as a guest of the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hildebrand,
who played left field and center field for Redwood (Calif.) Hight School as a freshman and sophomore, impressed
members of the Indians' staff with his hitting skills and his pitching arm when he threw out the ceremonial first
pitch.
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.
Thursday, May 22 PHOTOS - Firestone Indy Lights Practice / Qualifying
Starting Grid for Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100
UPDATES:
4:15 pm
Tomorrow's Carb Day Schedule:
11:00am-noon - IndyCar Series final practice
12:30-1:30pm - Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 Race
1:30-3:00pm - Pit Stop Challenge
3:30pm - Miller Lite Carb Day Concert featuring the Stone Temple Pilots
NBC 'Nightly News with Brian Williams' will be airing from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Carb Day.
4:00 pm
The #12 Symantec Luczo Dragon Racing car driven by Tomas Scheckter will feature the logo of Eyes on the
Road, a campaign to fight blindness, during the Indy 500.
The Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body for the IndyCar Series, and the Grand Prix Association of Long
Beach have agreed to a five-year contract that will have the cars and stars or the IndyCar Series racing on the
streets of Long Beach beginning next year through 2013.
Indianapolis 500 veteran Sarah Fisher is continuing her role as TAG Heuer brand ambassador by promoting the
motorsport-inspired TAG Heuer "Avant Garde" Eyewear.
Angie's List, where thousands of consumers share their ratings and reviews on local service providers in more
than 330 categories, has signed on as primary sponsor of the #5 KV Racing Technology entry driven by Oriol
Servia.
LIDS, a brand of Indianapolis-based specialty retailer Hat World, Inc., has signed as the primary sponsor of Marty
Roth's #25 car for the Indianapolis 500. LIDS will also be an associate sponsor of John Andretti's
1-800-Las-Vegas #24 car.
Planet Green, the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network from Discovery Communications
launching June 4, is coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend to spread a little
green at the Indianapolis 500, the largest-attended single-day sporting event in the world. Planet Green is
teaming up with the IndyCar Series to offer a greener experience at this year's Indy 500 and to educate fans
about how they can help the environment. After the last car has rounded the track and all of the fans have left
the Brickyard, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's greening efforts will still be in full swing. On Monday, May 26,
Planet Green will outfit the Indy cleanup and recycling crew in organic cotton Planet Green "Green Team" T-shirts
before they get to work on the enormous day-after cleanup. The network will also provide additional volunteers
to help pitch in with the cleanup efforts. The crew will make sure the Speedway and most of the garbage
produced during the race is sorted, and those items that can be recycled are put in proper containers and taken
to recycling centers. The cleanup will be captured on film and featured as a special part of Planet Green's new
series, "The 'G' Word: With "Garbologist" Todd Sutton.
The Firestone Indy Lights fight for the Firehawk Cup takes on more significant meaning today, with the
introduction of a new and more impressive trophy worthy of the name "Firehawk Cup." The new cup, a Bruce
Fox, Inc., design made of fine silver, nickel silver, carbon fiber and proprietary resin, standing 38 1/2 inches tall
and weighing 68 pounds, was created as part of Firestone's ongoing commitment to support the Indy Racing
League's driver development series. In March, Firestone became title sponsor of the renamed Firestone Indy
Lights and announced additional prize incentives totaling more than a quarter-million dollars for 2008.
3:15 pm
With 27 Firestone Indy Lights cars on the grounds, that qualifying session was LONG! Congratulations to Dillon
Battistini for his first pole position! What a place to accomplish that feat! And a big kudos to the two women in
the field - Ana Beatriz who qualified fourth, which is the highest starting position for any woman in the Freedom
100, and Cyndie Allemann, who timed eighth.
Jeff Simmons is doing the "double"' here at IMS - racing in both the Indy 500 and the Freedom 100. He qualified
24th for Sunday's Indy 500, and 10th for tomorrow's Freedom 100.
It didn't pay to have a "name" here at the Speedway during Freedom 100 qualifying. Sean Guthrie, Arie
Luyendyk Jr. and Al Unser III, the sons of past Indianapolis 500 competitors, qualified 16th, 18th and 19th,
respectively.
The top seven cars are separated by less than half a second, and the top 14 cars are separated by less than
one second - what a competitive field!
12:30 pm
Second practice session is done, with only one minor incident. Mark Olson, who was last on the speed chart after
the first practice, whitewalled the SAFER Barrier with the right rear at the exit of turn 2 and he continued to pit
lane. He remained the slowest of the bunch after both sessions, with a speed of 183.488 mph compared to JR
Hildebrand, who topped the chart at 191.575 mph.
When I stated in the last report about the aggressiveness of the drivers during this morning's practice sessions, I
wasn't the only one that noticed. Word has it that Pablo Perez was "called into the trailer" (in NASCAR speak) for
a little meeting about his driving style during today's early activities.
It's a gorgeous day here at IMS - perfect practicing conditions. Unfortunately, with the IndyCars parked for today,
there's few fans in the stands to appreciate it. It's about 65 degrees and sunny, with no rain in sight for today.
Local forecast calls for a 30% chance of showers on Carb Day (temps about 68 degrees). But the good news is
that both Saturday and - more importantly - Sunday look to be clear, sunny and temps low to mid 70s!
This year's "Dancing With The Stars" winner Kristi Yamaguchi will wave the green flag to send the 33 drivers on
their way in this year's Indy 500 on Sunday. Helio Castroneves' pro partner from the Season 5 championship,
Julianne Hough, will sing the national anthem. Hough will also lead the opening production of the 2008 IPL 500
Festival Parade on Saturday, May 24. Hough will join 400 members of the Indianapolis Children's Choir as they
perform the song "I Won't Dance/Shall We Dance."
Yesterday IndyCar Series driver Ed Carpenter and Firestone Indy Lights driver Logan Gomez helped with the
construction of Habitat for Humanity's latest project in Central Indiana by installing Johns Manville insulation into
two homes being built by employees of Eli Lilly. The materials for the homes were provided by Menards, which
sponsors Carpenter and Gomez.
10:00 am
Today's action is all about the Firestone Indy Lights Series, as they'll practice and qualify today and race
tomorrow during Carb Day activities. There's no IndyCar on-track action today at all - the big cars are back on
track for tomorrow's last practice before Sunday's Indy 500.
The first Firestone Indy Lights practice of the day has just concluded, with one incident - a spin by Marc Williams.
From the very first laps of practice, these developmental drivers were going at it hard, with three-wide racing
happening throughout the field. Winning here at Indy - no matter what type of car you are driving - is the ultimate
prize for any race car driver, and these pilots know how much a win here can change a career...and it shows by
the on-track action today.
JR Hildebrand, who led the first practice session, gave up baseball to become a race car driver, but his baseball
skills haven't diminished in the time away from the diamond. The Firestone Indy Lights points leader traded in his
driving gloves for batting gloves May 20 when he and fellow Firestone Indy Lights driver Logan Gomez visited
Victory Field as a guest of the Indianapolis Indians, the Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hildebrand,
who played left field and center field for Redwood (Calif.) Hight School as a freshman and sophomore, impressed
members of the Indians' staff with his hitting skills and his pitching arm when he threw out the ceremonial first
pitch.
