Catchfence

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The skies over the Indianapolis Motor Speedway looked ominous, but the rain held off for long enough during the second day of practice for the 2010 Indianapolis 500 on the 2.5-mile oval. Contributing to 23 of those laps was Vision Racing driver Ed Carpenter behind the wheel of the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka Dallara/Honda/Firestone machine, partnered with Panther Racing.

Both Carpenter and the respective Panther Racing crews made several changes to the Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka special throughout Sunday afternoon as damper and setup testing were the priority of the day.

The final speed charts listed Carpenter in the 23rd spot with a top lap of 221.535 mph.

Carpenter is preparing for his seventh Indianapolis 500-mile race and sixth with Vision Racing. Last season Carpenter started 17th and drove to eighth place finish. His best drive at Indianapolis came in 2008 when he started 10th, drove his first career IndyCar Series leader laps (3) and finished fifth.

Carpenter’s teammate and 2005 Indianapolis 500 champion, Dan Wheldon of Panther Racing, had another respectable day on the speed charts turning in the seventh fastest lap of the day with an average speed of 224.583 mph. However, the National Guard No. 4 Honda powered Dallara suffered some damage after a late afternoon brush with the Turn 4 wall.

Damage to the National Guard car was minimal and Wheldon was cleared and released from the infield care center. Before the crash, Wheldon completed 27 total laps.

IZOD IndyCar Series action will resume Monday at noon for practice and will conclude at 6 p.m.

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The Indianapolis 500 will air live on Sunday, May 30th at noon ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

Practice Results and Quotes: (May 16, 2010)

Top Speed in Practice: 221.535 mph

Top Time in Practice: 40.6256

Number of Laps in Practice: 23

Overall Rank in Practice: 23rd on speed chart

Best Lap This Month: 224.592 (May 15, 2010)

On practice:

“It was a good day. Nothing flashy and I don’t know where we ended up on the speed charts. Like yesterday we weren’t really concerned with speed and you really can’t read that much into the charts yet because we tested a lot of different things. So I feel pretty good about it as it was productive. There were a couple of things that I would’ve liked to have accomplished that we didn’t get to, but overall it was another good day. We just have to continue to stick to the game plan and get done what we need to get done each day and start finding speed again towards the end of the week.

Dan Wheldon – No. 4 National Guard/Panther Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone

Top Speed in Practice: 224.583 mph

Top Time in Practice: 40.0742

Number of Laps in Practice: 27

Overall Rank in Practice: 7th on speed chart

Best Lap This Month: 225.609 (May 15, 2010)

On practice:

“I’m actually not 100% sure what happened, we’ll have to look at the data and see. This is obviously not what you want to happen on your second day at Indianapolis, but the team is really well prepared for this month and as you can see the National Guard Panther Racing car is really quick.

(On the foot)

It’s just bruised. I whacked it pretty good on the side of the tub. It’s one of those things around here; sometimes you crash really hard and you don’t get knocked up at all, and sometimes it’s those little hits and it bangs your foot against the side of the tub. Nothing big.

(How do you bounce back from this?)

I’m not concerned; we obviously had a great baseline to start with. We’ve got plenty of time, the team will bounce back really quickly – we’ve got two great crews here, and unfortunately we’ve created a bit of work for them, but if anybody can rebound it’s the National Guard boys without a shadow of a doubt.”

About the Indianapolis 500:

The 200 lap/500 mile Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will air live on Sunday, May 30th at noon ET on ABC, as well as IMS Radio Network, XM IndyCar Series Racing Channel 145, XM Sports Nation Channel 144 and on the web at www.IndyCar.com.

About Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka:

Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka is a grain-based vodka and is a product of Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC located in Sellersburg, Indiana. Fuzzy’s Spirits, LLC is dedicated to providing responsible golfers and non-golfers with a refreshing vodka drink to enhance their enjoyment of the moment. Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka recently received the prestigious gold medal rating from the Beverage Testing Institute in Chicago, and is currently available in twelve states. www.fuz.com / www.fuzzyvodka.com

About Vision Racing:

Vision Racing is owned and operated by Tony and Laura George as well as actor Patrick Dempsey of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team competed full-time in the IZOD IndyCar Series for five seasons from 2005-2009 and is entering its sixth season of IZOD IndyCar Series competition with an entry in the 2010 Indianapolis 500 as a collaboration with Panther Racing.

In 2009 IZOD IndyCar competition, Vision Racing scored two hard-earned 2nd place podium finishes and posted their best career start (4th), seven top-10 results and their highest total of laps led, laps competed and races completed in a season. Driver Ed Carpenter has finished 5th and 8th in the previous two Indianapolis 500s. Vision Racing continues to proudly perpetuate the legacy of the Hulman-George family through motorsports excellence, by demonstrating the traditions and heritage of the Indianapolis 500 and IndyCar Racing.

- Vision Racing Press Release