Sarah Fisher

Just within the last year, Fisher gave birth to a baby girl, notched her first win as a team owner and earned a prestigious honor from the racing world as the Professional MotorSport World Expo’s Team Principal of the Year.

Few things are more important to Fisher than IndyCar, but family and friends trump the sport, and when her dear friend and team member, Carey Hall, was diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, Fisher stepped into action.

Racing has always been a family affair for Fisher.

“I think I was interested way before I even came out into the world. My family was really into racing the sprint cars and midgets and those kind of cars, so I was born into the lifestyle,” Fisher said.

Fisher proved herself early, becoming well-known in a sport dominated by men. She was named most popular IndyCar driver in three consecutive years from 2001 to 2003.

- WRTV Indianapolis

No 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing Honda Dallara driven by Ed Carpenter- Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Carpenter Scores Best Ever Starting Position for SFR of 3rd; Scheckter 24th in 34-car Field

IZOD IndyCar Drivers In Front of Bellagio Fountain Show

Las Vegas, NV (October 14, 2011)-Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) drivers Ed Carpenter and Tomas Scheckter took to the 1.5-mile tri-oval of Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) early this afternoon, with a practice session beginning at 1:35pm PDT. Carpenter turned 43 laps during the session, clocking his fastest lap at a speed of 222.397 mph, good enough for 16th place on the speed charts. Carpenter’s teammate, Tomas Scheckter, was also on track for practice in his No. 57 Angie’s List Special, completing 50 laps, and clocking his fastest lap at a speed of 222.901 mph, placing him 8th on the practice speed charts.

Shortly following the final practice session, qualifications set the field for Sunday’s IZOD IndyCar Series World Championship event, the first IndyCar event at LVMS since 1998. Carpenter, in his No. 67 Dollar General machine, wheeled a two-lap average speed of 221.509 mph during the late afternoon qualifying session, which placed him in the 3rd starting position for Sunday’s race, the highest ever starting position for SFR. The yellow and black Dollar General Honda powered Dallara will roll from the inside of Row 2 tomorrow, alongside Alex Tagliani.

SFR driver Tomas Scheckter, a native of Cape Town, South Africa, took to the Superspeedway just moments later, completing his qualifying run with a two-lap average speed of 219.816 mph. The Angie’s List Special will roll off the grid 24th tomorrow, on the outside of Row 12, alongside Townsend Bell.

Sunday’s 300-mile season finale race at LVMS will house the largest starting field on an oval since the 1997 35-car Indianapolis 500, and will play host to one of the most competitive fields of the 2011 season.

Ed Carpenter: “It felt good out there. I was really confident in our race car and qualifying car yesterday in practice, but we had a lot of issues in practice today and really didn’t have a good idea of where we were going to be in qualifying. I almost wondered if we’d even be top ten after the first practice session today. I feel pretty good now knowing that the car still does have speed because I was worried we were maybe losing a little speed, but it came back and we ran about what we thought we could run, so that’s good.”

Tomas Scheckter: “We were great on set-up, so we don’t really know what happened. It’s a bit of a weak qualifying effort to say the least. But I’m really happy, the Angie’s List crew did a great job in practice today…we were P.8, so we’ve got a great racecar and that’s what we’ve got to look at. I’m so happy for the Dollar General car and Ed qualifying right up front. It’s funny because he had problems in practice too and didn’t seem very confident for qualifying and now we’ve swapped around. We’re going to go back and take a look over everything. Everything felt fine, and I had good laps. We just didn’t have the speed.”

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003.Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Tomas Scheckter:

The native of Cape Town, South Africa made his way up the racing ladder starting out in go-karts in South Africa and then going on to compete in various racing series in Europe from 1997-2001, driving in the British Formula Vauxhall Junior Series, the Formula Nissan Championship, won the Formula Opel Euroseries, and was runner-up in the British Formula 3 Championship. In 2002, Scheckter drove for Red Bull Cheever Racing, winning his first race from pole at Michigan. That year he also won MBNA pole awards a Texas, Kansas and Michigan and was named the Bank One co-Rookie of the year at the Indianapolis 500. The veteran driver finished career-best seventh in the IndyCar Series standings for Target Chip Ganassi Racing, earning five top-five and 10 top-10 finishes and won MBNA Pole Awards at Texas and Michigan. Scheckter competed for Panther Racing in 2004 and 2005. He finished ninth in the IndyCar Series standings for Panther Racing, earning three pole positions (Homestead, Texas, and Nashville) and his second career victory at Texas Motor Speedway. In 2006, he competed for Vision Racing and finished 10th in the IndyCar Series, recording nine top-10 finishes overall. He ran for Vision Racing again in 2007 finishing 10th in the IndyCar Series and recording two top-five and nine top-10 finishes. In 2008, Scheckter competed in six races for Luczo Dragon Racing.

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

Sarah Fisher

Now, however, Fisher and Patrick have the same number of wins. Patrick’s was as a driver and Fisher’s last week in Kentucky as Ed Carpenter’s car owner.

Fisher’s career has been plagued by a lack of funds. She stepped out of the car this year to concentrate on her family – her daughter is a month old – and trying to secure sponsorships. On the eve of her first victory, sponsor Dollar General announced it was leaving.

She’s prevailed through tough times and circumstances. IndyCar is better with her.

An old football adage is to “keep your head on a swivel” at all times, an action to see who might be headed your direction.

Reed Sorenson was blindsided Monday when he was fired by Turner Motorsports. Sorenson was third in Nationwide points this season on his campaign to rehab his reputation after losing a Cup ride earlier in his career.

- San Bernardino Sun

Ed Carpenter (No. 67) Sarah Fisher Racing celebrates his first IZOD IndyCar Series victory after winning the Kentucky Indy 300 race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, KY. (Photo Credit: Kentucky Speedway)

“It felt way better than I ever thought it was going to feel,” said an elated Ed Carpenter. “Dario raced me hard and clean. I knew we had the better car but in the second or third stint.”

Carpenter rolled off the grid from the fourth starting position on Sunday, in front of a sea of family and friends, and remained in the top-five throughout most of the race. “It was a weird race because my visor was falling off in one of the stints and we had all sorts of stuff going on. However, I wasn’t going to let a visor coming off stop me from winning the race. I drove 15 or 20 laps with one hand holding on to my helmet til our next pit stop.”

The 30-year old husband and father of two was thankful he had one Honda overtake assist (push-to-pass) left on the final lap. He and Franchitti battled for nearly 21 laps as the Kentucky Indy 300 came to a close, separated by no more than two-tenths of a second. “I’m just so proud to be a part of this team and this organization. I can’t thank Andy and Sarah enough, and I’m especially thankful to my wife for supporting me all these years to get to this point; it’s taken a long time to get our first win, but that’s fine with me. It’s just an awesome day for Dollar General, Angie’s List, Fuzzy’s Vodka and everyone.”

The victory was also the first for the Sarah Fisher Racing organization, and after missing the previous three races with the birth of her and husband Andy O’Gara’s daughter (Zoey Marie), Sarah was back to witness history. “Just to see Ed drive his tail off is just so amazing,” said a teary-eyed Fisher. “We figured out that next year, Dollar General is not coming back, so maybe they’ll change their mind now. But, you know certainly it was just a great weekend. The guys all worked their tails off, and I haven’t been to the shop in three weeks. My baby girl is obviously good luck…I’m just so happy to be here.”

Carpenter’s 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues Sunday, October 16th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition (HD) at 3 p.m. (EST) on ABC. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisherracing.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003.Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing Press Release

Sarah Fisher Racing Thumbnail

Kyle O'Gara, No. 6 Service Central / East Enterprises / SFR / Beast / Ford / Hoosier

O’Gara led every lap of the 40-lap Mopar D1 midget feature, with last year’s reigning series champion, Jake Blackhurst, knocking on the door.

SFR team owner and retired IZOD IndyCar Series® driver, Sarah Fisher, and husband Andy O’Gara, were in Victory Lane with Kyle, just minutes after flying home from an IZOD IndyCar Series test at the Milwaukee Mile, with SFR driver Ed Carpenter.

Sarah Fisher: “It’s an incredible experience to see someone like Kyle develop as a driver, and with the help of Bob East, Kyle has learned an immense amount in a very short period of time. Andy and I enjoyed running Kyle on our own, but are proud and thankful that Bob and his team saw Kyle for his talent and wanted to bring Kyle into the Beast family. We are very appreciative that Service Central gave Kyle this opportunity to shine and we look forward to the many races to come this season.”

Kyle will be back on track, proudly flying the red, white, and blue colors of his Service Central Racing machine, this Friday night at Anderson Speedway. The youngster hopes that this victory is the first of many to come.

About Kyle O’Gara:

While climbing the racing ladder to the United States Auto Club, Kyle O’Gara (now 16 years old) is a development driver for Sarah Fisher Racing, under the guidance and direction of Bob East with East Enterprises. O’Gara began his racing career at just four years old, racing karts at Whiteland Raceway Park. In his young age, he has participated in several .25 midget events, national karting events, captured three karting championships, and finished third in points in his first season racing in the USAC Midwest Ford Focus Midget Series last year. Kyle is a junior at Roncalli High School and resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. For more information, please visit Kyle O’Gara online at http://www.kyleogara.com.

About Service Central:

Service Central® is the automotive service offered exclusively at Tire Kingdom ®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, Merchant’s Tire and Auto®, and Big O Tires®. Available at over 1,300 locations nationwide, our trained and certified ASE technicians use state-of-the art equipment to provide quality service on your car or truck. Our nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects you and your investment in over 40 states. Visit www.servicecentralauto.com for a store near you.

About TBC Retail Group:

Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, TBC Retail Group, Inc., a subsidiary of TBC Corporation operates more than 800 tire and automotive service centers under the brands: Tire Kingdom®, NTB-National Tire and Battery®, and Merchant’s Tire and Auto Centers®, along with nearly 500 franchised Big O Tires® locations. The contingent of over 1300 stores has trained and certified ASE technicians who use state-of-the-art equipment to provide quality service on cars and trucks. The nationwide warranty provides peace of mind while it protects consumers and their investment in over 40 states. TBC Retail Group employs more than 300 associates at its Juno Beach, Florida headquarters and approximately 10,000 associates nationally. To locate a store near you, call 800-NEW-TIRE. TBC Corporation, headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is one of the nation’s largest marketers of automotive replacement tires through a multi-channel retail and wholesale strategy.

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing Press Release

No 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing Honda Dallara driven by Ed Carpenter- Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Ed Carpenter: “It was a weird day today. We were running pretty good early on and had good track position. Things were going well, but halfway through we just lost a handle on the car. We were trying different changes on stops and we finally figured it out, but it was probably one stop too late. We lost a lot of track position and struggled to get back in the mix. It’s a disappointing finish to the month for the Dollar General guys. We deserve better than 11th for how we ran this month, but that’s the way it goes sometimes at Indy; it breaks your heart.”

Sarah Fisher: “I’m really proud of the effort that the Dollar General team put forth this month. They ran up front all day, which is a testament to their hard work and never giving up on a car that isn’t perfect. We spoiled ourselves by being fast all the way up until the last stop, so 11th doesn’t seem as good as it is for our small team. Now that we have race one of the season under our belt, we’ll attack race number two with a vengeance.”

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 was a hot one, with air temperatures reaching 90 degrees and track temperatures exceeding 115 degrees. Bryan Herta Autosport’s Dan Wheldon took the checkered flag, followed closely by Panther Racing’s JR Hildebrand, who made contact with the turn-4 wall on the last lap of the race.

Carpenter will continue his 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season Saturday, June 11 at Texas Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition (HD) at 8 p.m. (EST) on VERSUS. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisher.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003. Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard, with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

No 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing Honda Dallara driven by Ed Carpenter- Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 256 2011) –

“We’re steadfast supporters of Sarah Fisher Racing and will be pulling for Ed Carpenter,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “It’s great to see Indianapolis represented so well at the track this year.”

Carpenter is taking the wheel of the No. 67 Dollar General Honda-powered Dallara. He will start the race Sunday from Row 3 in the 8^th starting position, the highest starting position in the history of SFR. It will be Carpenter’s eighth start on the famed 2.5-mile oval.

This is the fourth year Angie’s List has sponsored a driver in the race famously dubbed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.” In 2008, the Angie’s List car, driven by Oriol Servia, finished 11^th in the race. Fisher finished 17^th in 2009; mechanical troubles ended her race in 2010.

Angie’s List is the nation’s premier provider of consumer reviews on local service providers ranging from plumbers and contractors to doctors, dentists and of course, auto repair and service.

- Angie’s List, Press Release

Sarah Fisher - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 25, 2011)-

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation joined Fisher’s scholarship program last year, as a way to reward those individuals who have partaken in extracurricular activities throughout their high school career. The applicants are required to submit a list of extracurricular activities in which they participated in throughout high school, including leadership roles. The activities could include those in which they participated outside of school as well as service activities for the school or community. More importantly, applicants are required to submit a one page, single spaced, 12pt font essay on the following topic: “How do you think your extracurricular activity/activities will allow you to grow and/or help you in your future? It’s not the quantity of activities that count, but the true quality.”

Sarah Fisher: “I am really excited to again award a scholarship to a student on behalf of Sarah Fisher Racing and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. It’s especially important to help out a student who has ambition and dreams and can relate that to an extracurricular activity and how that will help him/her in the future, regardless of their his/her path. It’s very important to me as my extracurricular activities, building up to this point, have made my career what it is today. It feels great to be able to share that with the kids of the future.”

Lacey Christian: “On behalf of my family and I, I would like to thank Sarah Fisher Racing and Dollar General for choosing me as the 2011 extracurricular scholarship recipient. It is through volleyball at St. Roch Catholic School and Roncalli High School that the values of dedication, tenacity, and team work have been instilled within me. These characteristics will continue to guide me as I begin studying Physician Assistance at Butler University. Thank you once again to Sarah and Andy, Ed, Dollar General, and the entire Sarah Fisher Racing organization.”

Lacey will be attending Butler University in the fall, enrolling in a five-year Physician’s Assistance program. All of us at SFR wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors and congratulate her on her achievements thus far.

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet Impala - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

· Riding the Wave of Momentum - Reed Sorenson and the Dollar General team posted their second consecutive top-five finish over the weekend at Iowa Speedway. After leading 77 laps, the most of any driver during the event, Sorenson went on to finish fourth. In 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series races, Sorenson has notched four top-five and eight top-10 finishes with 83 laps led. He has an average start of 11.5 and an average finish of 10.0. Sorenson remains second in the driver championship point standings, just seven behind the leader.

· Sorenson at Charlotte Motor Speedway – In nine starts at the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, Sorenson has one top-five and three top-10 finishes, along with five laps led. He has an average start of 16.7 and an average finish of 21.9. Sorenson’s best finish of fifth came in his first race at the track back in 2005.

· Lending a Hand to Habitat for Humanity - On Friday morning, Sorenson, along with Turner Motorsports teammates Justin Allgaier, Jason Leffler, James Buescher and crew members, will join Habitat for Humanity of Cabarrus County in a Women Build project in Concord, N.C. The team will be at the build site from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with drivers available to the media from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. The “Women Build” was started over 20 years ago in Charlotte, N.C. and is now an international movement accounting for over 1,750 women-built Habitat homes across the United States. Even though the event is termed a “Women Build”, men are encouraged to participate and work in honor of an important woman in their lives.

· Supporting His Dollar General Teammate in Indianapolis - After he finishes the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon, Sorenson will head to Indianapolis to cheer on Dollar General teammate Ed Carpenter, who is competing in the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Carpenter, driver of the No. 67 Dollar General car for Sarah Fisher Racing, will start eighth in the 100th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”.

· Race Week Activities – Sorenson will be taking part in two additional race week activities in the days leading up to the “home race” at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Both on Wednesday, May 25, Sorenson will be on hand at the NASCAR Hall of Fame from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. for an autograph session and then at the NASCAR Speedpark at Concord Mills for a karting event from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

· This Week’s Impala - This weekend, Sorenson will pilot TMS-122 in the Top Gear 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This car has been on track at Texas Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway this season, finishing seventh and eighth respectively.

Reed Sorenson

“I’m excited to race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. It’s great for us to be able to have the week at home as well as participate in events for all the fans that come to town for the races. Everyone usually has a lot of friends and family in town too, and having them here would make a win that much more special for our team and Dollar General. We’ve been so close these past few weeks to reaching that goal, and I really think it’s right around the corner for our team. The guys have been preparing me awesome race cars and I’m excited to get out on the track at CMS to see what we have this week.”

Sorenson on attending the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday:

“I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to attend the 100th running of the Indy 500 this weekend with Dollar General. I know that my DG teammates on the IndyCar side have worked really hard to prepare for the race at Indianapolis and it showed in their qualifying effort over the weekend. It should be a great event and I’m excited to see the race.”

Follow the No. 32 team on Twitter! @No32TurnerNNS

Follow Dollar General on Twitter! @DollarGeneral

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

Sarah Fisher - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 21, 2011)-

Ed Carpenter: “It was a great day for the entire Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing organization. We missed on the balance a little bit when we went back out for the Fast Nine, but we’re still very happy. We’re not here to win the shoot out; we’re here to win the race. We’ll get back on track tomorrow and continue to work on getting the Dollar General machine set up for the race.”

Sarah Fisher: “I am extremely proud of the job that the boys have done throughout the entire week. Today was a great summary of all of their hard work. I was especially happy to see all of our plans come together to make us a part of the Fast Nine. As a small team it means a lot to be a part of that. I also want to thank Dollar General for allowing me the opportunity to step out of the car, start a family, and put Ed and the team together to make an attempt at making history at this year’s Indianapolis 500.”

Alex Tagliani captured the pole position for the 95th running of the Indianapolis 500, with a four-lap average speed of 227.472 mph, followed closely by Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon.

All Indianapolis 500 entrants will return to the track for a practice session tomorrow morning from 9-10am EST before the remaining drivers will attempt to make their way into the field of 33 starting positions during the second day of qualifications at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 29, 2011, which will be the 5th race of the 17-race 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. The race will be aired live on ABC at Noon EST on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisher.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

No 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing Honda Dallara driven by Ed Carpenter- Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

Ed Carpenter - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 20, 2011)-

Ed Carpenter: “Overall, today was another productive day for us. We went in to Fast Friday with a game plan and we stuck to it. We were able to do some mock qualifying runs early this afternoon and also worked on race set up a bit this evening. The car felt good out there, it’s pretty consistent. I’m really looking forward to seeing what the Dollar General machine can do tomorrow in qualifying.”

All Indianapolis 500 entrants will return to the track for a practice session tomorrow morning before the drivers will attempt to make their way into the field of 33 starting positions during qualifications. Practice will get underway at 8:00am. IndyCar qualifications begin at 11:00am.

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 29, 2011, which will be the 5th race of the 17-race 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. SFR driver Ed Carpenter will attempt to make his way into the field of 33 starting positions tomorrow, Saturday, May 22, 2011. The race will be aired live on ABC at Noon EST on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisher.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003. Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard, with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 19, 2011) -

With 12 minutes left in the six-hour session, Verizon Team Penske’s Power unseated Alex Tagliani atop the speed chart with a lap of 227.778 mph (fastest of the month) to earn the $5,000 Grady Brothers Construction Fastest Lap of the Day award. All 40 entrants took on the track, recording a total of 2,394 laps, and the top 38 cars were separated by one second.

Tagliani, driving the No. 77 Bower & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, had a quick lap of 227.652. Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe (227.217) and three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves (226.927) followed, and Townsend Bell in the No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing car was fifth (226.741).

The yellow flag flew early in the session when Simona de Silvestro’s No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car made heavy contact with the outside retaining wall in the North Short Chute and became airborne before catching fire. She was transported to Methodist Hospital to be treated for burns to her hands and released. Her driving status will be determined on Friday.

DAY 6 NOTEBOOK:

Three Indianapolis 500 teams earned the final three spots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge during time trials this morning. Teams changed four tires and performed a simulated fueling hookup. The three qualifiers:

#28 Ryan Hunter-Reay was fourth, 9.134.

Twelve teams will compete in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 27. These nine teams previously qualified based on pit performance between the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle earlier this month:

KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#5 Sato), Team Penske (#6 Briscoe), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#9 Dixon), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (#10 Franchitti), Team Penske (#12 Power), Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (#22 Wilson), Andretti Autosport (#26 M. Andretti), Newman/Haas Racing (#06 Hinchcliffe), Dale Coyne Racing (TBD).

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:

At noon, the ambient temperature was 66 degrees with a relative humidity of 68 percent and winds from the west at 10 mph. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 92 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

Noon – GREEN. #27 Conway first on track.

12:10 p.m. — #67 Carpenter fastest at 224.134.

12:25 p.m. – YELLOW. Sparks shower from bottom of #78 De Silvestro’s car entering Turn 3. Car hits outside retaining wall between Turns 3 and 4. Car jumps, spins and rides wall backward, making secondary contact with catch fence in entrance of Turn 4. Car stops upside down on fire in apron in Turn 4. Fire extinguished, De Silvestro climbs from car with assistance from Holmatro Safety Team.

***

Senators Dick Lugar and Dan Coats are proud to announce the passage of a U.S. Senate Resolution recognizing the 100^th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. The resolution passed the Senate through unanimous consent May 18.

The full text of the resolution is available at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-05-18/pdf/CREC-2011-05-18-pt1-PgS3113-5.pdf#page=1.

DICK LUGAR (U.S. Senator, R-Ind.): “The Indy 500 is a proud Hoosier tradition. Each May, the Indy 500 brings hundreds of thousands of spectators to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we are pleased to showcase Indiana to so many wonderful visitors. The Indy 500 serves as a demonstration of Indiana’s proud automotive heritage. I am pleased to join with Senator Coats and the rest of the United States Senate in recognizing the 100^th anniversary of the race and look forward to many more years of this Hoosier institution.”

DAN COATS (U.S. Senator, R-Ind.): “The Indianapolis 500 is the world’s most famous and prestigious automobile race. The 500 holds a special place in the history of the automobile and Indiana. This May, Hoosiers celebrate the 100th anniversary of this great tradition and look forward to another exciting race and century of Indianapolis motorsports.”

***

Amos Brown, Indianapolis AM 1310 The Light radio talk show host, was the honorary starter today. Brown also rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seater car this morning.

AMOS BROWN: (About his ride in the two-seater Indycar): “It was a great experience. First of all, having the honor to be driven around by Johnny Rutherford was a great experience. And it’s something that I will remember when my granddaughter is trying to drive. I won’t be as nervous with her as I was when I was in the car with JR. I didn’t realize all of the g-forces that the drivers deal with. I felt like I was getting pressed down. It gave me a better understanding of what these men and women go through to do their jobs.” (On waving the green flag to start practice for the Indianapolis 500): “That was fun. I think once I got used to the cars going by, it felt no different than if I was on the other side of the catch fence. It was a thrill to be that close to the action. That’s when I realized that: ‘Oh, OK. This is pretty fun.’ I also realized that these guys have a job to do, and there are lot of them that are trying to make the race. I never want to be in the way of people doing their job. I’m just in awe of what they are doing. I’m glad that I brought, hopefully, good weather and full day of practice so they can get ready for Saturday.”

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro is awake and alert and being transported via ground to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation of second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand.

***

Today is the 38^th birthday of two-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti.

***

ESPN Classic will present a week-long tribute in honor of the 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. The 2011 edition of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” airs Sunday, May 29 on ABC, with pre-race at 11 a.m. (ET).

All week long beginning Monday, May 23, ESPN Classic will air classic Indy 500 races and “SportsCentury” programming. On the actual 100^th anniversary, May 30, ESPN Classic will present a 27-hour marathon anchored by a re-air of the 2011 race.

***

Jenna Wolfe, the Sunday co-anchor of “Weekend TODAY” and a correspondent for “TODAY” on NBC, visited the track today to film an upcoming segment on the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 for “Weekend Today.”

Wolfe rode in the Indy Racing Experience two-seat car with Mario Andretti driving and interviewed 2010 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona De Silvestro, IMS Historian Donald Davidson and IMS Director of Photography Ron McQueeney.

***

The Indiana Section of SAE International will announce the winner of the 45^th annual Louis Schwitzer Award sponsored by BorgWarner at 11 a.m. Friday, May 20 in the Economaki Press Conference Room.

The Louis Schwitzer Award, presented by engineers to engineers, recognizes individuals with the courage and conviction to explore and develop new concepts in motorsports technology for use in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. The award has been presented annually since 1967 by the Indiana Section of SAE International in honor of early racing pioneer and past Indiana Section Chairman Louis Schwitzer.

Award sponsor BorgWarner provides a $10,000 cash prize to the winner. SAE International also provides a $1,000 scholarship to the engineering school of the winner’s choice and doubles the scholarship amount if the winner was a past Formula SAE participant. In addition, the winner’s name is added to the permanent trophy on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.

***

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Bruce P. Crandall has been named honorary starter for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on Sunday, May 29, waving the green flag to begin racing for the field of 33 drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Retired Col. Crandall, who flew more than 900 missions as a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, received the Congressional Medal of Honor – the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government – in 2007.

Crandall was honored for his leadership, heroism and courage during the Battle of Ia Drang on Nov. 14, 1965. He led the first major division operation of airmobile troops into Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley and is credited with evacuating some 70 wounded comrades with his wing man and fellow Medal of Honor recipient Major Ed Freeman. The two also flew in the ammunition needed for the 1/7th Cavalry to survive. The craft Crandall was flying was unarmed.

During his military career, Crandall also received a Bronze Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Presidential Unit Citation and a Purple Heart among numerous other citations.

The 2002 movie “We Were Soldiers” was based on the operation for which Crandall was awarded the Medal of Honor, with 1997 Academy Award nominee Greg Kinnear appearing as Crandall.

BRUCE P. CRANDALL: “I’m thrilled and honored to be selected as the honorary starter for the Indianapolis 500 in its 100^th anniversary year,” Crandall said. “The race is an American tradition, and I’m very grateful for the continued tributes to the U.S. Armed Forces during the pre-race ceremonies every year. I can’t wait to get into the starter’s stand.”

JEFF BELSKUS (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation): “It’s a great honor to welcome Bruce Crandall to serve as the honorary starter of the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The Indianapolis 500 has paid tribute to the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces since its inception on Memorial Day weekend in 1911, and it’s a privilege for a true American hero to send the field of 33 on its way toward Victory Lane at such a historic race.”

***

A comparison of the specifications of the No. 32 Marmon “Wasp” that Ray Harroun drove to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911 and the cars that will compete in the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29.

***

U.S. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe will dedicate and issue for the first time the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 United States Postal Service commemorative stamp at a ceremony Friday, May 20 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the IMS Pagoda Plaza on the Coca-Cola Stage.

The 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 stamp, which features the Marmon “Wasp” driven by inaugural Indianapolis 500 winner Ray Harroun, is one of 25 subjects highlighted in the USPS 2011 Commemorative Stamp Program. The stamp will be a “Forever Stamp,” always equal in value to the current First Class Mail 1-ounce letter regardless of price changes in the future.

Also participating in the ceremony will be Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Belskus, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and 1985 Indianapolis 500 pole winner Pancho Carter.

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Simona de Silvestro has been released from Methodist Hospital. She will meet with INDYCAR medical officials Friday to evaluate her driving status.

De Silvestro suffered second-degree burns to her right hand and superficial burns to her left hand in a crash earlier today.

She will be available for interviews at 11:15 a.m. Friday on the fourth floor of the Media Center.

***

BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan American Le Mans Series driver Joey Hand visited the track today.

JOEY HAND (About coming to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): “I’ve never gotten out here and watched Indy cars go around. I thought it would be a good time to come around and see some people. My Rahal guys are all here. I’ve got a bit of a break from the American Le Mans Series, so I came out here to support them. I once said I wasn’t going to come out here unless I was racing, so some people had to talk me into coming here and meeting people.” (On his interest in Indy cars): “To come here and finally see an Indy car go by is really cool. I get to see what Indy is all about. I watched it all the time as a kid. I watched Indy. In fact, I watched my boss, Bobby Rahal, race here when I was growing up. To be honest, I’ve definitely got some interest in the Las Vegas race at the end of the year. I just wanted to get my face out here. A long time ago, Kim Green told me that I’m not going to get a job sitting on my couch. So I wanted to make sure I got out here and met people. I met Randy Bernard, and he’s really nice. I’m obviously going to stay in sports cars, but this Las Vegas deal for 5 million bucks is something that’s really intriguing. The Rahal guys are interested in it and, who knows, maybe we’ll get to Indy next year.”

***

HVM Racing owner Keith Wiggins reported this afternoon that the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing entry driven by Simona De Silvestro was damaged beyond repair in a crash this afternoon.

De Silvestro drove the team’s backup car on Indianapolis Star Opening Day practice Saturday, reaching a top speed of 219.522 mph in 13 total laps. The backup car was the team’s primary car in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, Wiggins said.

KEITH WIGGINS (Owner, HVM Racing): (How confident are you that you can get back in pretty good shape?): “Yes, we can build a good car, but it probably won’t be as good as the original car because that was built specifically for here. There are a lot of specialities about building a car for here, and we only had one of those built because that is all our resources will allow. So the question is will this car be as quick as the other one? That’s the challenge.”

***

Officials from the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) and C&R Racing Inc., announced today that the “Rally In The Alley,” a reception exclusively for all INDYCAR team members participating in the Indianapolis 500, will take place Sunday in Gasoline Alley at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway immediately following the conclusion of on-track Bump Day activities.

During the reception, the C&R Racing / IMIS “True Grit” Award will be bestowed upon a member of the INDYCAR community. The $5,000 award is given to a veteran INDYCAR team member who has achieved success, overcome adversity, excelled in preparation and has exemplified dedication to the highly skilled trade of building and maintaining IZOD IndyCar Series cars.

Paulsen and C&R established the “True Grit” Award in 1998 for crew members in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400.

The third annual IMIS event is scheduled for Dec. 8-10 at the Indiana Convention Center.

CHRIS PAULSEN (Owner, C&R Racing; co-founder, IMIS): “Many years ago, Joe Ball and all the guys at DieHard Batteries used to conduct a big party in Gasoline Alley when the track closed on Bump Day. It was something all the mechanics and crews looked forward to after a long month of working toward the Indianapolis 500. It gave them a chance to relax a little bit after qualifying and before the race preparation began. Unfortunately, we haven’t had an event like that at the Speedway in a few years, so we wanted to do something to give back to the crews who work so hard during the month. The Hulman-George family and Randy Bernard really liked the idea of bringing an event like this back, and we really appreciate their support and involvement.”

***

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, sixth, 226.527

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): “Finally we got to do some laps, and again I think we had a good day. We had a full day of running, and that allowed us to try a number of different things. Most of them were good, but there were some that didn’t work. It’s all part of the process that you have to go through here, and I have been really impressed with the way this team goes through their processes. If we keep working like this, we’re going to have some good speed at qualifying.”

JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): “What we were able to do in our last outing (this afternoon) shows just how hard this team works and how good their development process is. The Service Central crew has worked very hard to find some more speed in the car, and the engineers keep coming up with more options for us. So we just take the car out with those changes they suggest and keep going faster. I am very encouraged by what we did today.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “We did well today. We learned a lot. We had good track position, and we weren’t in a lot of traffic. That lap (227.652 mph), I was behind Dario Franchitti, so I had a bit of a tow. But it shows that the car is quick and capable of doing it. I think we still have more to come. We just need to make sure that when it comes time to do it, we have the right balance.” (Do you have a chance for the pole?): “The way the car is running right now, for sure it is. I think we would be foolish to think that we couldn’t do it. But the truth is that Penske and Ganassi have really good cars, and they know their way around this place. They have 10 times more experience than us. I’m sure by qualifying they’re going to do something amazing to their cars, and all of a sudden they’re going to be up to the top and we’re going to end up fighting with them. But if that happens, that’s OK. We should be proud that guys like Roger and Chip are looking at us, going, ‘Why are those guys so quick?’ That’s kind of our mindset right now.”

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “It was a good, long day. Running lots of laps and in race setup was what is was all about. It was nice to have the sun out after we lost a few days. So far so good, and tomorrow it will be about speed.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “We focused on race setup because we weren’t sure how much more time we’d get doing that. We’re just working through the program right now, but we’ve got more work to do. I’m OK with where we’re at right now. The last run there we found something. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): “Today confirmed what we were cautious about. We didn’t know how fast the car is, and I think today confirmed that the car is very fast. There isn’t anybody really playing around today. Everybody at one point or another did a qualifying run, maybe not as aggressive as they are going to go in qualifying, but they did a qualifying run. And I think we stuck up pretty good on that. I feel very confident, very good about the car. Once we qualify on the first day, hopefully we can focus on the race setup on Sunday. Right now it’s very doable, so I’m happy about that.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central): “Overall, it was a really good day for Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing. The No. 38 Service Central Honda is good with both high- and low-downforce setups. I’m excited to go out and qualify this weekend.”

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): “It’s very good to be back in the car. And straight out of the box, we made a good improvement on the last two days that we didn’t run. The guys were able to fit the engine cover properly. We were able to run 224, which at the time we were P4 on a tow, but then we worked on the car and at the end we could run decent laps by ourselves. I think we’re getting better every time, and we’re learning about the car. Still have a little bit to improve but getting better, so I’m happy.”

DAN WHELDON (No. 98 William Rast-Curb/Big Machine): “We had a good day. It was obviously nice to be on track. I think one thing the fans don’t see is how hard the guys work on the Bryan Herta Autosport team. They did a phenomenal job in the days off track. They weren’t sitting in the garage waiting for it to stop raining. They worked incredibly hard. The car today was good. It seemed certainly reasonable in qualifying trim. We were able to work on the race car, which is obviously important to me. There are still some improvements to be made but, for as limited running as we have had, I am pretty encouraged.”

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): “It was a tough day for the No. 34 Conquest Racing car. We were very confident in what we had. We felt very good about where we ended up the last time we went out, but today was just one of those days when we couldn’t find anything. We struggled with the rear, and we were not able to settle down. We will just keep working on it and be positive for tomorrow.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “We got a lot of work done today. We had made a change to the Sprott car back on Monday night that we have been waiting three days to try. It was good that we did it, but unfortunately it wasn’t a step forward, and it took quite a lot of downtime to go back on it and we missed a big chunk of the afternoon. But we still got a good number of laps in and really started to trim the car a bit more. We were focusing on running by ourselves and not really trying to compete in the ‘tow Olympics’ out there, so I don’t think 30^th on the time charts is very representative of where we are speed-wise, but there is always time in it, and always more speed to find. We’re going to keep chipping away at it. Tomorrow we will focus on qualifying runs, and we will see where we are at the end of the day.”

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): “I ran a lot of laps in the Telemundo car today; I think I only got out of the car once today. It was fun to be able to go through many of the test items that we planned, and the car feels good; it keeps feeling better. Of all the things we tried, there was only one that didn’t really improve the car, so we gained a lot of valuable information today. Tomorrow is going to get fun out there when everyone is super-trimmed. I have to say that some cars are impressively fast. I’m not sure where we stand, but Friday we will have a better idea and Saturday we will have the real one. I am very happy with how the whole team has been sticking to our plan. It’s easy to get caught up out there when everybody starts to go fast. We had a good lap with a little bit of a tow, but everybody kind of got tows. I feel good about where we stand right now.”

SCOTT SPEED (No. 20 Dragon Racing Fuzzy’s Vodka): “It was an eventful day, to say the least. We had a lot of trouble with the car earlier in the day, luckily without doing any damage. However, on our last time out today, we were able to get the car where we wanted it to be. Tomorrow we are going to continue to make changes and continue to make progress.”

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen): “It was a really good day for Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing. We were able to run a lot of miles in the No. 83 Levemir and NovoLog FlexPen Honda. We made a lot of progress today, and the Novo Nordisk crew did a great job. We just have to focus on getting me, as the rookie, the experience and the miles needed to be ready for qualifications this weekend.”

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): “On Monday when we were first running, we were struggling a bit with the back of the car. Today we finally got on top of that, and picked up quite a bit of pushing off the corners, so the oversteer and changed to a bit of understeer. We’ve been battling that for most of the day, and this afternoon, right at the very end, we finally made a little bit of progress toward understanding what that is and why it might be happening. We feel we have a definite direction to go in tomorrow to see if we can fix the handling issues. However, overall, with a one-lap job, we’ve got to be fairly pleased with my first lap at over 225 mph. Tomorrow will be similar to how it was at the end of today’s session, with a lot of cars out on track. We’ve just got to keep on working away, and fingers crossed we’ll get to the root of these problems by the weekend. I never thought I’d be so happy to be 21^st in a practice session, but in this instance, I genuinely am.”

ED CARPENTER (No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing): “Overall, it was a very productive day for the Dollar General team. We were able to get in a lot of laps, and we ran with some traffic and stuck to our game plan. We worked on a variety of things: some for the race, some for quals. We really learned a lot that’s going to help us not only for this weekend, but for the following weekend, as well. The speed charts weren’t our focus today, but we ended up P9. It was good to be up there in the mix.”

HO-PIN TUNG (No. 8 Schmidt Dragon Racing): “It was very nice to get back into the car again after so many days off the track due to rain. During those days, we discussed how we wanted the program we had set to progress, and today we were able to hit all of those points. I am very happy overall and look forward to continuing to progress tomorrow before we qualify this weekend.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “It was certainly a good and full day for the No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra team. We ran a lot of laps and all of them were really about race setup. My teammates, Will and Ryan, did some qualifying runs so we know what we need to do there, but we really just focused on getting our car right for the race. Tomorrow will be all about speed for us. It’s going to be fun!

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): “The Venom car is comfortable, so it’s good in that aspect, but maybe a bit too comfortable because we just don’t have the speed. We’ll keep working at it and hopefully make some big gains tomorrow.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): “It was a very good day, overall. We worked on the race setup on the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car, and I worked a lot with my teammates on track. We made a ton of changes throughout the day, and we were very productive. We trimmed out the car at the end of the session and focused a bit more on speed. All in all, it was a very productive day.”

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): “At least it didn’t rain today, so everybody got a lot of track time. Some people seemed to be doing race runs, and at the end there were people getting a lot of tows. Therefore it’s hard to get a good read on just how fast everyone really is. We’ll gauge it and find more speed, but we feel pretty good about the Window World car. It is what it is when you get to Indianapolis. It’s always a fight to find that last little bit of speed.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): “Our progress today was pretty good. The DHL/Sun Drop car right now is very, very well balanced, probably the best car I’ve ever had at Indy. But we need to find some more speed, and tomorrow is the next opportunity to do that. The car is great; the guys have done an amazing job with it. This is the stressful time of the week for the drivers. We’re doing a lot of low-downforce runs right now, and we’re only going to be doing more of that as we head toward Pole Day.”

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): “I think we found a direction for tomorrow. The Hire Heroes/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper car felt pretty comfortable at the end there, so it’s just a case of finding what speed we have tomorrow. I just feel more comfortable now with the whole package that we have, so that’s good. Just more track time, really, is what I needed. I feel good from that standpoint; I just need to see what we have now.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): “I thought it was a productive day. We made slow but steady changes in the GoDaddy car. We are still pleased with the speed at our downforce level, but there’s still work to do.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “Starting with rookie orientation, it is going quite smoothly for us. Panther Racing and the strength of the team has been a huge part of it. Buddy Rice and I are learning from each other and getting to know one another as we work as a team on a different discipline here with the oval. For me, in particular, we are just trying to chip away at it, and that has been working well for us so far. We have had really positive results with small changes, and this is what we hope to continue to do going forward. I am happy with the car in traffic and pleased with the speed we have on our own now. It is going to come down to a pretty serious shootout for the top 15 spots with all of the competitive cars here this year. It is going to be tough to put in the big numbers, but we are confident with where we are at right now.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “I don’t think the speeds are very representative of where anyone is at. You go out and happen to get a really good tow, and you get a big number. That’s what happened at the end. Verizon Team Penske worked on race setup most of the day. I was very comfortable following cars. We haven’t changed much from last year. We had good cars last year and need to rub on them a little bit, and that will do the trick.” (On dealing with the rain-shortened practice time before Pole Day): “I think tomorrow, early on, we’ll be working on race stuff, and then we’ll start trimming out for qualifying. We’ll be working on the car. I think it’s pretty important to focus on the race. You could spend a lot of time screwing around with qualifying things, and then it’ll be different conditions the next day. We have to have a good car in the race. That’s what we’ll be focusing on.”

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): “We did a good amount of running. It was good to get out with the Herbalife car after the rain the last two days. We learned a lot and tried several things that were on our list. We’ve very comfortable.” (Is the pole the goal?): “I hope so. Tagliani’s car is a rocket ship. Every time I walk past it in the garage, I sort of rub by it with my arm hoping some of that speed dust sort of rubs off on me. I think we’re going to be OK.” (About work on pit stops): “It’s probably the most important thing we did today, quite frankly. We’ve got a quick car it seems, but you’ve got to get in and out of the pits. My guys need practice doing ‘hot’ stops, and I probably need the most practice. These cars aren’t that easy to get in and out of the pit box. It felt pretty good. We’ve got some tweaking to do, but it was great to get practice doing that.” (About returning to Indy): “Every year it gets a little bit easier, not much, but just a little bit. It has been 11 months since I was here last, and it is good to be back with good equipment and great people in Sam Schmidt Motorsports. I also have a good sponsor in Herbalife, and consistency is nice. Even though we aren’t going out for every race, it sure feels nice to be back in Indy. Alex Tagliani’s car is very fast, and we seem to be doing well working together and learning from each other. We have a sister program with Dan Wheldon this year, so it has been neat to work with him, as well. We are just inching our way toward it and trying to keep our minds on what is important with finding a good balance and sticking to our plan.” (About the car’s balance): “I think we’re still pretty much in the balance window. I would say we’re toward the aggressive end of our downforce window. Tomorrow we’ll be thinking a lot about trimming out and going faster and getting ready for Saturday. I’m excited for the fans. I’m excited to participate. I’m just excited to watch. I think it’s going to be a great qualifying weekend. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to duke it out just like Indy should be.”

***

A total of 58 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 53 have passed technical inspection.

Forty drivers were on track today, turning 2,394 laps. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 4,873 total laps.

There were three cautions for 54 minutes today.

***

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):

***

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

- INDYCAR, Press Release

No 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing Honda Dallara driven by Ed Carpenter- Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Ed Carpenter: “Overall it was a very productive day for the Dollar General team. We were able to get in a lot of laps, and we ran with some traffic and stuck to our game plan. We worked on a variety of things; some for the race, some for quals. We really learned a lot that’s going to help us not only for this weekend, but for the following weekend as well. The speed charts weren’t our focus today, but we ended up P.9. It was good to be up there in the mix.”

Practice will resume tomorrow (Fast Friday) from noon-6pm.

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 29, 2011, which will be the 5th race of the 17-race 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. SFR driver Ed Carpenter will attempt to make his way into the field of 33 starting positions on Saturday, May 22, 2011. The race will be aired live on ABC at Noon EST on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisher.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003. Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard, with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

Sarah Fisher Racing

Ed Carpenter: “I think it was a productive day for the Dollar General team. Today was definitely more of a learning day; we weren’t too focused on the speed charts, but we had some decent speed and were able to work through some things on our testing check list. We got off track a little bit, but figured it out and we ended up just fine this evening. I’m looking forward to being back on track tomorrow.”

Weather permitting, Carpenter and the SFR team will resume practice tomorrow from noon-6pm; however, not only will the 30-year old Indianapolis native be busy on track tomorrow; he will also be making an appearance at Riley Hospital for Children tomorrow night to visit patients and their families.

The 95th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for Sunday, May 29, 2011, which will be the 5th race of the 17-race 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. SFR driver Ed Carpenter will attempt to make his way into the field of 33 starting positions on Saturday, May 22, 2011. The race will be aired live on ABC at Noon EST on Sunday, May 29, 2011. Additional coverage will be available on IMS Radio, XM Satellite Radio Channel 94 “IndyCar Racing,” Sirius Channel 212, along with broadcast coverage summaries available at www.indycar.com and www.sarahfisher.com.

About Ed Carpenter:

The 2011 IZOD IndyCar ® Series season marks Ed Carpenter’s eighth year in the series after making his debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003. Growing up with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his backyard, with Laura and step-father Tony George as parents, Carpenter was no stranger to racing. Carpenter began racing at eight years old and balanced racing with education throughout much of his career. Earning a Bachelors of Science degree in marketing from Butler University in 2003, Carpenter graduated from Butler just weeks before he won the Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With a college degree under his belt, Carpenter is now able to focus on several other activities when he’s not racing. Away from the track, Carpenter follows professional football and is an Indianapolis Colts season ticket holder and an enthusiastic Butler Bulldogs supporter. The 29-year old is also an avid cyclist, water skier and enjoys working out. Before he became a regular in the IZOD IndyCar Series, Carpenter was a short track racer in the United States Auto Club (USAC) midget, sprint and Silver Crown Series. 2011 marks his first season with Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) and Dollar General. Carpenter resides in Indianapolis with his wife, Heather, his daughter Makenna, son Ryder, and their two dogs Bentley (Rottweiler) and Roscoe (Chihuahua).

About Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR):

Sarah Fisher Racing (SFR) is an auto racing team that competes in the IZOD IndyCar® Series, founded by IZOD IndyCar Series veteran racer, Sarah Fisher. Fisher announced plans to become the IZOD IndyCar Series first female owner/driver and the youngest team owner on February 27, 2008, at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS). The team competed in three events in 2008, grew 100 percent in 2009 to six races and competed in fifteen total events in 2010, during the team’s first season initiating a two-car effort. With backing from Dollar General, SFR has announced plans to run an abbreviated schedule in 2011 competing in nine events, with Ed Carpenter the No. 67. For more information, please visit Sarah Fisher Racing online at www.sarahfisherracing.com.

- Sarah Fisher Racing, Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

On a day cut short 45 minutes because of showers, Ed Carpenter was quickest of the 32 entrants to get on the 2.5-mile oval with a lap of 224.786 mph (40.0380 seconds). Scott Dixon, the 2008 race winner and IZOD IndyCar Series champion, was second in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and JR Hildebrand, who was quickest in breezing through the Rookie Orientation Program on May 12, was third (224.433 mph).

There were 669 laps recorded without incident. Second day track activity, with a more favorable weather forecast, commences at noon May 15.

Reigning Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti (224.107) was fourth in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, and 2006 race runner-up Marco Andretti (223.927) was fifth in the No. 26 Team Venom car for Andretti Autosport.

Whether shaking down their primary or backup cars, working on running in traffic or seeing how quick they were off the truck, drivers enjoyed the work on the oval. For full-time competitors, their previous track time has been on four road and street courses.

Carpenter, competing in his first IZOD IndyCar Series event of the season – and first for Sarah Fisher Racing in the No. 67 Dollar General car – has a best start of eighth (2010) and finish of eighth (2009) in seven starts. Of course, Carpenter, stepson of Indy Racing League founder Tony George, covets a victory in the ’500′ more than any other.

“It’s only day one, but it’s really exciting to see hard work pay off and see progress,” he said. “We’re going to have to keep up the effort because it’s a long week heading into qualifying, but I definitely like the start that we’re off to.”

Added Fisher, a nine-time Indy 500 starter who announced her retirement from the race car in November: “I was really proud of the boys for starting the month off with little to no error. It was a bonus for Ed to top the charts, but we know we still have a lot more work to accomplish. For this being our first race of the season, we know we have to hit the ground running, and to see the team gelling already is a great testament to our people.”

Other notable Opening Day speeds were posted by 2009 race runner-up Vitor Meira (seventh at 223.192); Paul Tracy (11^th at 222.295), who didn’t qualify for the 2010 race; Danica Patrick (12^th at 222.232) and 2004 race winner Buddy Rice (14^th at 221.461), who’s returned to the track for the first time since 2008.

DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:
Firestone Firehawk race tire facts for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500:

•Firestone Racing returns to Indianapolis in 2011 with the same tire specification as 2010.

•A full-month entry receives 33 sets (132 tires), and a partial-month entry receives 26 sets (108 tires) for all of practice, qualifying and the race. Rookie Orientation Program participants receive an additional four sets (16 tires) for that session only; veteran refreshers receive two additional sets (eight tires) that must be returned before practice Monday, May 16. More than 5,000 tires in all are available.

•Tire stagger: A single stagger of approximately .30 of an inch is available. Stagger, created by molding the right rear tire with a larger diameter than the left rear, helps race cars turn more naturally and smoothly on oval tracks.

AL SPEYER (Executive Director, Firestone Racing): “The Indianapolis 500 is the race we most eagerly await each season, but we are anticipating this year’s even more with the centennial anniversary of this great event. We take immense pride in knowing that Firestone tires carried Ray Harroun to victory in the inaugural Indianapolis 500 a century ago, and that Firestone Racing still plays a pivotal role in the sport a hundred years later. Come May 29, we know that whoever takes the checkered flag first will do it on Firehawk tires and become Firestone’s 62^nd Indy 500 champion. It’s a win total more than all other tire makers combined and powerful proof of the legacy that the Firestone brand has maintained through the years. For ‘The Most Important Race in History,’ we are supplying the identical Firestone tire specification that was used in 2010 and received such wide praise from teams and drivers last May. With the entire racing world watching on this historic occasion, we want to provide a proven tire that will do its part to help make this landmark Indianapolis 500 even more memorable. Firestone wishes the best to all of this year’s competitors and congratulates Indianapolis Motor Speedway on its centennial milestone.”

***

Six rookies assigned to cars for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 passed all four phases of the Rookie Orientation Program on Thursday, May 12: JR Hildebrand, James Hinchcliffe, Charlie Kimball, Pippa Mann, Scott Speed and Ho-Pin Tung.

James Jakes completed three of the four phases and can finish the test during practice this week.

Jay Howard only needs to complete a refresher test – the final two phases of Rookie Orientation – because passed the Rookie Orientation Program in 2008 and participated in 2010 Indianapolis 500 qualifying.

The Rookie Orientation Program consists of turning consistent laps at four speed phases on the 2.5-mile asphalt oval. Drivers must turn five consistent laps at 200-205 mph, and 10 consistent laps at each of these three speed phases: 205-210, 210-215 and 215 or faster.

***

Window World, sponsor of the No. 43 Andretti Autosport car driven by John Andretti, today unveiled “The Stinger,” a 2011 concept show car that pays tribute to the 1911 Marmon Wasp, winner of the inaugural Indianapolis 500, and the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The No. 100 “Stinger” features a yellow-and-black color scheme taken directly from the Marmon Wasp. It will be on display all month in the MotoGP garage area near Gasoline Alley.

The Window World Cares charitable foundation has invited each of the race’s former starters to autograph the car. For each signature, Window World Cares will make a donation of support. Since its creation, Window World Cares has raised more than $1.6 million for St. Jude Research Hospital.

JOHN ANDRETTI: “The whole project came about in conversations about the 100th anniversary, how we could pay tribute to the drivers who have participated. Actually, it became an idea when I got a letter from Mari Hulman George about the past drivers that are still living and coming back for the Indy 500 for this anniversary. I think it’s just great Window World has wrapped their arms around it, the centennial year, as much as they have. With the retro paint scheme on the 43 as well as the ‘Stinger’ program and raising money through a great cause through Window World Cares, I think it’s awesome. Already they’ve raised quite a bit of money because of all the drivers’ signatures at Andretti Autosport, including my cousin (team owner Michael Andretti).”

***

Pruett Vineyard, in collaboration with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is proud to announce a Limited Edition Napa Cabernet Sauvignon celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

The centennial Indy 500 logo is prominently placed on the front label, making this a cherished collector’s item of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

Pruett Vineyard produces small lot, handcrafted wine, with great attention to detail and quality. 1989 Indianapolis 500 co-Rookie of the Year Scott Pruett is involved in every aspect as owner and vintner.

Scott and Judy Pruett will present a Magnum bottle of this Pruett Indy 500 wine, showcased in a beautiful lacquered etched wooden box, to each of the 33 team owners qualifying for the 100th running.

For more information, visit www.pruettvineyard.com.

SCOTT PRUETT: “We wanted to give this gift to the owners as a thank you, and homage to past and future team owners, for bringing this gold standard of motorsports to all of us. It’s absolutely overwhelming to think about the history of this great race, and to be involved at any level is truly an honor. With its rich history and cherished memories, there is really nothing in the world quite like the Indy 500. I am so excited and honored to be involved at this level in the Centennial Era.”

***

FIRST ON TRACK, 1984-2010

***

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was the honorary starter today, waving the green flag to start the first practice for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

GREG BALLARD: “They were side by side by side by side like a front row coming down the straightaway. It was a lot of fun. I will leave Race Day (start) in the hands of the professionals. We’re very lucky to be here for the 100^th anniversary because a lot of people are going to be reminiscing about all the events that have gone on before here. Also we have the new chassis to look forward to. And there is a lot of excitement as to what the new cars will look like. This is a great time to celebrate the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the longevity of this race going forward. I always tell people around the world that there is nothing like the month of May in Indianapolis, and I mean that. This is an unbelievable month that really brings the city together. Everybody enjoys it. It’s a great event on Race Day, and they memorialize those veterans who did not come back from serving this county. Obviously, the Speedway does it right.”

***

IZOD IndyCar Series fan Greg Nemeth won a Graham watch with an estimated retail value of $7,000-$8,000 through an online contest promoted by Target Chip Ganassi Driver Scott Dixon.

Nemeth, from Greenwood, Ind., won by correctly picking the top three finishers of the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama last month. Dixon has been very active with social media this season and promoted the contest, hosted on his website, via Twitter. Dixon presented Nemeth with the watch this morning at the Speedway.

GREG NEMETH: “I’ve been following IndyCar forever, but he (Dixon) mentioned his contest on Twitter. The first time I tried, I won. It felt pretty good. I picked Scott to finish second. I didn’t think I’d win, but I guess I did. I feel bad about not picking Scott to finish first, but I won.”

SCOTT DIXON: (About the contest): “I’ve actually had it for three years, and nobody’s ever won. Then, Barber (Motorsports Park) race weekend, we had three winners. Greg was the first one to pick it and was the lucky winner.” (About becoming very involved with social media this year): “I think it’s a nice way to interact. I think the biggest hold-out (on getting involved with Twitter) was my wife, because she said I was already on my phone way too much. Adding Twitter to that was going to double my time. It’s a lot of fun, especially now when 99 percent of the drivers all do it. Viral media, things like Twitter, Facebook and all the others, there’s a huge connection to the fans. If you can interact more, it’s going to make (the sport) more popular.”

***

After a banner 2010 that included a sweep of the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500, Chip Ganassi and his organization are among the nominees at the Fourth Annual Sports Business Awards on Wednesday, May 18 in New York.

Ganassi is the first race team executive to be nominated for Sports Executive of the Year, and Chip Ganassi Racing Teams is the second race team to receive a Professional Sports Team of the Year nomination.

The awards, given by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, honor excellence in sports business.

***

Legendary Indianapolis 500 team owner Roger Penske will be honored with the Legends of Racing Award at the 12^th annual Racing to Recovery Gala presented by The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) on Wednesday, May 18.

The gala is taking place at D’Amore Events, located atop the Chase Bank Building at 111 Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.

Penske Racing has won a record 15 Indianapolis 500′s. Penske joins an illustrious list of Legends of Racing Award winners, including Rick Mears, Parnelli Jones, Arie Luyendyk, Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti.

Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunity to mingle with Indianapolis 500 greats from the past and present and current IZOD IndyCar Series team owners and drivers, while raising money to support medical research, rehabilitation and quality-of-life programs for those living with paralysis. The event will feature a silent and live auction, giving guests the opportunity to bid on unique racing-themed items.

SSPF was started in 2000 by INDYCAR driver Sam Schmidt shortly after a practice crash left him paralyzed from the chest down. SSPF is leading the charge to cure paralysis by funding scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances benefiting those with spinal cord injuries, stroke victims and people diagnosed with ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

For ticket information, contact events@samschmidt.org or call (317) 236-9999.

***

Rockford Fosgate, the industry leader in high-performance car audio systems, is joining forces with Paul Tracy, who will debut the Rockford Fosgate logo at the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 29 while driving the No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing entry.

PAUL TRACY: “I’m really excited to partner with such a great audio brand like Rockford Fosgate and look forward to supporting all of their products this season. I’ve been a fan of their high-performance equipment for some time now, and I’m honored they would allow me to be their brand ambassador in motorsports. I look forward to outfitting my classic ’64 Riviera and ’51 Mercury with some of the coolest Rockford Fosgate car audio amps and speakers.”

BILL JACKSON (CEO and president, Rockford Corporation): “Paul embodies the Rockford Fosgate lifestyle. He leads an active life, enjoys music and all things motorized. We’re excited to have Paul in the Rockford Fosgate family.”

***

Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti spoke about the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

MICHAEL ANDRETTI: (About importance of the 100th Anniversary): “Yeah, it’s always exciting being here getting ready for the month. But this year is extra special, being the 100^th year, so there is some extra incentive to do well. It would be great to be the winning team on the 100^th Anniversary, and I can tell you all of us are real excited to get going.” (What would it mean for an Andretti to win the 100th Anniversary race?): “I honestly cannot put it into words. It would be real emotional if that were to happen, I can tell you that.”

***

Tom Hansing, one of the Indianapolis 500 starters in the flag stand, talked about the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

TOM HANSING: “It’s a big morning, the 100th Anniversary of the ’500,’ and I feel real great to be a part of it. I owe a lot to Bryan Howard, the chief starter on Race Day. He brought me in to the series about 10 years ago, and here we are. I started out with the United States Auto Club and still work with them and fill in with the IZOD IndyCar Series.” (Is it hard not to just sit back and watch?): “It is. Particularly on Race Day, when 33 cars come thundering down on you. It’s just a feeling you can’t explain to someone who has not been up there.”

***

Indianapolis 500 veteran Sarah Fisher retired as a driver last fall to concentrate on ownership of Sarah Fisher Racing. She and her husband, Andy O’Gara, also are starting a family. Their first child is due Sept. 29.

Fisher made nine “500″ starts between 2000-10.

SARAH FISHER: (About her pregnancy): “I’m out of racing shape, that’s for sure. I had to stop working out in October, and they don’t make maternity seat belts. But I’m very happy. It is an exciting time, especially to have Ed Carpenter driving for us because he is the perfect fit. He matches the brand, and no doubt that he has a strong performance record here at Indy. So I’m excited about the Race Day and the 100th Anniversary in general.” (Is hard to be not racing?): “No, it depends on how much fun you’re having and who you have driving for you, and with Ed’s family and his wife, Heather, they have already done a lot of work with us for our Laps for Literacy program, so it has just been really fun. I can’t wait to see how it goes on track, and I’m sure it will be a perfect fit.”

***

Willy T. Ribbs, who became the first African-American starter in the Indianapolis 500 in 1991, is visiting the track this week. Ribbs announced Thursday he has formed a Firestone Indy Lights team to help another African-American driver achieve his dream.

In partnership with Starting Grid, Inc. principal Chris Miles, Ribbs has formed Willy T. Ribbs Racing to campaign 21-year-old Chase Austin in the 2011 Firestone Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Austin will take the wheel of the Willy T. Ribbs Racing/ Starting Grid Inc./Brooks Associates Racing entry in May 27 race, the premier event on the 2011 Firestone Indy Lights schedule. With sponsorship support from American Honda Motor Company, Inc., the car carries No. 75 in homage to Ribbs’ car number when driving for comedian Bill Cosby in 1993 and 1994.

Austin, much like his team owner, is no stranger to setting new benchmarks as he works his way up the racing ladder. Born in Eudora, Kan., he spent his formative years competing in anything from tiny 900-pound midgets to intimidating, 700-horsepower dirt late-models. By age 15, Austin was the youngest driver ever to sign a developmental contract in NASCAR, with the Hendrick Motorsports team. He made history again in 2007 with Rusty Wallace Racing, becoming the first African-American driver to compete in a Nationwide Series oval event; highlighted by a sixth-place finish at Dover International Speedway. Austin has spent the past two seasons competing in the Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series.

WILLY T. RIBBS: “It was a great announcement to make because it is great to be back at Indy. The irony — my 20th anniversary of qualifying here and then this being the 100th anniversary for the race –the timing could not have been better.” (On the moment he came down pit lane after qualifying in 1991 and slapping hands): “It was a moment that was totally unplanned. I had no plan to do that, and as I was coming down pit lane I was worried about hitting people who were coming out to greet me with my wheel, so I had to come halfway out to the cockpit so I could reach their hands, and it was just a great moment – totally unplanned.” (About the “500″): “Indianapolis is the biggest race on the planet, and it not only is it a great race it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. There is no race that can come close to it – nothing can even touch it.”

***

More than 250 classic cars were on display today at IMS during the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Celebration of Automobiles.

Many of these machines have won awards in Concours d’Elegance competition at such venues as Pebble Beach and Amelia Island.

The cars participating in the Celebration were divided into two divisions, one a general collection and the other presenting for the first time anywhere classic cars produced by the 24 manufacturers that competed in the first Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 1911.

A team of judges will reveal its choices for the best of show in several categories tonight at the elegant Condon-Skelly Celebration of Automobiles dinner, where several exquisite trophies will be presented to winning car owners. 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones heads the judging panel, with three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford and 1985 “500″ winner Danny Sullivan also serving as judges.

PARNELLI JONES: (On judging the Celebration of Automobiles): “First of all, it’s the 100^th anniversary and to have over 200 cars come to the track to be a part of it is something really nice. You only have one 100^th anniversary, and this event, along with all the race cars on the track, is a great way to start. It was very tough to pick one individual wining car. But between myself, Rutherford and Sullivan, we boiled it down to one top choice. And overall, I think we’re making a great comeback here.” (On the centennial celebration and the Month of May): “I think it’s definitely going to be a pumped-up year. Everybody’s excited about it. I know I am. I’m fortunate enough to be able to drive the 1911 winning Marmon Wasp on Race Day, and I’m very excited for it. I think the guy who wins this race is going to have extra stamp on his back, for sure. It’s going to be great. It can’t be any better.” (On being back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): “I come back every year. It’s a reunion for me. Once you’re a past winner, I think you feel like you are part of the Speedway. It’s ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,’ and it has a great history. I get to have the honor of being a part of that.”

Quotes from selected participants:

REED TARWATER (Greenwood, Ind., 1933 MG J2 Roadster): “This is, by far and away, the largest and best auto show I have ever been to, and I have gone to a lot of shows. I’ve been to great shows at Meadowbrook and Hilton Head, but this is the best one I have ever attended. There is a car owner here today that made the trip from London (England) to come to this show. Living here in Indianapolis – it’s ‘the track.’ We’ve been coming here for years, but for other people that have never been here before, it’s a big deal to come and see this. Yesterday, we were able to drive around the track, and it was a great treat for a lot of these people.”

JAN TARWATER (Greenwood, Ind., 1933 MG J2 Roadster): “This is a great event today. We’ve even been to the prestigious Pebble Beach show. It is top-notch, but this show today has the widest range of beautiful, beautiful cars I have ever seen.”

KEN CLARK (Pittsfield, Maine, 1929 Cord L-29 Cabriolet): “I just thought it would be a neat thing. I’ve never been to the Indianapolis 500 before, and I just thought it would be a good place to go. So that was the real reason. But with the invitation and then the application and then the acceptance, I thought (the opportunity) was cool. I like race cars, but I’m not a race car fan. I don’t watch them, but I like to promote cars. And what better way to promote cars than at a racetrack?”

JOHN KELSEY (Camdenton, Mo., 1914 Stutz): “The car has returned home where the car was first built (Stutz was built in Indianapolis). I drove it in 1952 here around the Speedway as part of the Studebaker Centennial Celebration Tour. And now we are celebrating another centennial, the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. I had the privilege of circling the track then and also circled it Friday. My father (Paul Kelsey) bought the car from its previous owners in Iowa in 1951. The car remained in storage from 1917 to 1951, and now it is here at the Speedway.”

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FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

* — Rookie

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INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “Today was short and sweet, as we only turned four laps at speed. Always great to be back at IMS. Team Target prepped the cars to their usual high standard. Early days, but I can’t wait to get back in the car tomorrow.”

TOMAS SCHECKTER (No. 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme – Circle K): “We still have a lot of work to do. It’s going to be a long month. As everybody knows, there’s a lot of competitive people out there. So far just for one run, I think the car’s good. We’ve definitely got a good base to work from.” (On the influence the forecast can have on the team’s plan.): “Actually, we’re on the shorter engine program, so for us it’s not that much of a problem. We’ve got a certain amount of tires that we have to run through. We’re about seven (sets) behind what the full-time guys get. For us, rain is good because it doesn’t allow them to get so much more running in than what I would. And I’ve got a lot of experience around here, so for me it was straight out the pits, and I was flat out. I could get a good feel.” (On his confidence this year with a new team): “The confidence level is always high. For me, it’s high because I love this track. I love this place. I love the Month of May. But certainly we’ve worked a little bit on the setup. But we probably need to take a couple more steps for it to be 100 percent comfortable.”

JAMES JAKES (No. 18 Acorn Starilifts): “It was pretty easy today. It’s my first time at Indy and my first time on an oval. We’re still running a lot of downforce, so we’re driving around and just learning the ropes. We have a lot of testing to do, go through all the stuff with my teammates, and I’m just taking my time. It will be good at the end of the day to look at all the data. It will be a long week. We can do a good job; we just have to be patient. Alex (Lloyd) has been here before, and he’s given me very good advice. Hopefully, we’ll feed off each other.”

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): “It felt great. Obviously, it’s been a while since we were here. All the drivers are always excited coming back to Indy. It’s great to get out and turn some fairly quick laps. All in all, it was just a shakedown with the T car today. You know, it’s just good to see all the fans out here today. I’m sure it will get busier and busier as the days go on.” (On his comfort level after being involved in the crash last year): “Yeah, it’s great to be back out and working with the all Andretti guys and seeing what the car feels like around here. The car felt good. We’ve just got to keep chipping away. We’ve got a long week, so no rush.”

BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Panther Racing): “I feel good, and I’m happy to be back. Everything is going pretty well. I’m excited to be back here. I wanted to make sure I’d be in good equipment, and the Panther crew has run really well here recently. It’s a great opportunity for me. I’m excited for the centennial. The centennial only comes around once, and there won’t be anything like this for quite a long time, so I’m glad to be a part of it.”

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 38 Service Central): “Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing had a great day. We didn’t run very long today, and the laps we did turn were very conservative. The No. 38 Service Central Honda is faster than we anticipated for the first time out at IMS, so we are in great shape. I’m looking forward to getting back out on the track tomorrow.”

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): “The goal for today was just to go out and get some solid running in. We got through the Rookie Orientation Program on Thursday, but we didn’t get to do any testing. So today was about picking up where we left off, getting solidly up to speed and starting to work on the car – all of which we did. We’re about halfway up the speed charts at the moment, and there’s plenty more to come. We’ve got loads of aero on the car at the moment; we’re being super-conservative. We’ve got a couple of little handling gremlins going on, but once we fix those and wipe the aero off, I think we’re looking OK. I’m pleased with where we’ve ended up after day one. The weather is going to play a huge part this week, but it always does here in Indianapolis, and it’s the same for everyone. Obviously, it’s not easy when you’re a rookie. One of the difficult things about being a rookie here at IMS is that the track changes all of the time, and it doesn’t always change consistently and go in the same direction. You’re never really quite sure what you’re going to get, and as a rookie, I’m going through all of this for the first time. In terms of driving experience, Sebastian and I are a young team with no veterans to help us out, so losing out on running time will have an impact on us. However, it’s up to us to make sure that it doesn’t have a big impact, and we do the very best we can with what we’ve got.”

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): “It was a perfect day for the Telemundo team. It was trouble-free, and we did exactly what we wanted, and the car felt really good. It’s hard to know where we stand compared to everybody, especially being the first day and everyone is running different downforce levels. We just have to base our judgment on how the car feels, and the car feels good, so we are happy. This place is one that you always have to treat with respect. I had all sorts of nightmares last night because I think I was nervous. But the car felt great from the first lap. It’s a great place to be.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “We really wanted to work on the rain setup today, so it was pretty convenient that the weather cooperated. Just kidding! Today was all about getting up to speed and running with the full field for the first day because, obviously, with Rookie Orientation there are only seven cars on track. We started really conservative because we should have a lot of track time. We started peeling off a little bit of downforce slowly but surely. We orchestrated a little bit of traffic running with Oriol, which was good; it was certainly good practice for me. Everybody is going good so far. The car has been really stable, and we’re feeling really confident. Oriol got a bit more work done this afternoon before the rain started to come, so we’ll look over what he got done. I think we are heading in the right direction, and we’re on a good plan of being cautious over the week but then being there when it counts for qualifying.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3T Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “The plan today for the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car was to just stay consistent and run through our list of equipment on the T car. We were able to do that today, so we stuck to the plan. Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll get a chance to run in the primary car and continue working our game plan.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6T IZOD Team Penske): “It was a great first day in the No. 6T IZOD Team Penske car at the Speedway today. It’s definitely fun to be running at more than 220 mph – it’s been a long time since we’ve felt that exhilaration. It feels really comfortable being back at Indy, and I’m excited to get more laps in this week.”

WILL POWER (No. 12T Verizon Team Penske): “The No. 12T Verizon Team Penske car was good today. We really didn’t run too much by design. Today was more of a shakedown for us, just easing our way into our time here at the Brickyard. It did feel good to get back on track at the Speedway; it’s such an awesome place. Hopefully, we will have the chance to get on track tomorrow and continue working.”

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): “It wasn’t the way we wanted to start. We expected to run a lot more laps, but in the end this is how racing goes. The guys have put an amazing amount of effort to put the car together and make it as aerodynamic as it can be. So I’m very pleased with how it looks and how it’s going to perform. We had a little inconvenience today that kept us from getting as much track time as we were looking for, but it’s a long week and we are looking forward to making it happen tomorrow. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. The car feels great. We just need to get some more track time.”

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): “I’d like to be out there, but we have a few more little things to do. We don’t want to rush it. We want to make sure we have the absolute best piece possible. It’s hard for a driver to sit on a day like today, but we’ll be ready to go tomorrow. It’s really nice to have Gerald (Tyler) around and, and I really like working with Allen McDonald, as well . There’s a comfort level there. Everybody’s itching to start getting to work.”

ALEX LLOYD (No. 19 Boy Scouts of America): “The balance on the car is fantastic; it’s the most well-balanced car that I’ve had in the four years I’ve been doing this. It’s very encouraging straight off the bat. We’re trying to figure out where we’re at speed-wise and downforce-wise. From a balance perspective, we’re very happy with it. It made life a little easier because you’re always a little antsy going into that first run to see what performance level you have. We were a little more aggressive today than we have in past years, and that goes down to my experience. I was flat out within a couple of laps, and before it would take a couple of runs before I could go flat out. When you’re newer, you take a little more time. We’re ready to start getting rid of some of the downforce in the next couple of days.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28T Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): “We were able to get an idea of what the backup car is doing. We just wanted to get the backup car through the paces – two outings, that’s it — roll it back to the garage, get the primary car ready and get on with the objectives of the month. We do this as a precaution. In case we need to go to the backup car later, then we know what we have. While we’re itching to get to work on the primary DHL/Sun Drop car, we have to have the discipline to make this happen. The whole team did it, and everyone seemed to run pretty well.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7T Team GoDaddy): “I thought we had a solid run today. The ‘T’ car did great today, so we hope the primary car will run just as well. The Go Daddy team is off to a positive start for May.”

JUSTIN WILSON (No. 22 Z-Line Designs/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “Today was all right. We only did one run and it was OK, and the Z-Line Designs car felt OK. It was good to get back out on track and to shake the car out. It would have been nice to really get into it, but we were getting up to speed and we brought the car back to get checked out and to make a couple of changes, and then the weather came in. I’m looking forward to getting back out tomorrow and to get more miles.”

PAUL TRACY (No. 23 WIX Filters/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “The first day on track was great. I’m really, really happy with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and with the work that they have done preparing the WIX Filters car for the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. It was just a seamless day today. We went out with a test plan in mind, and we made four individual changes. Every change made the car a little bit better and a little bit better, and we ended up at 222.295. We were 11th quick, and Justin was 10th, so overall I’m pretty happy with where we ended up, and we will keep working tomorrow.”

ANA BEATRIZ (No. 24 Team Ipiranga/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing): “It was good to be back in the car. We did one lap time just to see how the car felt, and we stopped. The speed didn’t show up on my dash, so we tried to work it out for a couple of minutes, and we couldn’t find it. So, we went back out there to really feel the car at a high speed and it felt great, but because we couldn’t see the speeds that I was actually doing and if I was improving and getting better, we decided to pit to fix the problem. We went back to the garage to set the car down. This is the first day and we want to make sure that we can get all of the problems fixed today so that we can start tomorrow strong. It started raining today so unfortunately we were unable to get back out, but we have extra tires for tomorrow, and I hope we will be able to use them all.”

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): “We got a lot more done today than we thought we would with the rain. We went through the changes we wanted to make. I feel pretty good about it. Everybody has learned a lot, and we’ve learned a lot from my teammates. I feel really good about the month and the Window World car. I think we’re already a few steps ahead from where we were last year.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26T Team Venom): “It felt really good to get back in the car here in Indy. We focused today on getting a few laps in the T car, and tomorrow we’ll move to our primary car. Hopefully we won’t need the T car again, but it’s nice to know where it stands, just in case. I think the Venom team has potential to be strong this month. We’ve typically run well here and have come close to winning a couple times. This would be a great year to get the job done.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10T Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “It was a good shakedown of the No. 10t Target car. Both Scott Dixon and I seemed to have good speed right away, but the real work starts on Monday.”

JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): “The car feels really good. We got to run our refresher laps and got the work done that we needed to get done in that session. The Service Central team has done a great job in getting the cars ready, and I feel that there is a lot of speed left in the car. We will be working very hard over the next week to find that speed and get ourselves strongly into the field.”

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): “It was a good first day. I feel comfortable in the car. We didn’t have a tow and still did a pretty decent time, so I feel good. It was important for me today to feel good in the car and with the team since I hadn’t been in a car since October of last year, but I think we did everything we needed to do and can start really working on making the car faster tomorrow.”

ED CARPENTER (No. 67 Dollar General/Sarah Fisher Racing): (On working with Sarah Fisher after coming up through the same paths in racing): “We have a different respect for each other than probably other people around because of the way we got here and what it means to us. It’s just a good group to be around. Sarah and Andy (O’Gara) have done a great job building their team. They do everything they can to get better. The guys work really hard, and today’s a product of that.” (On his good performances in recent years at Indy): “Yeah, this is my eighth go around here. It’s so much fun being in an Indy car at this track. I definitely feel blessed to have the opportunity with Sarah and Dollar General to be here. Today was a fun day, and hopefully we can keep this momentum going this week.”

SARAH FISHER (Owner, Sarah Fisher Racing): (On her confidence with the team this year and Ed Carpenter being so fast so soon): “That wasn’t supposed to happen yet. You’re supposed to slowly build up and do that. You know, I’ve had a lot of questions about whether it was going to be hard watching the 67 car go around without me in it. Honestly, it makes a difference with the individual you have representing you and doing the job for you. Ed’s a perfect fit for us and really showed that today. We’re really proud of the boys and the job they did together.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “We’re really happy with how the day went. I probably could have pulled off an even better lap there, but for me it’s still a matter of understanding what I’m expecting to happen compared to what is actually going to happen when I’m out there. The National Guard car felt good, and we didn’t have anything out of the ordinary, and we understand it’s going to be a whole different gig when there are a bunch of different cars out there, as that creates a lot more turbulent air. Thankfully, through Rookie Orientation and again today we’ve been able to make positive steps every time by making small steps every time. If we can keep up the pace of what we’re doing, then it should be positive as we continue to move forward.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): “I think we are cautiously excited. There’s still a lot to do. We’re still slower than what it will take in qualifying, but the car is good, it’s fast. We did get a draft, but even without the draft, we’re pretty competitive in our times, so we’re excited. It’s the first day, but I think we started the right way and we just have to maintain and improve on what we had today.”

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): “It was very nice to be back at Indianapolis. I love the track. To feel the speed, I always have to get used to it to go 220 mph. I’m very happy to have a chance to race here with A.J. Foyt. It’s a great team, and A.J. is a great team owner. I’m learning a lot from him. Let’s hope we can have a good week. It rained a little bit, but we were able to do some good laps. We found a good direction to go, so that was very good for the first day.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “It was part of our plan actually not to practice. Last year we didn’t practice here, and it kind of turned out to be a good thing. I was sick I was in the hospital with really bad bronchitis so I missed the first day. To run on a very consistent basis, sometimes it’s better to wait for a little bit of rubber not because it’s quicker but because the track is not going to burn tires so quickly. The plan is to get out tomorrow, but the only thing that is going to dictate whether we go out is the temperature. If it’s the way it was today and if it’s green, we’re going to go (out).”

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1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan was at the track today, serving as a judge in the Celebration of Automobiles with fellow “500″ winners Parnelli Jones and Johnny Rutherford.

DANNY SULLIVAN: (On how the excitement of this year): “It’s always good to be back here. I don’t get back often enough. I was surprised how many drivers are still around. It’s pretty staggering how many guys have competed in the Indy 500 and how many champions are here, as well. I was riding around with Johnny Rutherford this morning, an old teammate and always great fun to be with. And Parnelli’s out here, Al (Unser) Jr., Rick (Mears); I saw Arie (Luyendyk). It’s a great group of people.”

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SUNDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):

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The 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season continues with the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 on May 29 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will be telecast live in High Definition at Noon (ET) by ABC. The race will air live on the IMS Radio Network, SiriusXM channel 94 and www.indycar.com. The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights season continues with the Firestone Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 27. The race will be televised live by VERSUS.

- INDYCAR, Press Release