Target Chip Ganassi Racing

Target Chip Ganassi Racing Las Vegas Advance Notes

Race: IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Sunday, October 16 (3:00 PM ET, ABC)
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile D-shaped oval)
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

NOTES/NEWS

Follow TCGR on Twitter: Follow @TCGRTeams for official updates from Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Managing Director Mike Hull on Las Vegas: “Looking ahead to the IndyCar finale, I think we’re lucky in that we did a full-scale simulation, as it were, at Kentucky…up to a point. One-and-a-half-mile oval racing is gladiator racing – wheel to wheel, hard racing, and the driver has to focus for 200 laps. So I think it’s good that we had one of those races before the finale. The aero package for Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be similar to Kentucky, and the fact that IndyCar is allowing us a bit of extra time at the front end of the Vegas weekend and giving us time to digest what we’ve learned will help all of us.”

Team Target on Ovals in 2011: In 2011, Team Target has made 14 starts on oval tracks. In those starts, they have scored two wins (Franchitti – Texas Race One and Milwaukee), eight podiums, 10 top-fives and 12 top-10s. They have also picked up two poles to go with those finishes (Franchitti – Milwaukee and New Hampshire). Their average start on ovals this year is 8.9 and their average finish is 5.2. Dixon and Franchitti have completed 2,539 (96.3%) of a possible 2,636 laps and have led 829 of them (31.4%). Team Target has been running at the finish in 13 of the 14 starts and has finished on the lead lap 13 times.

Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Team

Follow Scott on Twitter: Follow @scottdixon9 for all the happenings and inside information on the driver of the No. 9 Indy car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Dixon on the Championship: “The job now is to help Dario. If we can do that and get another Championship for the team…that is going to be huge. Obviously you want to win the Championship, but it takes a lot to do it. It is not just yourself. It is the team, how you prepare and making sure you are on the right strategy. You need to go out and do the things you always do. If I can try and race for the win, that would be fantastic as well. We are still in the business of trying to win races and that is what I am going out to try to do.”

2011 in Review: Dixon has made 17 starts in 2011, tallying two wins (Mid-Ohio and Motegi), nine podiums, 12 top-fives and 13 top-10s. Along with his solid finishes, he also has two poles (Mid-Ohio and Motegi) and has started inside the top-10 15 times. Dixon’s average start and finish in 2011 are 6.2 and 6.5 respectively. He has completed 99.5% of the laps run this season (2,100 of 2,111) and led 190 of them (9.0%). He has been running at the finish in all 17 races so far this season and finished on the lead lap 14 times.

Driving in Circles: There have been seven races on oval tracks this season. In his starts on that track type, Dixon has five podiums, six top-fives and has finished inside the top-10 is all seven races. His best finish on the ovals in 2011 is second (Twice – Texas Race One and Texas Race Two). He has completed all 1,318 laps run in those races this season and has led 77 of them (5.8%). Dixon’s average start on the ovals is 9.6, but his average finish is 3.6. He has been running at the finish of every oval race and has not scored fewer than 20 points in those seven starts.

Going For a 1-2 Sweep: Dixon is currently 37 points behind Will Power for second-place in the overall IndyCar point standings. If Dixon is able to pass Power for second, it will be only the second time in TCGR history that the team has finished first and second in the final standings (2009).

On a Roll: Following last weekend’s race at Kentucky, Dixon now has the longest consecutive streak of both top-five and top-10 finishes with six. No other driver has finished inside the top-five in consecutive races, and second-longest streak of top-10 finishes belongs to TCGR teammate Franchitti with four. Dixon also holds the longest streak for starts inside the top-10 with eight. That is four more top-10 starts than the second-place driver (Power – four).

AJ Foyt Oval Trophy: Two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway, Dixon finished third, securing the 2011 AJ Foyt Oval Trophy Championship with 216 points. With his third-place finish in the Kentucky Indy 300, the driver of the No. 9 Honda scored 35 points, keeping him 10 points ahead of runner-up and teammate, Franchitti. Dixon posted an average finish of 3.6 in races on ovals this season and averaged 30.9 points per race in order to take home the title. This oval championship marks the second in a row for Target Chip Ganassi Racing (Franchitti won the inaugural title in 2010).

Kentucky Recap: Dixon started seventh and by lap 63 had moved up into third-place. He brought the No. 9 Honda in for a pit stop under caution on lap 81, and after a slight wing adjustment, gained one position, coming back onto the track in second. After a restart on lap 93, Dixon fell back to third, but continued to maintain his place inside the top-three. Following the second caution of the race, Dixon gained a position, putting him back into second. A third yellow flag waved on lap 167, allowing the team to conserve fuel and run until the end of the race. When the checkered flag flew, Dixon crossed the line in third-place. With his finish, Dixon secured the A.J. Foyt Oval Trophy for his performance this season on oval tracks.

In the Points: Coming into the season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dixon remains third in the overall IZOD IndyCar Series point standings, 55 behind Franchitti and 37 behind second-place Power. While his deficit to first-place makes him mathematically ineligible for the series championship, he still has a chance to move up to second in the standings following the race at Las Vegas.

Dario Franchitti and the No. 10 Target Team

Follow Dario on Twitter: Follow @dariofranchitti for all the happenings and inside information on the driver of the No. 10 Indy car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Championship on the Horizon: If Franchitti takes his fourth career IndyCar Series Championship at Las Vegas, it will be his fourth title in as many seasons of competition (2007, 2009 and 2010). It would also be the fourth consecutive title for TCGR (Dixon – 2008, Franchitti – 2009, 2010) and ninth overall (Jimmy Vasser: 1996; Alex Zanardi: 1997, 1998; Juan Pablo Montoya: 1999; Dixon: 2003, 2008 and Franchitti: 2009, 2010). Franchitti would be only the third driver in IndyCar Series history to ever win at least three titles in a row (Ted Horn: 1946-1948 and Sebastien Bourdais: 2004-2007).

In It to Win It: If Franchitti wins the season finale at Las Vegas, it will be the third time in his career that he clinched the IndyCar title by winning the final race of the season (2007 and 2009). It would also be the third different track that he clinched the championship at (Chicagoland Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway).

Grand Finale: Franchitti’s 18-point lead heading into the final race of the season is the largest gap that he has ever had on second-place with one race remaining. Prior to this season, he has only gone into the final race of the season as the point leader twice. The first time was in 1999, when he led by nine points, ended the race in a tie with Montoya (Both had 212 points) and finished second after losing the “most wins” tie-breaker. The other was back in 2007, when he held a three-point lead over second-place and went on to win his first career IndyCar title.

2011 in Review: Going into Las Vegas, Franchitti has started all 17 races of the 2011 season. In those races, he has totaled four wins (St. Petersburg, Texas Race One, Milwaukee and Toronto), nine podiums, 13 top-fives and 15 top-10s. He also has two poles (Milwaukee and New Hampshire), nine top-five starts, and 15 starts inside the top-10. His average starting position this season is 6.2, while his average finish is 4.8. He has completed 2,014 (95.4%) out of the 2,111 laps run, and has led a series-high 884 laps (41.9%). Franchitti has been running at the finish and has finished on the lead lap in 16 races this year.

Ovals This Season: In seven races on ovals in 2011, Franchitti has racked up two wins (Texas Race One and Milwaukee), four top-fives and five top-10s. Both of his poles this season came on ovals (Milwaukee and New Hampshire). He has completed 1,221 (92.6%) of a possible 1,318 laps and has led 752 of them (57.1%). He has been running at the finish in six of seven races and has only finished off of the lead lap once. His average start on ovals is 8.3 and his average finish is 6.9.

Leader of the Pack: Franchitti has led 884 laps so far in 2011, which puts him only 16 laps led from setting a new single-season record (Dixon – 899 laps led in 2008). He is the only driver in the IZOD IndyCar Series to have led more than 100 laps in a single race this season (Five times – Texas Race One, Milwaukee, Iowa, New Hampshire and Kentucky). He has led in 11 different races this season, which is the second highest total behind Power with 13.

Lead Lap Finisher: Franchitti has finished on the lead lap in 16 of the 17 races so far this season. If he is able to complete every lap in the season finale at Las Vegas, he will set a new personal record for most lead lap finishes in a season (Also had 16 in 2010).

“Tie” Him Up: With a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Franchitti would tie his career-best total for wins in a single season with five (2009). Also, if he is able to finish on the podium in the IndyCar World Championships, he would have his 10th podium of the season, making this the third time in his past four years of competition that he has had double-digit podiums and fourth time in his career (1999, 2007 and 2010).

Kentucky Recap: Franchitti began the race from 11th and moved up to ninth after just four laps. With pit stops starting on lap 51, he used great fuel mileage to move into first and hold onto the lead after his pit stop on lap 52. After the second caution of the day came on lap 140, the No. 10 team made their second stop of the day and maintained the lead. The third yellow flag allowed Franchitti to conserve fuel, allowing him to run to the end of the race. With 20 laps-to-go, he was battling side-by-side for the lead with Ed Carpenter and took the checkered flag in second by 0.0098-seconds behind Carpenter (The sixth-closest race in IndyCar Series history and the closest ever at Kentucky Speedway).

In the Points: With his runner-up finish at Kentucky, Franchitti moved back into the points lead with 573 points. He is now 18 points ahead of second-place Power with only one race remaining. This is only the second time in his last four seasons of competition that he has gone into the season finale as the point leader (2007).

TEAM ROSTERS

Mike Hull – Managing Director
Scott Harner – Team Manager (Administrative Operations)
Barry Wanser – Team Manager (Racing Operations)

No. 9 (IndyCar)
Crew Chief/Stop Sign/Wheelgun Hose: Ricky Davis Shocks/Firebottle: Chris Clark
Engineer: Eric Bretzman Engines/Radio: Troy Scheller
Assistant Engineer: Brian Welling Fueler: Todd DeNeve
Front End/(R/R): Tyler Rees Gear Box/Air Jack: Andy Schneider
Front End/ Front Tire: Gilbert Swafford Tires/Transport Driver: Travis Abel
Rear End (L/R): Adam Rovazzini Floater(L/F): Wayne Westplate
Rear End/(R/F): Blair Julian Spotter: Robbie Fast

No. 10 (IndyCar)
Crew Chief/(R/F): Kevin O’Donnell Shocks/Firebottle: Kevin Edgely
Engineer: Chris Simmons Engines/Radio/(R/R): Troy Scheller
Assistant Engineer: Travis Jacobson Gear Box/Fueler: Robby Page
Front End/(L/R helper): Nick Ford Stop Sign/Front Wheelhose Gun: Chris Sutton
Front End/(L/F): Steve Namisnak Transport Driver: Jimmy Wirey
Rear End/(L/R): Jaime Coates Floater/Front End: Wayne Westplate
Rear End/Air Jack: Dave Pena Spotter: Scott Harner

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with sponsor, Target. Today, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams includes two entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, four in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Cars Series. Overall his teams have 13 championships and 145 victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24s at Daytona. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

For more information log onto chipganassiracing.com

- Chip Ganassi Racing, Press Release

SPEED.com open wheel reporter Robin Miller - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

“Miller: “In the long list of things Barnhart has done that have been inconsistent and lacked common sense, I think he topped himself on this one.”

While rain forced the postponement of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race today at Watkins Glen International, rain eventually forced an early end to the IndyCar Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway … but not before all hell broke loose.

After a yellow-flag period due to rain, IndyCar Series officials waved the green flag with nine laps remaining. However, wet conditions triggered a large accident, as well as a flurry of emotions and criticism of Brian Barnhart, IndyCar Series president of competition and racing operations.

Robin Miller, longtime SPEED open wheel reporter/analyst, has never been one to shy away from offering his opinion. Below is a Q&A with Miller regarding his reaction to the events that unfolded in New Hampshire:

On the decision to restart the IndyCar Series race with 10 laps remaining:

Miller:“We’d been running under the yellow because it obviously was raining pretty hard, and when they announced they were going back to green, my producers and I started laughing and said, ‘Really? Let’s go watch the big screen for this crash because it’s going to be a big one.’ You’ve got slick tires and it was raining harder when they restarted the race than when they’d thrown the caution a few laps earlier.

I haven’t heard what Brian Barnhart (IndyCar Series president of competition and racing operations) said yet, although I’ve heard he originally said he had no communication with the drivers. But the drivers were going crazy, telling everybody – the spotters and team managers – that it was raining too hard. But Barnhart hears everything – he’s always monitoring everyone. In the long list of things Barnhart has done that have been inconsistent and lacked common sense, I think he topped himself on this one.”

On Will Power’s display of an obscene gesture toward officials after wrecking on the restart:

Miller: “He snapped. He totally lost it. That should be the indicator about how incensed and crazy he was that they restarted that race in the rain. In an emotional sport, you’re out there risking your life and you’re on slick tires in the rain and they tell you you’re going to restart the race. I think Power was entitled to everything he did. I imagine Randy Bernhard (CEO of IndyCar Series) will pay his fine because I imagine Randy is happy because Power flipping them off will be on every sports highlight across the country.

It’s the best PR you can get. It’s auto racing. It’s a highly volatile and sadistic sport, and when you’re out there hanging your ass out, and some guy who has never driven a race car in his life decides to go green, you can’t believe it. It’s too bad Power couldn’t get to Barnhart because he probably would have choked him and given us even better video.”

On Barnhart’s questionable decisions throughout the years:

Miller:“When the race restarted at the cone, Ryan Hunter-Reay spun his tires and Oriol Servia and Scott Dixon both passed him. So, when it went yellow, Ryan actually was third in line and they reverted to the last lap and declared him the winner after they red-flagged the race. Scott Dixon so eloquently said this isn’t go-kart racing or USAC on dirt. We don’t revert to the last lap. We’ve never reverted. He said (Oriol) Servia should have won the race, I (Dixon) should have been second and Ryan (Hunter-Reay) should have been third if you go by what the rules usually are. But he (Dixon) said Ryan (Hunter-Reay) deserved to win the race because he had the best car.

Dixon wanted to know what the hell was going on. How can the rules change like this? People like me have been calling for Barnhart’s head for years because I don’t think he knows anything about racing and plays favorites. He’s never driven a race car and I don’t think he makes good decisions about racing. On top of this, look back at the 2002 Indy 500 finish. This clearly illustrates why there has been such an outcry to get rid of him this year from the owners and drivers. The drivers don’t respect him and the owners don’t trust him and I think Randy Bernhard has to make a pretty tough decision but it’s not a tough decision from most people’s standpoint – just get a new chief steward.”

On his overall thoughts on the race:

Miller:“NASCAR doesn’t race in the rain because they don’t have rain tires on a road course, yet Indy cars race on slicks on an oval in the rain. I don’t think there’s a question of who wins the battle of the balls this weekend – it’s IndyCar. And if people didn’t enjoy that race, I give up. It had everything. It had guys upside down, guys crashing the points leader on the restart, guys giving the double bird to the chief steward. It had everything everyone wants.”

- SPEED Press Release

Target Chip Ganassi Racing

Target Chip Ganassi Racing Texas Advance Notes

Race: Firestone Twin 275s, Saturday June 11 (8:00 PM ET, VERSUS)

Track: Texas Motor Speedway (1.5 mile oval)
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

NOTES/NEWS

Follow TCGR on Twitter: Follow @TCGRTeams for official updates from Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Managing Director Mike Hull on Texas: “Two Indy car sprint races within one hour of each other, promoted by Eddie Gossage at Texas in one night, Indy Car fans should ensure that they are in their seats or dialed into Versus! What helps to set Indy car racing apart is the wheel-to-wheel action on the king of the one and one half mile ovals which is the Texas Motor Speedway. We’re back to oval racing with Scott and Dario with a totally different aero and mechanical set-up from Indianapolis. This is racing at over two hundred miles per hour with big downforce. It should be one full fuel stop, and one splash of fuel for each heat race, so strategy & race-craft combined with teamwork between the No.9 & No.10 Target crews will be fun to watch.”

The Twins: For the first time in track history, Texas Motor Speedway will be hosting two races from one series on the same day. The race formerly known as the Firestone 550K for the IZOD IndyCar Series has become the IZOD Twin 275s. The two races are on the same day, each worth half of a full race’s points and half of the bonus prizes for the event. Pit stall selections will be made based on where the teams qualified for the Indianapolis 500 and those stalls will be used for both races. Each team will also be given an additional engine to use if necessary between race one and two due to the short amount of time between races. Race one will consist of the normal qualifying procedures while race two will have the field selected at random via a blind draw.

Oval History: The IZOD IndyCar Series will be returning to ovals for the second time in the 2011 season. TCGR has recorded 42 of their 81 wins (52%) on ovals with drivers Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi, Juan Pablo Montoya, Bruno Junqueira, Jeff Ward, Dan Wheldon, Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.

Dario Franchitti - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Follow Dario on Twitter: Follow @dariofranchitti for all the happenings and inside information on the driver of the No. 10 Indy car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

HUGGIES: This weekend’s Firestone Twin 275s will mark the first appearance of the Huggies brand on Dario Franchitti’s No. 10 car (IMAGE ATTACHED).

Indianapolis 500 Recap: Franchitti started the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 from ninth and wasted little time moving to the front. He led five times for a total of 51 laps before a late-race pit stop for fuel moved the No.10 Target team back to a 12th place finish.

Last Year at Texas: Franchitti started from second and ran up front through much of the race – leading 86 of the 228-lap event before finishing fifth.

The Heart of Texas: Franchitti will be making his eighth start at Texas Motor Speedway. In his seven previous starts, Franchitti has earned four top-fives, five top-10s, two poles, and has led 126 laps with a best finish of second coming in 2004.

Climbing the Ranks: Franchitti currently sits ninth on the All-Time Career Poles list tying Paul Tracy with. He earned his first pole in 1997 in Toronto. Franchitti scored his last pole at the 2010 Cafes do Brasil Indy 300 at the season finale in Homestead, finishing eighth.

Boston.com Blog: Stay up-to-date with Franchitti by following his blog on Boston.com. He gives fans a rare glimpse into the lifestyle of the reigning series champion. The blog runs each Tuesday following an IZOD IndyCar Series event.

Scott Dixon - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Follow Scott on Twitter: Follow @scottdixon9 for all the happenings and inside information on the driver of the No. 9 Indy car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Indianapolis 500 Recap: Dixon started the 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 from second position and immediately took the lead. Leading a total of 73 laps, Dixon never left the top-five and was running down the leaders before the No.9 slowed to conserve fuel. Dixon finished fifth.

Seeking Victory: With a victory in 2011, Dixon will extend his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to seven. Dixon currently has 26 wins across 14 different tracks.

TMS History: In 10 career starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Dixon has tallied five top-fives and seven top-10s, including a victory in 2008. Last year, Dixon started the Firestone 550K from fourth and ran inside the top-five throughout the evening, finishing fourth.

Series Regular: Former TCGR driver Jimmy Vasser holds the all-time record of 211 consecutive starts. Dixon with 110 (trailing Tony Kanaan who has 136) is the only other active driver with a streak of more than 100 consecutive starts. His streak began in 2004 at Michigan International Speedway and has continued in to the 2011 season.

2011 STATS

Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Pts. Pos./(Prev)
Scott Dixon 5 0 0 2 2 5/8
Dario Franchitti 5 1 0 4 4 2/2

CAREER STATS

Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s
Scott Dixon 174 25 17 80 121
Dario Franchitti 220 27 25 98 138

TEAM ROSTERS

Mike Hull – Managing Director

Scott Harner – Team Manager (Administrative Operations)

Barry Wanser – Team Manager (Racing Operations)

No. 9 (IndyCar)
Crew Chief/Stop Sign/Wheelgun Hose: Ricky Davis Shocks/Firebottle: Chris Clark
Engineer: Eric Bretzman Engines/Radio: Troy Scheller
Assistant Engineer: Brian Welling Fueler: Todd DeNeve
Front End/(R/R): Tyler Rees Gear Box/Air Jack: Andy Schneider
Front End/ Front Tire: Gilbert Swafford Tires/Transport Driver: Travis Abel
Rear End (L/R): Adam Rovazzini Floater(L/F): Wayne Westplate
Rear End/(R/F): Blair Julian Spotter: Robbie Fast

No. 10 (IndyCar)
Crew Chief/(R/F): Kevin O’Donnell Shocks/Firebottle: Kevin Edgely
Engineer: Chris Simmons Engines/Radio/(R/R): Troy Scheller
Assistant Engineer: Travis Jacobson Gear Box/Fueler: Robby Page
Front End/(L/R helper): Nick Ford Stop Sign/Front Wheelhose Gun: Chris Sutton
Front End/(L/F): Steve Namisnak Transport Driver: Jimmy Wirey
Rear End/(L/R): Jaime Coates Floater/Front End: Wayne Westplate
Rear End/Air Jack: Dave Pena Spotter: Scott Harner

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with sponsor, Target. Today, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams includes two entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, four in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Cars Series. Overall his teams have 12 championships and 138 victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

- Chip Ganassi Racing, Press Release

100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Logo

IZOD IndyCar Series

INDIANAPOLIS - Results Sunday of the 2011 Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1. (6) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

2. (12) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

3. (29) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

4. (22) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

5. (2) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

6. (3) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

7. (14) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

8. (21) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

9. (27) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

10. (25) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

11. (8) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

12. (9) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running

13. (28) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running

14. (5) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running

15. (11) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running

16. (19) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running

17. (16) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running

18. (7) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running

19. (30) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running

20. (31) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running

21. (32) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running

22. (17) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running

23. (33) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running

24. (15) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 193, Running

25. (24) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 175, Running

26. (4) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 157, Contact

27. (26) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 157, Contact

28. (1) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 147, Contact

29. (13) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 99, Contact

30. (20) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 60, Contact

31. (23) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 44, Handling

32. (18) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 27, Contact

33. (10) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 20, Contact

Race Statistics

Winners average speed: 170.265
Time of Race: 2:56:11.7267
Margin of victory: Under Caution
Cautions: 7 for 40
Lead changes: 23 among 10 drivers

Lap Leaders: Dixon 1-7, Tagliani 8-26, Dixon 27-33, Tagliani 34, Dixon 35-60, Franchitti 61, Carpenter 62-64, Franchitti 65-72, Dixon 73-98, Franchitti 99, Hildebrand 100-103, Franchitti 104-112, Servia 113-128, Franchitti 129-137, Hildebrand 138, Baguette 139-140, Franchitti 141-163, Servia 164-165, Rahal 166-171, Dixon 172-178, Patrick 179-188, Baguette 189-197, Hildebrand 198-199, Wheldon 200.

Point Standings: Power 194, Franchitti 178, Servia 150, Kanaan 135, Dixon 129, Rahal 120, Briscoe 117, Hildebrand 113, Tagliani 110, Mike Conway 102.

- INDYCAR, Press Release

INDYCAR LOGO

Dixon, who will start the 2010 Indianapolis 500 from the middle of the front row, topped the speed chart for the final practice session, the final opportunity for teams to fine-tune their cars before Race Day.

Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, topped the speed chart with a quick lap of 225.474 mph and was the only driver over 225 mph. Pole sitter Alex Tagliani (224.739 mph) and defending race winner Dario Franchitti (224.658 mph) were right behind. Franchitti led the final practice in 2010 before winning the race.

Ryan Briscoe hopes that winning the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Competition could be a good omen for him.

Briscoe, driving the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Honda/Firestone, defeated Dario Franchitti of Target Chip Ganassi Racing in the championship round. His pit crew received the $50,000 first prize for its speed and accuracy.

The winner of the competition has gone on to win the Indianapolis 500 six times, most recently with Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves in 2009. Penske Racing teams have won the pit stop competition a record 13 times, including the last six times that it has been contested.

Also on Miller Lite Carb Day, Josef Newgarden led a Sam Schmidt Motorsports 1-2 finish in the Firestone Freedom 100 beating his teammate Esteban Guerrieri.

The victory for Newgarden, driving the No. 11 Copart/Score Big/Robo-Pong/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car, gave team owner Sam Schmidt his sixth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in nine Firestone Freedom 100 starts.

Newgarden was the first American winner of the Freedom 100 since Ed Carpenter won the inaugural race in 2003 and leads Guerrieri in the point standings by 26 points (151-125). Victor Garcia finished third in the No. 22 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling car.

Staind and Papa Roach headlined a concert to conclude the busy day.

MILLER LITE CARB DAY NOTEBOOK:

Competitors in iRacing.com computer racing simulation will participate in the second annual iRacing.com Indy 500 on Saturday, May 28.

iRacing.com drivers will race 200 laps in a virtual versions of a Dallara chassis at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with a laser-scanned track surface creating the ultimate in realism.

A record number of entries is anticipated for this year’s iRacing.com Indy 500. But unlike the Indianapolis 500, everyone who enters the iRacing.com Indy 500 will be able to participate in the race. That’s because the iRacing system can stage multiple numbers of 500-mile races simultaneously, each with 33 racers from around the world competing online. The system automatically assigns drivers to races based on their skill and experience levels, ensuring everyone enjoys a competitive race.

The top-rated split of the iRacing.com Indy 500 will be broadcast on iRacing.com beginning at noon Saturday, May 28. The race also will be streamed live on indycar.com and carried on the video boards at IMS. The winner of the top split will receive a valuable prize package, including a pair of tickets to the 2012 Indianapolis 500.

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Fifteen-time Full Throttle NHRA Funny Car champion John Force visited the track today for the first time during the Indianapolis 500.

JOHN FORCE: “It’s unbelievable. You know, I raced in the Long Beach Grand Prix in the celebrity race, but I had to go to our race so I had to leave the next day. So I never got to see the race. This is my first. I’m going to stick this thing out to the end. I’m excited. I got my traveling road show here, showing our race cars and comparing them to IndyCar and NASCAR. I’m excited. My driver, Mike Neff, Robert Hight, and my youngest daughter, Courtney, they came in. I wanted them to see something a little bit different. Tom Compton, the president of NHRA, he came in. He’s been here before, but I wanted him to see the road show. It’s pretty cool. I got to see (Chip) Ganassi, I hear (Don) Prudhomme’s here walking around, A.J. Foyt – boy that’s something. If I get to see Mario (Andretti), I’ll be in heaven.” (Would you like to take an Indy car for a spin?): “Oh, yeah. I love any kind of hot rod, you know what I mean? I watched them, and I watched the teams. We got a lot of fans here. Robert and I, Neff and Courtney – we’re having a lot of fun.”

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Indianapolis 500 veterans Donnie Allison and Roberto Moreno visited the track today. Allison raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 1970-71, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 1970. Moreno raced at Indianapolis in 1986, 1999 and 2007.

DONNIE ALLISON: “Well, it’s really phenomenal for me because I don’t get to many functions at Indy because of the stock car, you know. But it’s a great honor. I mean, I was really, really happy when I was contacted about this.” (What’s your favorite memory about the Speedway?): “Well, I have a lot of them. Naturally, my first year here in ’70 when I won Rookie of the Year, I went to Charlotte; we flew to Charlotte that night in a Purolator plane. And I ran the World 600 the next day, won it. I got back in the airplane that night and flew back here for the Victory Banquet to get the award for Rookie of the Year.” (That’s a throwback to the old days, isn’t it?): “Yeah, these guys now, they think they’ve accomplished something. I think I accomplished quite a bit.”

ROBERTO MORENO: “It’s fantastic. Always, it’s good to be here. It’s a great event. I’m glad I was part of it three times. It’s amazing how much I miss when I come here. I wish I was in a car. I’m not done yet. I’m doing races in Europe. I’m 52 but still I have all the enthusiasm and speed that I need.”

***

Team Penske and driver Ryan Briscoe won the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge today. Team Penske and Briscoe beat Target Chip Ganassi Racing and driver Dario Franchitti in the final with a stop of 7.882 seconds. Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Franchitti completed their stop in 8.481 seconds.

This is the 13^th Pit Stop Challenge victory for Team Penske, extending its record. It’s the first time Briscoe has won the event as a driver. This is the second time Matt Jonsson has won the event as a chief mechanic, as he led Team Penske to victory in 2005 with driver Sam Hornish Jr.

The last time the winner of the Pit Stop Challenge also won the Indianapolis 500 was 2009, when Team Penske and Helio Castroneves achieved the “double.”

Team Penske and Briscoe earned $50,000 for winning the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge. Target Chip Ganassi Racing and Franchitti earned $30,000 for finishing runner-up.

RYAN BRISCOE: “I think what you saw now is a taste of what these guys are going to be doing for me in the race, and it’s so important. I put so much pride in their pit stops, and I’m just lucky to have the best guys in pit lane. Helio has definitely been the favorite over the past few years, but I’ve got this guy (Matt) and I was never looking at who was beside me. We were really consistent, and after the first one we just wanted to keep repeating. They did it all. The Penske pride in the competition goes back a ways, so we don’t want to show up here and not be in the competition.”

MATT JONSSON (Crew chief): “This win means a lot. It adds confidence for Sunday, of course, and we’re planning on doing the same thing on Sunday and trying to move up through the field. We win as a team and lose as a team, and that’s our job on Sunday, to try to move up the field. Ryan came in on a consistent speed, stopped right on his marks. That’s key for us. We don’t have to adjust; we just do the same thing every time. If everyone stays calm and collected, that’s the way it turns out to be: consistent.”

***

Talk-show host and former NBA star John Salley visited the track today. Comedian Adam Carolla and Salley will co-host “The Car Show” starting this summer on SPEED.

JOHN SALLEY: “I think this place is unbelievable. I’ve been trying to get here since I got into the sport of racing. I really just fell into it. I was asking when I was at FOX Sports to come out here, but they wouldn’t let me. But, with the new show with Adam Carolla on SPEED, I finally got to come out here. I’m just really, really happy that I finally got to come to this place where racing is true. It’s true racing here. I’ve literally learned more than you could dream about this open-wheel car and Indy car racing. I can really see that the things to do in this wonderful state are basketball and racing. I’m loving every minute of it. I’ve already made plans to be back here next year for the entire weekend.”

***

HVM Racing chief mechanic Brian Fellows was announced as the recipient of the Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award today for his work in leading the team to prepare the backup car for Simona De Silvestro to qualify this year after her primary car was destroyed in a crash in practice.

Fellows received a $5,000 check and a plaque, and his name will be added to a permanent trophy housed in the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.

The Brawner Award, celebrating its 25^th anniversary, recognizes an Indy 500 chief mechanic who “exemplifies the mechanical and scientific creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, dedication, enthusiasm and expertise” of its legendary namesake. The award winner is selected by the Clint Brawner Foundation committee. Firestone underwrites the award.

BRIAN FELLOWS: “It means a lot to win this, especially with it the 100^th anniversary of the race and the 25^th anniversary of the Brawner Award. I’ve only been in this industry for 11 years, so I feel like I’m a rookie still compared to some of these guys. It’s probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.”

***

Beginning in 2012, the IZOD IndyCar Series will specify four- or six-cylinder engines boosted exclusively by BorgWarner’s new line of EFR turbochargers. Badged “Engineered For Racing” or “EFR,” these turbochargers feature Gamma TiAl (titanium aluminide) turbine wheels, ceramic ball bearings and stainless steel turbine housings. IZOD IndyCar Series engine manufacturers can choose EFR turbochargers for either single-turbo or twin-turbo engine arrangements, each with two turbine housing sizes that can be selected on a track-by-track basis by IZOD IndyCar Series teams.

TIM MANGANELLO (Chairman and chief executive officer, BorgWarner): “A testament to BorgWarner’s technology leadership in turbocharging, this product is engineered to meet the demanding performance requirements of IZOD IndyCar Series racing. BorgWarner’s EFR turbochargers offer an unprecedented combination of advanced technologies, designed to boost the performance of down-sized engines while improving fuel economy. We are thrilled to add our latest turbocharging technology to our 100-year legacy of innovation at the Indianapolis 500.”

***

IZOD IndyCar Series 2012 Car Project Manager Tony Cotman met with the media today to talk about the progress of the new car.

TONY COTMAN (Project Manager, 2012 Car): (On how manufacturer anchor teams will affect competition): “There will always be development, but the difference is that we’ve taken a lot of the parameters away. Because the rules in the homologation table are so tight, you aren’t off developing cams and cranks and everything like you have in the past. The development areas are very, very confined compared to what they used to be. Just because there is an anchor team, it doesn’t mean that they will do all of the testing. The manufacturer has a lot of say in who does the testing. They can have all of their teams participate in a test. Honda can have an engine test and invite all of the Honda teams to participate. I think you’ll see that there will be a team. It will be like a team of teams where it’s the Team Honda, Team Chevy or Team Lotus.” (On how the different levels of horsepower will affect competition): “I think the product will already be enhanced. I think the racing will already be better. I would rather see the base horsepower go higher than push-to-pass be implemented. It’s drivability. It’s fuel economy. It’s horsepower. It’s getting power to the ground. People will still be sorting out the cars. The racing will be good. The racing will change. But I think it will be better.” (About not having much time to practice with the new car, and more specifically the aero kit): “Selfishly, for a spectator at Indianapolis it’s better if the team has to show up here and figure out what they’re going to do. And if a team has a problem, all a team has to do is spend 70,000 bucks to get out of their predicament, where before they had to buy a whole new car.” (About the new car design): “We’ve left a large window for people to play, think, dream, whatever they want. The rules are pretty open for that. We’re trying to allow more diversity.”

***

William Rast, the “New America” denim culture brand founded by Justin Timberlake in 2005, has signed a multi-year endorsement agreement together with its eyewear license partner, Viva International Group, with 2005 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Danica Patrick to endorse William Rast Eyewear and William Rast Racing Eyewear.

DANICA PATRICK: “It’s funny, actually. I was laying by the pool. It was less than two months ago. I had just stopped in an airport and bought some sunglasses with some time off. And I was at home, and I was laying by the pool, and I was putting them on and I was thinking, ‘Why am I buying sunglasses?’ There’s got to be somebody out there. An hour later, my agent called and said: ‘OK, don’t freak out. I’ve got a good deal for you.’ And he told me about this. And I was like, ‘I need to start saying things like that more often.’ So I’m very, very excited for them to want me to represent their products and their line of sunglasses. And William Rast Racing being the name of their sport collection, I think sounds really great. A lot of lines have so and so sport, but William Rast Racing just has a great sound to it. Thank goodness, because it means I fit in a little bit better, I think. I just think we’re going to have a lot of fun with it.” (On what a good fit William Rast is for her): “I have the great luxury to be able to really like and enjoy and wear the products that I represent. I feel really lucky for that, and this is definitely one of them.”

***

ABC will televise the Indianapolis 500 for the 47^th consecutive year Sunday, with live pre-race coverage starting at 11 a.m. and race coverage at noon.

What began as highlights on “ABC’s Wide World of Sports” in 1965 moved to a same-day, prime-time program in 1971 and became a live telecast (except in Indianapolis) in 1986.

ESPN on ABC’s production will use 64 cameras to televise the premier race of the IZOD IndyCar Series, including a 360-degree rotating onboard camera mounted behind the driver on multiple cars. Unique views will be provided by Batcam, a high-definition camera running on a cable over pit road and the frontstretch that can move at more than 80 mph. All 33 cars will carry GPS boxes for the Sportvision RaceFX system to provide telemetry and pointers to help identify the cars for viewers. ESPN will use a radio replay system that can record, play back and edit radios from any of the 33 drivers, and viewers will learn more about the technical aspects of the sport with segments from the Emmy-winning ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage.

The ABC broadcast team: Brent Musburger, host; Marty Reid, play-by-play; Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever, analysts; Rick DeBruhl, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch and Vince Welch, pit reporters.

***

The IMS Radio Network will broadcast the Indianapolis 500 live Sunday, with pre-race coverage starting at 11 a.m. and race coverage at noon.

IMS Radio Network coverage of the race also can be heard on SiriusXM, the Official Satellite Radio Partner of INDYCAR. SiriusXM listeners can hear the race on channel 94 on XM and channel 212 on Sirius Premier.

The IMS Radio Network broadcast team: Mike King, play-by-play; Paul Page, analysis; Donald Davidson, historical information; Davey Hamilton, driver analysis from in-car; Jerry Baker, Turn 1; Jake Query, Turn 2; Mark Jaynes, Turn 3; Chris Denari, Turn 4; Kevin Lee, Nick Yeoman and Michael Young, pit reporters; Dave Wilson, garage/medical center.

***

American Honda and its Honda Performance Development (HPD) subsidiary will power all IZOD IndyCar Series entries fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing as manufacturer competition returns to the series in 2012, HPD and Ganassi officials announced today.

The Ganassi organization will be Honda’s “anchor” team, as set forth in the regulations for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series, and HPD will provide its new, turbocharged 2.2-liter V6 engines to the Ganassi team.

ERIK BERKMAN (President, HPD; vice president, product planning, American Honda): “We’d like to take this opportunity to announce this association with Ganassi Racing team, and let me take just a second to reflect a little bit on the background and what brought us to this point. We’ve been supplying as the sole supplier of engines here for the sixth year, and we’ve had some great success in that we’ve been able to power the teams with high-quality engines, manufacture in a competitive environment in very competitive racing on the track among the teams. But we’ve been strong advocates with the INDYCAR folks to let’s change it back to the era of competition with more manufacturers, so we’re very happy that it’s culminated and coming back for competition here. So with that, we’ve had great success with the Ganassi organization. Chip’s won championships for us by himself and for his drivers, and we’re had a lot of great success together, and you’ll recall those awesome years back in the 90s when we were running together. We’re so looking forward to this chance to name Ganassi as our anchor team and, along with the other manufacturers, put on a pretty good show. So we’re well on our way to prolong that development and with the start of testing on track here very soon with the new chassis and the new engines, we’re ready to roll. Having high technical capability on both sides, having good people working hard, good chemistry, good management and leadership we can be very successful. Without it, we would just fight and struggle and all that. In our experiences in racing, both here and abroad, we’ve learned a lot on how to keep that in balance. The technical component is key.”

CHIP GANASSI (Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing): “I can tell you that I feel honored that they’ve chosen us. There’s a bit of testing that needs to be done, and I think that, and again I don’t want to speak for them, but I don’t think they can give anything to a team that they can’t give to anyone else and their team, but they need someone to try these things out. And I think that’s partially the great relationship over the years with Honda. It even surprised myself when I realized it’s seven more championships with Honda-powered cars, and we’re very proud of that. So we feel honored to be chosen as the anchor team. This is a partnership. In terms of what the team will be able to do, it’s not about them serving us. It’s really not about us serving them. We have to work together. We both want to win as much as each other and so does the other Honda-powered teams – they’re going to want to win. This has been prudent for us in our sports car program that we ran in the (American) Le Mans Series. We have multiple teams. But if you come out with a new development and you’ve gone through the virtual world and now it’s time to go to the track, you want to get there fast because you don’t have a lot of time and you want to try it out. The partnership is so we can prove things out as efficiently, effectively and quickly as possible. And then the other Honda-powered teams will have the opportunity to benefit from those developments.”

MIKE HULL (Managing director, Chip Ganassi Racing): “Can we drop ‘anchor’ and call this a partnership? We think it’s exciting that IndyCar racing has been instrumental in bringing three manufacturing into the series. Because what that then does is bring back the reality of innovation. Innovation is what needs to drive this to another level. Partnering with Honda, we know what that means for us internally as a team, we know what that means to our drivers, we know how important it is. But we think it’s going to be more important for the fan base, for places like the Speedway here and for other places that we race, because as we go forward, the definition of technology and innovation is the most important item for what we are.”

***

The U.S. Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) demonstrated the Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV) as part of special events leading up to the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The U.S. Army labeled the CERV as one of the “greenest technologies” and demonstrated how its advanced hybrid electric powertrain developed by Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. and TARDEC saves taxpayer dollars and soldiers’ lives.

In support of the U.S. Army’s drive for energy efficiency, Quantum developed the Military Aggressor, a first-generation fuel cell hybrid electric alternative mobility vehicle (AMV) several years ago. This high-performance vehicle was designed for quick-paced mobility operations such as reconnaissance, surveillance and target designation. The CERV is a newer-generation stealth vehicle that incorporates Quantum’s Q-Force all-wheel drive diesel hybrid- electric technology and a light-weight chassis to produce a torque in excess of 5,000 foot-pounds. The unit has a top speed of 80 mph and can climb 60 percent grades, while reducing fuel consumption by up to 25 per cent compared with conventional vehicles of comparable size.

PAUL SKALNY (Director, TARDEC NAC): “In keeping with the nation’s interest in fuel efficiency, renewable power and energy security, TARDEC is fully engaged in ambitious programs that push development of hybrid electric vehicles for U.S. military use. Having CERV at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the proving ground from which both the defense and automotive industry have learned so much, is a solid indicator of where this technology can go.”

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AeroCat High Performance Bicycles will award a carbon-fiber road bike to the winner of the Firestone Freedom 100 today. The AeroCat ACR500 monocoque carbon-fiber bicycle, with a retail value of $2,500, has Shimano components and Easton wheels.

AeroCat is based in Portland, Ind. For more information, visit www.aerocatbike.com.

DAVE POOLE (President, AeroCat): “One of our arching objectives is to align our company and products with the high-performance motorsports industry. Enhancing driver performance through the use of cycling is a natural path. The Firestone Indy Lights program is a perfect match, as it is providing a development path for up-and-coming drivers.”

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Officials from the Mazda Road to Indy program met with the media today. The Mazda Road to Indy is the official development ladder of INDYCAR, consisting of three ladder series leading to the IZOD IndyCar Series: Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda.

The 2011 Firestone Indy Lights champion will receive a scholarship to compete in the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series; the 2011 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear champion will receive a scholarship for a full season in the 2012 Firestone Indy Lights, and the 2011 Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda champion will receive a scholarship for a full season in the 2012 Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear.

JOHN DOONAN (Director, Mazda Motorsports): “It’s unbelievable for our drivers, it’s that boyhood dream (to one day drive in the Indianapolis 500). These American kids have grown up watching ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ and watching those icons like A.J. Foyt, Johnny Rutherford, Rick Mears and Dario Franchitti compete for the big prize.Finally now we have this ladder system in place that helps solve the problem that a driver can have the most talent in the world but if you don’t have the funds to go forward, you’re not going to be able to do so. What (Mazda) has tried to, as a brand and now in partnership with the IZOD Indy Car Series, is provide the funds – a real budget – for that driver, from karting to the USF 2000 to Star Mazda to the IZOD Indy Car Series. It’s a real check that allows them to showcase that talent even though they didn’t have the budget. It becomes reality for them. To see the starting grid and the kids – Graham Rahal, Marco Andretti, Jay Howard, and Simona De Silvestro, who was in our Atlantic series – those drivers are like family to us. They’ve chosen at least once in their careers to use Mazda as a stepping stone.”

GARY RODRIGUES (Owner, Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear): “We’re in our 23^rd consecutive year of promoting drivers. We have been longtime partners with Goodyear. The Mazda Road to Indy concept is starting to increase the number of young drivers in open-wheel racing. The lower we can keep the cost of the car, the more kids we can attract to the series. We do that through rules stability. We stick with one car design; we’re not out to redesign the car each year. When you give these young drivers and teams a level playing field, the driver’s talent can begin to show.”

DAN ANDERSEN (Owner/CEO, Cooper Tires presents USF2000 National Championship powered by Mazda): “We have a clearly defined ladder where drivers from America and from all over can see the progression, where young drivers can see where they can start. We attract kids right out of go-karts from all countries and from all types of racing and start them up the ladder. We are very proud that we have five drivers (Dan Wheldon, Buddy Rice, JR Hildebrand, Jay Howard and Charlie Kimball) in the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 lineup.”

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF INDIANAPOLIS 500 FINAL PRACTICE:

Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, 11^th, 223.830

***

All 33 drivers combined to turn 1,406 laps during final practice. Drivers have turned 10,265 laps – a distance of 25,662.5 miles – overall this month. The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 24,901.55 miles.

***

FIRESTONE FREEDOM 100 POST-RACE NOTES:

•This is the second career Firestone Indy Lights victory for Josef Newgarden. He also won the 2011 season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla.

•Sam Schmidt Motorsports now has won six of the nine Firestone Freedom 100 races.

•SSM has won three consecutive Firestone Freedom 100 races, an event record.

•This is the first 1-2 finish by one team in the Firestone Freedom 100, as Josef Newgarden and Esteban Guerrieri are Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammates.

•This is the third time the Firestone Freedom 100 has finished under caution. The other years: 2004, 2007.

•Josef Newgarden, from Hendersonville, Tenn., is the first American driver to win the Firestone Freedom 100 since Ed Carpenter won the inaugural event in 2003.

•2010 USAC National Drivers Champion Bryan Clauson finished fifth in his Firestone Indy Lights debut.

•Chase Austin finished ninth in his Firestone Indy Lights debut. He is the first African-American driver to compete in the series.

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director:

•Brandon Wagner, James Winslow, Juan Pablo Garcia and Anders Krohn were evaluated and released without injury from the IU Health Emergency Medical Center. They are cleared to drive.

•Gustavo Yacaman was transported via ground to IU Health Methodist for further evaluation of neck pain. He is awake and alert.

•Jorge Goncalvez was transported via ground to IU Health Methodist for further evaluation. He is awake and alert.

***

FIRESTONE FREEDOM 100 POST-RACE QUOTES:

JUAN PABLO GARCIA (No. 12 Freightliner Team Jensen): “I saw a car spinning, braked and somebody hit me in the rear. Then I spun and hit Yacaman.”

JAMES WINSLOW (No. 26 Andretti Autosport): “I came through Turn 1 and somebody had spun, I think Gustavo, perhaps five places in front of me. As I came through the corner, there was just a wall of blue smoke, so I couldn’t see where to go. I tried to slow down as much as I could.”

BRYAN CLAUSON (No. 77 Mazda Road to Indy/CURB Records/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “I fell back early there and really didn’t really do my job there at the beginning. I had a hard time figuring it out for a little while. I didn’t have enough green flag laps to make up for those mistakes early on. All the guys on the car did a great job; I had a great race car. I made a lot of moves on the high line, but it just wasn’t enough. It was a whole new ball game, a lot different than anything I’ve ever done. I could have done a little bit better, but all in all it was a great day.” (About race-ending accident on Lap 35): “We got a big run behind the draft. It looked like the 9 car got low. Everybody just ran out of room. We were going for it.” (About debut): “This is huge (finishing fifth). It’s a whole new experience for me, from the starts to the restarts, to the draft, shifting in the middle of a race – that’s unheard of for me. It was a lot wilder than I expected, but it was a lot of fun.” (About advice from Dario Franchitti before the race): “I’ve been talking to Dario ever since we did the stock car stuff together with each other (with Ganassi Racing in 2008). We have a very good relationship. He told me he would come out and give me a hard time on the straightaway, and he made it happen.”

CHASE AUSTIN (No. 75 Willy T. Ribbs/Starting Grid Inc./BAR): “It was pretty cool. We had little issues. The gearing was a little off, so I couldn’t really pass anybody by myself. The only way I’d get to pass anybody is when they’d check up in the corner. I just kind of had to be more ballsy than they were, which worked out for the most part. The car started going away a little bit in the end before we took that right rear tire. And just the cautions hurt us a lot on the restarts. But besides that, I have to thank American Honda, because without them we wouldn’t be here; Chris Miles and Willy T. for putting me in the car.” (On the competition and racing): “You could kind of tell a lot of the guys who haven’t run ovals that much from some that have just by how comfortable they were in race situations. Some of them were great by themselves, but as soon as you got outside or inside of them, that’s when they tended to lift or something like that. I really capitalized on that, my experience from doing stuff his compared to what they have.” (On his partnership with Willy T. Ribbs this week): “It’s been good. It’s been fun doing interviews with him. I’m just glad he gave me the opportunity.”

RUSTY MITCHELL (No. 17 Motorola/Petro Comm/Skip Barber): “Well, since the league decided not to qualify, I had to start in the back. Really, I got to see the whole show. It was all right in front of me. I wish I would have had a camera on my car so everyone could have enjoyed it. You know, at one point, who would have thought at Indy you could hit the wall, you could hit a car and still make up like 10 positions. It was wild, that’s for sure. Everybody was really going for it on all the restarts. It cost them, and we were able to make up some spots. If we were able to qualify, we would have been in the top three, no question.”

STEFAN WILSON (No. 5 Andretti Autosport): “I’m pretty disappointed, really. I can’t believe that they had us driving around under the caution for so many laps. They (Anders Krohn and Jorge Goncalvez) were in bad shape. It looked like a really bad accident. There was debris everywhere. In my opinion, they should have red-flagged it and taken time to clean the track. Instead, we just drove around wasting time. The fans didn’t come out here to watch a parade of cars go around on the yellow flag. They wanted to see a race, and we never got to do it. Traditionally, this race has been won in the last 10 laps. I was biding my time, looking after my tires, and mine were looking the best of anyone out here. It was shaping up to be a good finish. If we had had a clear race and we weren’t just driving around under caution, we might have won it.”

PETER DEMPSEY (No. 36 Pulse/O2 Racing): “It was crazy. I got a great start, and I was up to fourth or fifth the first few laps. I was just trying to keep the car underneath me. Unfortunately, went the wrong way with the rear bar. I had too much push, and it dropped me back to 13^th. Under the first yellow, I realized what I had done. After that, the car was really good. I was coming back up the field. I made a mistake under the safety car and spun and was back to the back. Then I got probably got back to sixth. This car was good. The rear tires are great but a little bit too late. There was too much safety cars for me.”

DAVID OSTELLA (No. 16 Global Precast Team Jensen): “That was awesome. It was a great experience to be out there. A lot of stuff happened. I was kind of worried more about the weather because a little spit was coming down, but a big thing was tires. Tires were a huge factor for this race. We pitted for the right rear and went back out there, and I kind of got screwed with all of the yellows coming out. It happens. I think a lot of those spins and crashes were from the tires. But it was just awesome. It was a great experience out there, and I want to thank my engineer, Remi Lanteigne, for all of the work he did on that car. The car was awesome. It handled incredibly well on the high line and the low line. My crew chief, Mike Le Gallic, him and the rest of the crew did an awesome job this weekend. I had a little mishap in practice this morning, and they were able to put that car back together for the race.”

MIKAEL GRENIER (No. 63 Cell Safety/O2 Racing): “In the beginning, we were good. We were headed to the front. We decided to pit and change a tire, but we mistimed it and only changed the rear right tire. I couldn’t turn after that. My right front went away, and that was that. It ended up being kind of a yellow flag race. It was a bit disappointing because we had a car to get to the front. We’ll just have to take it this time and do better in Milwaukee.” (On racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): “It’s pretty cool. It’s a pretty tough race. This is a pretty special year, and there are a lot of people here today. I think the racing here is great. I hope I can get back here next year.”

ESTEBAN GUERRIERI (No. 7 Lucas Oil/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “It was fun for a while and a bit slow the rest of the race. It was a lot of yellows, we didn’t expect so many, but I’m happy to win second, of course. I had a flat tire in the end, so my last race car wasn’t so aggressive. But what we we’re trying to do to make a teamwork with my teammate, Josef, we try to pull away and make the gap toward the third, so then we could finish the race like me and him to race against each other. But unfortunately it wasn’t like this. All the guys crashed with Josef and he was fine, and thanks to my sponsors it was a big first race in Indianapolis, and I’m really happy. Thanks to the team to Lucas Oil and all my sponsors and let’s go for the next one.” (About his chances if the race resumed): “Well, as I said, I was trying to pull the gap with him and then fight with him in the last lap, but I didn’t see my car and my right rear tire was flat. It just lost a lot of grip in the last restart and then I when I parked I see the rear that was no grip in anymore with the flat tire. I was a bit lucky to have the safety flag there to finish the race because I don’t know if I would have been able to finish if it was green all the way long.”

VICTOR GARCIA (No. 22 TMR-Xtreme Coil Drilling): “I’m pretty happy to all my crew, and I have to thank all of them because although we haven’t had a normal weekend, it has been really good and we finished third. I think we could have won because we had what it takes to win, but we didn’t have the laps to do it. So yeah, I’m really happy.”

ANDERS KROHN (No. 9 Liberty Engineering Racing Special): “It was one of those races where absolutely everything happened. We were so fast, and we took the lead. It was so easy running it up there. Then a caution came out, and I just went to go to power and the rear slide around on me. After that point, we really didn’t have the speed because our tires were flat-spotted. Luckily another caution came out and we pitted for new tires, and then we were super, super quick. I think by the time our big crash happened we were up to fourth. It would have been the easiest thing to at least be on the podium or potentially win the race. I’m so disappointed for the guys at Belardi Auto Racing because we really had the fastest car today. We could run up, down low; it didn’t matter. We were so fast. It’s just a shame for the guys at Liberty Engineering and Logitrans that we couldn’t bring it home today. At the same time, I think we’ve shown people where our speed is, so hopefully we can come back next year and dominate this race.”

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 11 Copart/Score Big/Robo-Pong/SSM): “This is unbelievable. Look at how fired up my team is because they have worked so hard the past two weeks on getting this car ready. This is a wonderful achievement for my team, and it means so much to me and Sam Schmidt. This race means a lot to Sam, and I am grateful to give him the victory. I think we are going to have a good shot with the Indy 500, as well. I have to thank Esteban Guerrieri for helping me the whole race. He is a great teammate to work with. The team was able to make me quick, and I got up to speed right away. It is unfortunate for my other teammates that weren’t able to be up here with us, but this is just a showcase as to what this team can do and how powerful they are. This is the biggest win I think I have ever had. To win the Firestone Freedom 100 in front of this crowd at this famous racetrack is incredible. This has been a really fun experience trying to come in and absorb all of the information that my team has to offer. This has been a huge effort by everybody, and this is a win for the entire team.”

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 FINAL PRACTICE QUOTES:

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “Yeah, it was an amazing week that we had last week. We’re really fortunate that we rolled the car off the trailer fast. The team has done a great job to fine-tune it. Every day we were out there, and we were strong. So it’s been a pleasure for me to drive a very competitive car. Today it was nice to be back on track. Obviously, we have a very different car that we’re going to drive in the race. And I feel the car is very racey. I love it in traffic. It got some consistency out of the car on the older tires. So I don’t know. It seems to me to be unreal and too good to be true sometimes. But I want to think that we deserve it. We did everything better than everyone else, and hopefully it will continue. All winter long, the team fine-tuned the car. They just put their love into it, brought it back this year. Same car, same aerodynamic package, same track, and the car did better. So Penske and Ganassi have done that 10 years in a row. They have done the particular program that we have done for one race 10 years in row: Have a good car and keep improving it every year. And we’re trying to close the gap in a year and a half. It’s not an easy task.” (How will you feel leading this race in the first turn on the first lap for the first time?): “A very high heart rate. I’ve been very appreciative of what’s happened to me as a driver. But what we don’t want to forget is that we have the chance to participate in a historical event. And to just have the chance to qualify in it is already a big thing. Leading the field, I think it’s going to be something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “It’s more of just a systems check. The car’s obviously been in a million pieces since we last drove them. It’s just to make sure they’re all functioning. We came in and did a few pit stops. Because of the lack of on-track time that we’ve had, we made a few changes. We tried some dampers, aero downforce levels, things like that. It’s obviously very cold and probably not very close or in line with what we’re going to run in on Sunday. All in all, it was pretty decent. The car was good. There was loads of traffic. There was lots of action going on out there with people speeding up and slowing down. It was pretty good for both Target cars.” (You’re a champion and you’re on a defending team, but this Tagliani guy just won’t go away). “Yeah, it’s good. Tag has done a hell of a job this month. It’s good to see that it’s been working so well. You know, you’re never going to know until you get to the race. He’s a good friend, and I’m definitely proud to see what he’s achieved, obviously, with a start-up team and to be able to mix it up with the big teams.”

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): “The car feels great. We still have a few little adjustments we want to do, but overall it felt really good. We were pretty racey out there. Now we start thinking about how we want to race and see what we learned from that last run and keeping an eye on the weather.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “We can always learn something from today. It will be a lot different on Sunday. We think we know how to turn the car around for those conditions. It will be a tough race. I think there is less grip than last year, and that’s going to make it really interesting. The slower speed (start and restarts) will be better. We may be going 190 into the first turn on the start. Turn 2 will be Turn 1 speed from years past. Restarts, I still don’t agree with side-by-side, I think we’re just asking for a bit of marbles. Whatever happens will be interesting, it will be slick and interesting. Dixie (Scott Dixon) looks strong. He’s going to be tough. We’re pretty strong, but just like the month I had last year, he (Dixon) has been on a rail all month. I followed (Alex) Tagliani, and he looks pretty average in traffic. But when he gets off the corner, he really goes. He will be plenty tough to beat. There are a bunch of people you just know who will be there (challenging for the win). (Dan) Wheldon will contend, the Penske cars will be strong, and there will be others. It’s wide open.”

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): “It was a short session for us to see if everything was OK with the car, but we couldn’t work on much because the conditions will be so different on Sunday. We did some running in traffic, and the car felt good. The Firestone tires gave me great grip and performance today and helped to boost our confidence for the race.”

JAY HOWARD (No. 88 Service Central Schmidt-RLL Racing): “This is the first time that I have run full tanks in this car, and I was very happy with the way the car handled. We are still looking for a little balance on the car, but we got some good information and we should be able to make the necessary adjustments to be good in the race. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan guys have been working very hard all month to get this Service Central car toward the front of the grid, and I am confident that we will have a good car on Sunday.”

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing): “Everything’s going well from our perspective. The car felt really good today, and it was important for me as a rookie to get out there and run in traffic a little bit. The entire month has gone really well in the National Guard car, and it’s been such a huge help for myself personally, but also for the team, to have Buddy Rice around. We feel good going into Race Day, and I know everybody here is pumped for Sunday to get here.”

BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Panther Racing): “It’s all good. I just have to thank John Barnes and everybody at Panther Racing for giving me this opportunity, and having Fuzzy’s Vodka come on board when they did has been a big help to our program. Panther has a great oval program, and their history here at Indianapolis speaks for itself so we feel really good about how the entire month has gone.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): “I really feel like the practice hour was good for the GoDaddy car. I wish we could have got some more laps in, but I was happy. I think it was a productive session. I feel confident in myself and the crew to have a strong finish on race day.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 41ABC Supply/DHL/Sun Drop): “It felt really good. Both teams did a great job preparing it. I went out, was flat right away, running in traffic, was happy with it and am the highest (on the speed chart) we’ve been all month. It’s not the way we wanted to do it. This isn’t the way we wanted to get here. I wish Bruno (Junqueira) was here today, but that’s not the case and we’ve got to get on with the job. The guys did a great job – both the Foyt and Andretti guys – did a great job. To get me in a car I’ve never driven and for it to run like that is just excellent work by both teams. Thanks to the boys on the crew.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom Energy): “The Venom car was very comfortable today, but I’d still like a more speed. We’re still just a bit too slow. But 500 miles is a long time and a lot can happen – we’ll do whatever we can to work our way to the front on Sunday.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “It was a good practice for the Shell-Pennzoil car today, I am very optimistic about our chances in the race. I’m so excited and I can’t wait for the green flag to wave on Sunday. I am little sad that our run of pit stop competition victories came to end, but it had to end sometime. It is great that Ryan’s crew was able to bring home the victory for Team Penske and I’m glad because winning the pit stop competition is a great way for him to turn around what has been a tough week for him.”

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): “We were really happy with the Window World car today. The guys had it in pieces at the shop just a few days ago getting it prepped for this weekend, and today when I got in, it was just as comfortable as before. They’ve done a great job and today we feel confident with our practice. I’m looking forward to getting out on track again on Sunday for the big show.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “

Great job to Ryan and the No. 6 IZOD team on winning the Pit Stop Competition. The Verizon guys gave it a good go, we just didn’t make it to the end. We had a good practice today – the car had a nice balance and we should be good in the race. Now we will just have to wait for the green flag and see what comes our way.”

***

SATURDAY’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, XM channel 94, Sirius channel 212 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.

In The Pits with Scott Dixon - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

Carburetion Day practice temperatures: Track ranged from 58°-59° F (14°-15° C) and ambient was a constant 69° F (21° C).

Firestone Carburetion Day highlights: More than 1,400 laps were turned in a busy final practice session before Sunday’s centennial anniversary running of the Indy 500. That brings the total laps turned this month to 10,265 or 25,662.5 miles – all, of course, on Firestone tires. Firestone returned to Indy in 2011 with the identical tire specification as run here and widely praised by drivers last year. Response has been overwhelmingly positive again this May, and today’s long runs solidified teams’ confidence in their Firehawks for race day.

From Scott Dixon, #9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone: “The Firestone tires were good today. We did two full stints on two sets of tires. The wear was great and obviously they were very consistent. It was nice.”

From Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing: “It was good to see so many teams take advantage of today’s practice session to run full stints after we’ve been so limited on track time these past couple weeks with the rainy weather. We were confident that the Firestone Firehawks would once again provide great durability and consistency throughout the stints, but it’s always good to see it validated on track. Now we can all focus on Sunday’s highly anticipated race. Conditions are expected to be vastly different then, and the teams and drivers that make the proper adjustments will be those who prevail. As usual, we’ll also see the unexpected here. But, after today, we’re more confident than ever that the Firestone tires will once again perform reliably and consistently, and help make the 100th anniversary Indianapolis 500 a race for the ages.”

- Firestone Racing, Press Release

100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Logo

2011 IZOD IndyCar Series
100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500
Official Starting Lineup

INDIANAPOLIS - Results of qualifying Sunday for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Rank, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.2613 (227.472)

2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.3528 (227.340)

3. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.4727 (227.168)

4. (99) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.6696 (226.887)

5. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.7493 (226.773)

6. (98) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.9477 (226.171)

7. (44) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4431 (225.786)

8. (67) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.9137 (225.121)

9. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.0253 (226.379)

10. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4785 (225.736)

11. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5814 (225.590)

12. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5895 (225.579)

13. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5942 (225.572)

14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.7973 (225.285)

15. (11) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8223 (225.250)

16. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8464 (225.216)

17. (43) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0133 (224.981)

18. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.1907 (224.732)

19. (41) Bruno Junqueira, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2203 (224.691)

20. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3488 (224.511)

21. (88) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3685 (224.483)

22. (07) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4040 (224.433)

23. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4156 (224.417)

24. (78T) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4335 (224.392)

25. (23) Paul Tracy, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0433 (224.939)

26. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0987 (224.861)

27. (6T) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2572 (224.639)

28. (26) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2648 (224.628)

29. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3574 (224.499)

30. (38) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4424 (224.380)

31. (19) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.7451 (223.957)

32. (36) Pippa Mann, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.7600 (223.936)

33. (24) Ana Beatriz, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.8012 (223.879)

- INDYCAR, Press Release

100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Logo

IZOD IndyCar Series 100th Annversary
Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Results

INDIANAPOLIS – Results of qualifying Saturday for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 IZOD IndyCar Series event on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Rank, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (77) Alex Tagliani, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.2613 (227.472)

2. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.3528 (227.340)

3. (2) Oriol Servia, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.4727 (227.168)

4. (99) Townsend Bell, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.6696 (226.887)

5. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.7493 (226.773)

6. (98) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 02:38.9477 (226.171)

7. (44) Buddy Rice, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4431 (225.786)

8. (67) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.9137 (225.121)

9. (10) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.0253 (226.379)

10. (5) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.4785 (225.736)

11. (14) Vitor Meira, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5814 (225.590)

12. (4) JR Hildebrand, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5895 (225.579)

13. (06) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.5942 (225.572)

14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.7973 (225.285)

15. (11) Davey Hamilton, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8223 (225.250)

16. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 02:39.8464 (225.216)

17. (43) John Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.0133 (224.981)

18. (59) EJ Viso, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.1907 (224.732)

19. (41) Bruno Junqueira, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.2203 (224.691)

20. (22) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3488 (224.511)

21. (88) Jay Howard, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.3685 (224.483)

22. (07) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4040 (224.433)

23. (82) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4156 (224.417)

24. (78T) Simona de Silvestro, Dallara-Honda, 02:40.4335 (224.392)

- INDYCAR, 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.

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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.

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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.

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FRIDAY’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

INDYCAR LOGO

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 17, 2011) -

That was the extent of on-track action – save for crews tuning up on pit lane for pit stop competition qualifications May 18 – on a day more reminiscent of mid-autumn than mid-spring. The green flag flew at noon for the start of the six-hour session, but light rain sent the flagman packing at 4:05 p.m. The track opens for all cars at noon (ET) May 18.

“We just wanted to feel some of those (changes) and see what we had,” Conway said. “These were certainly not ideal weather conditions and aren’t representative of what we’re going to see in a few days, so it didn’t make too much sense to log a lot of laps.”

It was the second session of preparations for Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on May 21 cut short because of weather conditions, which impacts team strategy relating to setup testing and tire/engine conservation. For some, a day lost to the weather is built into the plan. For others, such as Andretti, who’s chasing speed, the lap counter needs to rise.

He has a quick lap of 224.215 mph (40.1163 seconds) in his No. 26 Team Venom primary car with a tow, which is 15^th on the combined speed chart. Still, he’s concerned.

“It makes a difference (that he didn’t get in a full session). Who knows if we would have gained or they would have gained on us,” said Andretti, who has three top-five finishes in his five starts at Indy. “I’m really worried about the speed of our car. I’ve driven exactly Danica’s setup 3 miles an hour off of her (lap time). I can’t explain why. I’m worried about qualifying for this race. It is still early days, but I honestly think if you’re not going to be qualifying in the top 10 you should be worried.”

There are 40 entrants who have recorded laps, with 33 starting spots available on May 21-22. Alex Tagliani’s lap of 225.878 mph in the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, posted a day earlier, stands as the quickest of the month.

DAY 4 NOTEBOOK:

Biff Henderson, stage manager for “The Late Show with David Letterman,” toured the Speedway today. Henderson and a crew were filming humorous segments for the show.

Henderson met with Indianapolis 500 veterans Bobby Unser, Helio Castroneves, Al Unser Jr., Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan and Graham Rahal. He also toured the IMS Hall of Fame Museum.

BIFF HENDERSON: (On the Indianapolis Motor Speedway): “The Speedway is classic. It’s really top-shelf all the way. Even as I’m sitting in the Museum, I’m looking at all these past winning cars and thinking of the drivers, and I know it’s a lot of history. It’s an incredible facility. It’s just great.” (On his interactions with drivers and teams): “Obviously, today isn’t the best day for track activity, but getting into those prep garages is quite an experience. It’s not my first time out here. I’ve done a few things here for David Letterman. I’ve been out here a few times. Talking with the drivers like Helio and past drivers like Little Al and Bobby Unser is just great. I’ve enjoyed talking to the younger guys, but there’s nothing like talking to a legend. Having that experience and being out here for the 100^th anniversary is something very special for me. It’s a very impressive place.”

***

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Unser already has arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 over the next 12 days. Unser will be one of 11 Indianapolis 500 winners driving 11 Indianapolis 500-winning cars during pre-race ceremonies Sunday, May 29.

Unser will drive the No. 8 National that Joe Dawson guided to victory in the 1912 Indianapolis 500. The car features a second seat for a riding mechanic, which will be filled by Unser’s wife, Lisa.

BOBBY UNSER (On being a part of the 100^th anniversary pre-race festivities): “It’s going to be a great honor to drive the 1912 winning car. They had riding mechanics in those days, and my wife is going to ride in the mechanic’s seat. So she’s got to know that if that thing runs out of gas, she has to get out and push. But it really is going to be nice to drive that car. I mean, this is the 100^th anniversary of the greatest race course in the entire world. It’s been around for a hundred years. That’s a lot of history. You look at the Museum, all these winning cars, it’s just awesome.”

***

Team Penske driver Ryan Briscoe and his wife, Nicole, are conducting an Indianapolis 500 contest on Twitter for the second consecutive year, with the winner receiving an all-expenses paid trip to the race May 29.

The follower of Briscoe (@RyanBriscoe6) who guesses his four-lap qualifying average to the thousandth of a mph (three digits past the decimal) will win round-trip airfare for two from anywhere in the country, four nights’ hotel accommodations, tickets to the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and other “cool swag,” Briscoe said.

To enter, followers must post their guess at Briscoe’s average qualifying speed on his Twitter feed (@RyanBriscoe6) by midnight (ET) Friday, May 20. The “tweets” must contain the hash-tag “#BriscoeIndy500″ to be eligible and also must include Briscoe’s qualifying position as a tiebreaker.

The winner will be selected from all proper entries following the completion of Indy 500 qualifying.

Nine Indianapolis 500 teams will compete Wednesday morning for the final three spots in the IZOD Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 27. The three quickest teams from this lineup will earn a spot in the 12-team Challenge:

KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#59 Viso), KV Racing Technology-Lotus (#82 Kanaan), Team Penske (#3 Castroneves), Newman/Haas Racing (#2 Servia), Andretti Autosport (#7 Patrick), Andretti Autosport (#27 Conway), Andretti Autosport (#28 Hunter-Reay), A.J. Foyt Enterprises (#14 Meira), KV Racing Technology-SH Racing (#07 Scheckter).

Nine teams already have qualified for the Challenge 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).

***

Alfe Heat Treating has signed as an associate sponsor of A.J. Foyt Racing for the 100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500. The sponsorship marks the company’s first venture into motorsports.

The “alfe” logo will appear on the nose of the No. 14 ABC Supply Indy car driven by Vitor Meira and on the engine cover of the No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing car driven by Bruno Junqueira.

Headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., Alfe Heat Treating, Inc. is the largest commercial aluminum heat treating operation in the United States. The company operates plants throughout the Midwest and Southeast serving aerospace, automotive, military and commercial customers with both ferrous and non-ferrous facilities. For more details, visit www.al-fe.com.

KURT WESTMAN (President, Alfe Corporate Group): “Growing up here in Indiana, the Indianapolis 500 and time trials was something I looked forward to every year. Along with the race came the drivers you always wanted to win, your heroes, and A.J. Foyt was one of mine. What an honor for me and Alfe Heat Treating to be a small part of the A.J. Foyt Racing team. Everyone here at Alfe is excited and hoping that this year we can help bring the team to victory.”

A.J. FOYT: “I’m real proud to welcome Alfe Heat Treating to our team. I think we have a good chance in this year’s 500 to post our best finish in quite a while. I appreciate the support that Alfe is providing toward that goal.”

***

A total of 59 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 59 have passed technical inspection.

Two drivers were on track today, turning 13 laps. Mike Conway turned eight laps, most of any driver. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,479 total laps.

There were three cautions for a total of 82 minutes today.

***

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): (On practicing in the cold weather): “When it’s that cold, unless the race is going to be like that, it’s not really worth running out there. We won’t learn too much in it. Not much to be gained today. It does kind of give us more tires to use for the rest of the week each day. Hopefully it warms up a bit tomorrow.” (On the shortened amount of practice time before qualifications): “It’s not far away. We always think we have loads of time at the beginning of the week, and then it’s always the same thing. You get to the last couple of days, and if you haven’t quite got the car right, then you’re going to be rushing a bit more. As long as the car is good and you keep chipping away at it, I think that’s the main thing. I think we’re really close. I think we’ve got a good balance, and I think the speed is there. We’ve just got to take our time and know that qualifying isn’t that far away.” (On his reason for practicing and having Marco Andretti in the car): “We made some changes overnight, and we wanted to get a feel for what it felt like. It’s good for me to let (Marco) have a feel and see if I’m feeling the same things as him. We had the same comments, and we got some good back-to-back running.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): (On practicing in the cold weather): “I think I have a little bit of my grandfather in me to where I was probably the only one on the team that thinks we can learn something. At the same time, though, I think I was just trying to convince them so that I could go drive. I just wanted to feel out a different setup and thought, ‘Why not?’” (On his goals for the day): “I was able to try a setup that I haven’t run yet. I just kind of got my thoughts on it and a second opinion. You always learn. If we were going through pretty extensive test items and stuff like that, it’s different. I just wanted to feel out an overall package.” (On the shortened schedule before qualifying): “I think guys like me, we could be in trouble if we slip a little bit. I’m not sure it’s experience because I’m going to be flat those four laps, and it’s whether the car wants to do it or not. It’s going to be super-competitive out there. We’re going to try to get what we can get.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “It is always great to be at Indy, just walking through the garage area and seeing the fans that show up braving the elements. It is a shame that the weather hasn’t been cooperating with us much this week. The Verizon guys have been staying busy preparing the car and my engineer, and I have had plenty of time to discuss our strategy moving forward. I am really looking forward to getting back on track.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): “This weather has been a factor here at the Speedway, and even though I would rather be out on the track, it is really special just coming to the track every day. The fans are amazing. The fact that they show up in this damp, cold weather really shows how dedicated they are. Our No. 6 IZOD car is all polished up and ready to run. Now, we just need the weather to give us a chance so we can get out there and see what we can do.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “Man, it’s tough just sitting and not having a chance to run, especially at this place because it’s so awesome. We did a lot of media today and stayed as busy as we could, but there’s nothing like getting out there and running 220 miles an hour. Hopefully we can get things going tomorrow in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car and work on preparation for qualifying as well as the race.”

TOWNSEND BELL (No. 99 Herbalife Schmidt Pelfrey Racing): (About passing time during weather delays): “You just kind of relax on a day like today. It’s a lot easier (not to run today) than Sunday, since I didn’t get to run on Saturday. It’s tough when you haven’t run yet (like on Saturday) and it rains (on Sunday). You haven’t even driven yet. At least we got some decent laps yesterday, and we know our cars are very strong. I’m quite a bit more at ease than I was on Sunday.” (Are you starting to think about qualifying?): “I think because of the field this year, you’re thinking about qualifying all the time. I think we’re going to be good, but we haven’t even gotten anywhere close to qualifying setup yet. I’m feeling very positive.” (About alliance with Brian Herta Autosport): “We had a car yesterday that was P1 in practice and they had a quick car, so we get to work with those guys and figure out what they were doing and if it was much different and see what we could do to improve ourselves. Hopefully that just rises the tide. If one side decides to go down the road of experimentation, it’s very useful to be able to look at that and analyze the data and know what that experiment generated.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “We did two good runs yesterday with a change in between. It was valuable to have some data for today and to look back at last year’s data and evaluate it. With that we could see today if the changes we made over winter paid off. Having that data is important for a day like today when you have a lot of down time to burn. It’s nice to see that our car is up to pace and we’re on top of the chart so far for the week. Even if it’s early, the weather plays a really important part. If you don’t need to run very much, and your car is already right there, it’s a relief for everyone on the team. The teams that are very concerned are the teams that have a plan to run many, many miles. The weather, obviously, makes them very frustrated and disappointed because it interferes with their plan. For us, we had a plan. We knew we weren’t going to run the first day. The second day, we wanted to run, but it rained. The third day, we finally ran and were pleased with the number of laps we were able to run and the information we have.”

***

WEDNESDAY’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

INDYCAR LOGO

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 16, 2011) –

“He’s amped up,” team owner Sam Schmidt laughed following the daily engineering meeting.

Stretching out the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins car on the 2.5-mile oval for the first time was the best remedy for two weeks of on-track inactivity since the IZOD IndyCar Series race in Brazil for the Quebec native, and he enjoyed the ride. Tagliani topped the speed chart with a best lap (of his 17) of 225.878 mph — the best of the nine-plus total hours of track time.

Seven different teams were represented in the top 10 as 39 drivers recorded 1,379 laps in a stiff, cool breeze without incident. Rookie Jay Howard was the lone entrant not to make an appearance — by design based on tire management. The field was separated by a scant 1.2 seconds.

Scott Dixon (225.124) of Target Chip Ganassi Racing, Graham Rahal (225.071) of Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, Ryan Briscoe (225.016) of IZOD Team Penske and Oriol Servia (224.903) of Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing filled out the top five.

A year ago, preparations for the Indianapolis 500 didn’t kick off as Tagliani would have planned.

As the one-day snapshot of track activity revealed, there will be a number of strong teams rising for Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day (May 21) and the 100th anniversary race May 29. Dixon, Rahal, Briscoe, Dario Franchitti — the reigning Indy 500 champion of Target Chip Ganassi Racing — Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport, Vitor Meira of A.J. Foyt Racing, and Team Penske’s Helio Castroneves have been in the top 10 both days of practice as teams progress through their test programs.

DAY 3 NOTEBOOK:

Owners of more than 250 vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will have the opportunity to take a ceremonial lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the end of Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21.

Held in conjunction with the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and a month-long celebration of great race and passenger cars at IMS, more than 250 Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars will appear May 21-22 at the Racing Capital of the World. This special two-day event, which will be highlighted by the ceremonial pace lap just after 6 p.m. Pole Day, will showcase the largest collection of vintage Indianapolis 500 Pace Cars ever assembled.

Headlining this amazing array of automobiles will be a Stoddard-Dayton, the same type that paced the inaugural Indianapolis 500 won in 1911 by Ray Harroun, who drove the legendary Marmon-Wasp to victory. The 1911 Indianapolis 500 was the first major auto race to use a Pace Car, which is now a tradition at races around the world. At the wheel of the Stoddard-Dayton at the 1911 “500″ was Carl G. Fisher, one of the founders of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Another featured car at the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Reunion will be the Chevrolet Camaro from the 1969 “500″ won by Mario Andretti. The 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car is painted to look exactly like its 1969 predecessor.

From 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, the Pace Cars will be staged for a “Fans Choice” vote. The cars also will be on display in the infield from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22. As an added attraction, car clubs featuring muscle cars, exotics and more will provide fans plenty of eye candy.

***

Team Penske teammates Will Power and Ryan Briscoe talked about the significance of racing in the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500 and their prospects to win the PEAK Performance Pole Award this Saturday.

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “Every year it’s a special feeling. But somehow I think this year with more cars, more good drivers – and I think there will be a bigger crowd – I think this will be something else.” (On what it would mean to win the pole at Indy after capturing pole for the first four races of the season): “Yeah, for me, it would be a really big deal. It’s something that I’d love to do. I sort of had a chance last year, a close chance. After the experience of last year, I know what I need to do. Obviously, the conditions are changing every year, but the car’s exactly the same. I’m definitely keen to giving it everything I can to get the pole, no question.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): “Obviously, I’m grateful to be here and be able to do it with Team Penske. It’s an amazing team, and Roger (Penske) is just so passionate about this race. It gives me, as a driver, a whole lot of confidence going into it with the goal of winning. That’s the one and only goal coming here, to win the race. The 100th anniversary is very special.” (On the importance of going for the pole as a driver at Team Penske): “It certainly felt like in the last three years I’ve been in a great position to fight for the pole. Sometimes it just comes down to timing or whatever. But Helio, our teammate, he’s really good at getting on the pole here. But I feel we have exactly the same equipment. We’ve just got to make sure we put ourselves in the right position to be able to go for it on Saturday.”

***

Maintenance personnel for the Blue Angels, the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, visited the Speedway on Sunday. They met with Indianapolis 500 drivers and team officials, including Ed Carpenter and Sarah Fisher Racing owner Sarah Fisher.

The Blue Angels participated in the Indianapolis Air Show on May 14-15.

AVCM(AW) VIRGIL CRAVEN (Maintenance master chief, U.S. Navy Blue Angels): (About the maintenance personnel who visited the track): “You can break it down just like the crew that maintains those race cars. You have engine guys, tire guys, suspension guys, etc. Crew chiefs are responsible for launching and recovering the aircraft and performing visual inspections after each flight. Logistics order and receive all parts required to maintain our aircraft. Avionics maintains all power distribution systems, radar, navigation, communication and instrumentation systems. Airframes maintains all hydraulically powered systems and flight control surfaces. Power plants maintains the engines and fuel systems. All shops were in attendance, and we really appreciated the opportunity. Being invited and getting treated so well by the track staff and all the teams we visited was exceptional. The team really enjoyed talking with Sarah Fisher and Ed Carpenter. The whole trip was outstanding. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will never forget.”

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Purdue University and HVM Racing announced a strategic partnership Saturday at IMS.

The HVM-Purdue relationship brings to the HVM team advanced engineering technologies in aerodynamics, manufacturing and advanced materials, providing opportunities for Purdue students and faculty to participate in motorsports with HVM.

The Purdue name will be displayed on the No. 78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy HVM Racing car driven this month by 2010 Chase Rookie of the Year Simona de Silvestro. Purdue engineering students also will work as interns on the team, and HVM will collaborate with Purdue students and faculty to optimize the aerodynamic package for the new 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series cars under development by Dallara.

Another key component of the partnership is to develop educational programs for children, young adults and the public that uses the excitement of IZOD IndyCar Series racing as the starting point for the introduction of engineering and science. Of particular interest is to use electric motorsports as a venue to engage students and adults in a discussion on the technologies needed for economic, green and sustainable electric energy in the 21st century.

Electric motorsports are a key component of the HVM-Purdue partnership. Purdue conducted the Collegiate evGrandPrix on Saturday, May 7 during the Emerging Tech Day at IMS. College teams from across the nation and Europe designed, built and raced electric go-karts in the 100-lap event.

JAMES CARUTHERS (Reilly professor of chemical engineering, Purdue): “Our objectives are, first, use the ‘cool’ of IndyCar racing to attract students’ attention, and then introduce the students to the incredible engineering required in these race cars. Finally, we want to encourage interested students to consider a career in engineering or technology. If these students choose a career in motorsports, great! If they choose a technology career in some other industry, great! And even if the students choose a non-technical career but have a greater appreciation of technology, that is also great!”

KEITH WIGGINS (President, HVM Racing): “This relationship with Purdue enables HVM to work with one of the premier engineering schools in the U.S. to exploit the latest technological innovations in aerodynamics, advance materials and manufacturing, as well as being able to interact with bright, fresh-thinking Purdue students in a variety of ways for the future.”

***

Ryan Hunter-Reay hopes to race in his fourth Indianapolis 500 later this month, but he took advantage of the complete rainout of practice Sunday, May 15 to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum for the first time.

“I can’t believe I hadn’t been there,” said Hunter-Reay, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year. “It was amazing. “The place is what Indy car racing is all about, and that’s what makes Indy car racing special. To go there as a current Indy car driver made it even more special. To see the cars that were driven by owners of teams I’ve driven for and the ones driven by my heroes and know they all went to Victory Lane here at Indy made for a very special day.”

The one car that that the Andretti Autosport driver wanted to see was Rick Mears’ 1984-winning Pennzoil Z-7 Special. Hunter-Reay’s first go-kart was modeled after Mears’ race car, and seeing the real car for the first time brought back childhood memories for the IZOD IndyCar Series standout.

“The No. 6 Pennzoil car, in smaller form, was my first ride,” he said. “That’s what I got into a lot of trouble in. It was my neighborhood wheels, and I did my first right front wing damage in that car when I hit a stop sign.

“It was really cool to see the actual car. I’ve never seen it before, but to see the evolution of the Indy car was really neat to see. To see where the sport actually started and how the cars have developed over the years, and see what made these cars go faster and faster. Indianapolis has always been a proving ground as much as it is a huge race.”

Hunter-Reay was far from the only driver in the Museum during his visit. 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones and Dreyer & Reinbold’s Justin Wilson were visitors to the exhibit of 67 Indianapolis 500-winning cars.

And while Hunter-Reay told all the well-wishers in the Museum his plan was to have his Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda car join the winning cars in the Museum next year, he hopes to get another visit to see the cars on display again.

“I’m going to go back again before I leave this month,” Hunter-Reay said.

***

Spectators holding an admission ticket to Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day on Saturday, May 21 or Bump Day/IMS Armed Forces Day on Sunday, May 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can redeem them for a free general admission ticket to the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Visit the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships display in Pagoda Plaza from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. both days. Ticket redemption will continue – for those with Pole Day, Bump Day and Race Day tickets – Wednesday, May 25 through Sunday, May 29 at the INDYCAR Fan Village in the IMS Hall of Fame Museum lot.

***

Major Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard, placed an Indiana unit patch decal this afternoon on the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing entry driven by rookie JR Hildebrand.

MAJOR GEN. R. MARTIN UMBARGER: (About the National Guard and the Indianapolis 500): “I’m a born and bred Hoosier. The Indianapolis 500 is just part of our DNA here in Indiana. The National Guard has been a sponsor on the No. 4 Panther Racing car for the past four years. I think everyone knows that we’ve come in second place the last two years in this great race. We’re hoping to improve one rank this year. That’s all we’re asking for.” (On the connection between the military and the Indianapolis 500): “Memorial Day weekend is the weekend when we honor all of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for this company. It’s special that this race is broadcast all over the world, particularly on the Armed Forces Network. I know Hoosier Guardsmen that are over there will be watching this race regardless of the hour, and they will be very proud to see that we’re sponsoring a car in this race. What I think of most is what Memorial Day means to all of us, and we should never forget. This facility is steeped in tradition, and the military is also one that is steeped in tradition. To have this race on Memorial Day, it becomes even more special for any soldier, sailor, airman, or Marine, no matter what decade you served.”

JR HILDEBRAND: (About being an American and driving the National Guard car): “It’s an honor as an American to be representing the National Guard, but, more than that, it’s a really humbling experience. It’s not like these types of things where you’re representing ‘Joe’s Bakery’ and you have to talk to people about how awesome their muffins are or something. With the National Guard, it’s something really meaningful for us. We have a lot of different programs that we get involved with, like the youth challenge and things like that. It’s a good deal to get involved on a much deeper level.” (On carrying the Indiana unit patch on the car): “I consider myself a resident of Indiana. I from California originally, but I’ve been living here for the past four years now. And as a team based here in Indianapolis, we’re really excited to represent them and everything they do.”

***

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

Fastest rookie: #4 JR Hildebrand, 20^th, 223.201

***

INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE QUOTES:

BERTRAND BAGUETTE (No. 30 The RACB/Aspria RLL Special): “We could have weather like this in qualifying or on Race Day, so you have to be able to run in it. The car was moving around out there with the wind, but it wasn’t that tough. I like what we are doing with the car and with our plan, and I think we are getting there. I think it was another good day for us. We keep improving the car with every change, so we are headed the right way.”

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 6 IZOD Team Penske): “It felt great to be back on track today. We took out our primary No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car for practice, and it felt very comfortable out there. It’s nice to be in the 225 bracket. We’ll keep chipping away at it for the rest of the week and get ready for qualifying on Saturday.”

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske): “We did limited running again today in the Verizon Team Penske car. We’re just trying to use our miles wisely. We worked on some race setup today, and the car feels good. We still have plenty of time on track this week before we qualify on Saturday, and we plan to make the most of it.”

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Shell V-Power/Pennzoil Ultra Team Penske): “It was a good day today in the Shell V-Power Pennzoil Ultra car. We got a chance to run side-by-side with Will (Power), and we were pretty happy with the car. We stuck with our plan to run the primary car. Hopefully tomorrow the weather cooperates, and we’ll continue to work hard and get ready for qualifying.”

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 06 Sprott Newman/Haas Racing): “Today the focus was on trying to run more laps in traffic and the Sprott team managed to accomplish that. It was sort of tough to find guys out there so we had to do a little collaboration and planning with a few different guys and did find some guys out there. I definitely got some good running in with Oriol. We staged some laps in front of each other, and behind each other and it was good; that’s a big thing for me to learn. You only have to do four laps to qualify but you have to do 200 in the race with a lot of other cars around you. I think we got a lot accomplished and certainly, from just my perspective, I learned a lot and gained some valuable experience. I think we will carry on with this for the next couple of days and then closer to qualifying, look more into the qualifying setup. The car felt great in traffic. It was a lot more fun running out there with other guys than just pounding around by yourself. Again, it’s sort of similar to the Lights car. I think the experience in the Lights car was certainly very valuable but there is no doubt that the racing is a lot different once you’re going 35 mph faster. It will be an interesting race, there’s no doubt. I just look forward to getting more laps under my belt and over the week and running in more packs, and bigger packs.”

ORIOL SERVIA (No. 2 Telemundo Newman/Haas Racing): “The day went well for the Telemundo team. It was very cold, colder than we think it will be for Race Day. We had a good run. We went through our test plan, and we ran well. I got my fast lap with a tow, so the time isn’t very representative. But I have to say, tow or no tow, downforce or no downforce, it’s the first time I am in the top five at the end of the day in Indy, so it feels good. I’m happy with the Telemundo car so far. We’re still not where we want to be, but it is really the first test day we have had to try new things. We are happy with where we are, progress-wise.”

TOMAS SCHECKTER (No. 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme – Circle K): “Yesterday’s session was canceled because of rain, so it felt good to be back in the 07 Team REDLINE Xtreme car working through our program. However, we had a small mechanical issue, which is fixable, but that ended my day very early. I am looking forward to getting back on track tomorrow.”

VITOR MEIRA (No. 14 ABC Supply Co A.J. Foyt Racing): “It was good. I think we evolved a little bit from where we were on Saturday when we last ran. I think the ABC Supply car is competitive, but it’s hard to tell exactly how competitive we are at this point. The car is good, but we’ll be able to tell how good later in the week when we really start dropping the hammer, as will everyone else. In preparation for that, today was a good day.”

BRUNO JUNQUEIRA (No. 41 A.J. Foyt Racing): “It was an exciting day. The second lap, the engine cover fell off, but my team did a good job to replace it and get me out for some laps at the end of the day. It felt OK. I think the balance is good. We need to work a little more to get more straight-line speed.”

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 28 Team DHL/Sun Drop Citrus Soda): “We just didn’t get a lot of track time today. We were trying some big stuff with the DHL/Sun Drop car, so we’ll see. We’ll get our heads together on it – the whole team – and we’ll figure it out from there. Today is just the tip of the iceberg; there is a lot of week left.”

ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 77 Bowers &Wilkins/Sam Schmidt Motorsports): “It was the not the best conditions that we have seen in Indy, but it was OK. We didn’t run on the first day and Sunday was raining, so today was the first opportunity for us to run. Thanks to the boys; they did a fantastic job preparing an amazing car. It is early in the week, but it is quite nice to show that the Bowers & Wilkins car is strong for an Indy run. When we came here last year, we didn’t know what to expect. We came in apprehensive because it’s a very tough place to get it right and very difficult to win. Obviously, we had some speed, and it worked out quite well last year. We build from it. We had a chance in 2010 to develop a good base and in the winter, the guys worked really hard on the car and cleaned it up a bit and always paid attention to details. That’s what this place wants, and it’s nice to start the week with a car that’s quite strong. Hopefully we can build on it. You can never take anything for granted at this place. We have to stay on our toes all week and roll the car out for qualifying and hope for the best.”

MIKE CONWAY (No. 27 Hire Heroes USA/7-Eleven/Dr Pepper): “We were just trying to get the Hire Heroes car more comfortable through Turn 1. We tried a few things but didn’t really sort it out. We just need to look at all the data tonight and figure out how we can move forward. I think our teammates tried a few different things, so hopefully we can figure out some good things for tomorrow.”

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 26 Team Venom): “We spent a lot of time today with the Venom car working on the race car, and we’re getting to where it feels pretty good. But right now I’m a little worried about our speed. I think that if we had qualified today, we might have ended up on the bubble. So we’ll put our heads together tonight, have a think on it and then hit it hard again tomorrow.”

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 34 Conquest Racing): “It was a very productive day. We did an amazing amount of changes on the development side of the car. We found exactly what we were looking for. We focused mainly on finding the right balance of the car first. Once we got there, we started taking a lot of downforce off, and that really paid off. I’m really happy how it turned out. It’s still very early in the week, so we are still very conservative. As the week progresses, we’ll start to push it a little bit harder. But today was exactly how we wanted the week of Indianapolis 500 practice to start.”

TONY KANAAN (No. 82 GEICO – KV Racing Technology – Lotus): “Today was a normal Monday at the Speedway. We tried different things and worked on the setup to get comfortable with the car. We’re making what I like to call the ‘cookbook’ so by the end of the week, we’ll look which dish we want to cook, and hopefully it will be a good one.”

TAKUMA SATO (No. 5 KV Racing Technology – Lotus): “It was a windy day, but the weather was clear and consistent, so it didn’t have an effect on our program. We made steady progress throughout the day, and I am getting more comfortable each time I go out on track. It was a very productive day.”

E.J. VISO (No. 59 PDVSA – KV Racing Technology – Lotus): “Today was our second day on track, and we accomplished everything we had planned for the day. We did a lot of research into the dampers and we found some valuable data. Basically, with what I did and what the other drivers on the team are doing, we are going to come up with a good package. That is the good thing about having a four-car team and the right way of working. It is always difficult to make comparisons at a place like Indianapolis because teams are working on different things and some drivers are getting tows, but I ran today without a tow so the data we collected is realistic.”

JOHN ANDRETTI (No. 43 Team Window World): “Windy – that’s one thing you can say about today. I think Team Window World stayed on plan and were cautious about how many sets of tires we’re using. Maybe we didn’t run as much as we wanted, but we learned a lot and made a lot of gains today. It seems like the things we’re trying are working really well. Usually 99 out of the 100 things you try don’t work, but it’s working in our favor right now. I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.”

PIPPA MANN (No. 36 Conquest Racing): “Today was just a pretty tough day at the office. I’ve heard from all the veterans that this place can do that to you sometimes, and we definitely just have one of those days. We seemed to spend it chasing our tail a little bit – both literally and figuratively. We’ve still got a minor handling issue but we’re chasing after it, and until we sort that out we just can’t risk going after speed. We also didn’t run with any tows today when we were running fast, so I actually don’t think the lap time is that bad for the amount of aero we had on and the fact that we weren’t in the tow when we did our best lap. We still have the handling niggle, which we do need to fix, but we’re going to make some fairly big changes overnight, and hopefully we can come out stronger in the morning.”

DANICA PATRICK (No. 7 Team GoDaddy): “I thought we were good on our own today and made a little bit of progress. We just need to stay consistent and find speed. It was a steady day.”

BUDDY RICE (No. 44 Panther Racing): (On being back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his win in 2004): “It’s good. I see the Indiana weather hasn’t changed much. I think on that day (in 2004) with or without the weather, I thought the weather just made it more exciting. It made it a more exciting race. The 2004 race was an exciting day, for sure.” (About last start at Indianapolis, in 2008): “We were in contention for a top five. Obviously, it got a little hairy there on the final restart. We dropped back a ways, and I was able to work my way back up to seventh or eighth. Our car was in contention. It wasn’t too bad. We put ourselves into a hole on the very first pit stop and had to really dig ourselves out of that hole all day. It took all day to get back up there but, yeah, my last run here was good.” (On his day of practice for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 and Panther Racing): “For us at Panther, everything is going good. With myself and JR in the National Guard car, I think we’re progressing. We’re moving along like we should, and I just need to familiarize myself with the team, the car and get rolling. They have solid cars. I mean, their performance the last few years, I think speaks for itself. We know they have a strong, solid oval program, especially here at the Speedway. That’s what made my decision really easy when John (Barnes) called right around Long Beach and started putting everything into motion. So I’m excited to be here. I’m happy to be here. It’s good to be here and gives me an opportunity for a second win. Also, it’s the Centennial. This only comes around once. There are five of us that are previous winners that are running here, and it’s an exciting time to be here right now.” (On his approach to securing an entry in the Indianapolis 500): “I think everybody has their own way of going about it. I wasn’t going to stand around and also, the way the times were and the way things were going, some things had changed. I get paid to drive race cars. That’s my job. That’s what I do. So for me, it took a little bit. I wanted to make sure I came here and had an opportunity to have a good run. When I showed up, I didn’t just want to show up and run. There’s a lot of different things that I wanted to make sure were in place before I just jumped back in.”

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “It was a good day for the Target team.. We shook down the primary car, which seemed pretty fast. We should run more tomorrow, weather permitting.”

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing): “We had a pretty decent day for the Target team. We switched to the primary car today, and it ran smooth. Hope to run a little more tomorrow.”

***

A total of 58 cars are currently at the Speedway, and 34 have passed technical inspection.Thirty-nine drivers were on track today, turning 1,379 laps. Pippa Mann turned 70 laps today, most of any driver. Forty drivers have been on track this month, turning 2,466 total laps. There were five cautions for a total of 39 minutes today.

***

TUESDAY’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

INDYCAR LOGO

Rain fell steadily on the Speedway throughout this morning, and IZOD IndyCar Series officials canceled the day’s track activities at 1:08 p.m. (ET).

It is only the third time in four years that an Indianapolis 500 practice day has been completely rained out. Rain washed out practice on Monday May 17, 2010 and prior to that on Thursday, May 8, 2008.

DAY 2 NOTEBOOK:

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts visited the track today.

***

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt and 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner Parnelli Jones talked about their memories of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” today. This is the 50^th anniversary of Foyt’s first victory, in 1961.

A.J. FOYT: (On the Indianapolis 500): “I always say, to win this race you have to have everything go your way. I don’t care who you are or anything. Everything’s just got to fall in line. If it doesn’t, then you’re not going to win.”(About Tony Hulman and family): “Well, the way I look at Mr. Hulman is it wasn’t just what he did for here. It was what he did for everybody. I’m talking about drivers and fans and everything. He just could not do enough for the race drivers. He made it safer than you possibly could do. The Hulman-George’s have been great here. Tony George and them came up with the (SAFER) walls. So, just like Ray Harroun with the rear-view mirror, so much stuff has happened here before it really came out on the market. You know, Tony and Mr. Joe Cloutier, they just couldn’t do enough for the fans and all that. You couldn’t have met finer people than the Hulmans and Georges.” (Comparing competition from his 1961 ’500′ victory to today): “Back then you come to the race and you had 80 to 100 cars and you had your chief mechanic. You didn’t have all the factories in it. It was just a different kind of combination than it is today. I mean, it was a hard combination. It was very competitive. You had to build and make everything yourself. Most of the mechanics today are just ‘R and R,’ remove and replace. Back then, you designed it, built it and then you tried it.” (On driving the Pace Car and possibly staying out on the track to break Mario Andretti’s record of most laps led): “Hell, yeah. Records are made to be broken. That’s the reason they set records.”

Parnelli Jones at The Brickyard - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

***

Dragon Racing drivers Scott Speed and Ho-Pin Tung passed the time today during the rain delay by having their faces painted with the team’s logo during a visit to the Indy 500 Kids Club in the Gasoline Alley Suites.

***

2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon talked about his memories of racing in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time, in 2003. Dixon is from Auckland, New Zealand.

SCOTT DIXON: “Coming from New Zealand, we are a long ways away and probably more European-orientated as far as Formula One. For everybody around the world, everybody knows there is one major race – the Indianapolis 500. Growing up as a kid, I always watched the race on TV, even in little New Zealand. In the early days, I hoped to be able to grow up and maybe being able to compete in some of these races. But the whole reality of achieving that was probably next to nil. I had been living here (United States) since 1999, and to actually come here in 2002 with Ganassi to watch Kenny (Brack) and Bruno (Junqueira), to see the spectacle itself as far as how many people come to the event, how massive it is, how the city changes; that’s when you get the realistic side of the race. The speed of the cars, just hearing the crowd roar, is pretty special. To be able to come here and be lucky enough to compete in 2003 was definitely a dream come true. It’s obviously kind of mind-boggling to look back and remember that I had watched these races on TV in New Zealand, so far away, and then to actually be competing in it. And that year we actually led laps. It was pretty cool. It’s a special place that demands a lot of respect from drivers. You’re always on edge as a driver, and it can bite you pretty quick. When you do well here, it rewards you tremendously. The coolest thing about this place is the history. Obviously celebrating the Centennial year, to know people have been doing this for 100 years, is the greatest thing in sporting history. To be one of 67 drivers who have won this race is a very proud moment.”

***

Conquest Racing rookie Pippa Mann talked today about her impressions of the Indianapolis 500 and driving an IZOD IndyCar Series car. Mann is from Ipswich, England.

Pippa Mann in Her Street Clothes at Indy - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

***

Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Charlie Kimball talked today about his Indianapolis 500 experience so far.

CHARLIE KIMBALL: (On the whether the weather conditions change his plans): “I don’t know that it changes too much. The whole week of practice, we’ve got a little more miles than we do tires and more time. There’s a bit of cushion built in for weather. You just have to stay patient and calm and deal with it as it goes.” (On his confidence as a rookie racing for Chip Ganassi): “Well, racing for the whole Chip Ganassi organization gives me a huge amount of confidence. I’ve got two former winners and former champions to learn from and a guy who has done this race four times to learn from, as well. There’s a lot information for me to take in if I need it and want it. Around here, I’m just trying to be a sponge and soak it up as much as possible.”

***

The three four-time winners of the Indianapolis 500 – A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser – are starting from the front row of “The Greatest 33″ after earning the most votes from Indianapolis 500 fans worldwide.

Racing fans selected their dream lineup of the 33 greatest drivers in Indianapolis 500 history from March 18-May 14 at thegreatest33.com. The top 33 drivers in the balloting were revealed Sunday, May 15 during practice for the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500.

Foyt, the first four-time winner, earned the highest score of any driver, followed by Mears and Unser.

Occupying the second row are three-time winners Bobby Unser, Helio Castroneves and Johnny Rutherford. 1969 winner Mario Andretti, three-time winner Wilbur Shaw and two-time winner Bill Vukovich are in the third row.

Three current Indianapolis 500 competitors are among The Greatest 33, Helio Castroneves (fifth), Dario Franchitti (19^th) and Scott Dixon (33^rd).

The Greatest 33 program and its interactive website are key components of the 100^th Anniversary Indianapolis 500, scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at IMS.

To view the entire “The Greatest 33,” visit either thegreatest33.com or http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/indy500/news/show/42810-four-time-and-39-500and-39-winners-foyt-mears-unser-lead-and-39-the-greatest-33and-39/

***

IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power and his Team Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves talked about today’s lack of track activity.

WILL POWER: “It’s unfortunate for us and for the fans that the rain kept us from getting on track today. The No. 12 Verizon Team Penske guys worked a bit late yesterday afternoon taking the engine out of our T car and putting it in our race car. We were planning on shaking that car down today and then getting started on our process. We will be ready to go tomorrow, and I am excited to get on track and get the Verizon car up to speed.”

RYAN BRISCOE: “I was really looking forward to getting back in the No. 6 IZOD Team Penske car today to continue checking items off our list, but the weather just wouldn’t cooperate with us. My engineer, Eric Cowdin, and I were able to spend some time talking about what we’d like to accomplish when we do get back out there. I feel bad for the fans, especially. There were a lot of people here at the Speedway looking forward to seeing some cars on track today.”

Helio Castroneves - Photo Credit: Catchfence Open Wheel Editor: Paul Powell

***

Indianapolis 500 veteran Townsend Bell talked today about racing with Sam Schmidt Motorsports in this year’s race. Bell has become a “one off” specialist, finishing in the top 10 twice in the last three years in entries fielded just for the Indianapolis 500.

TOWNSEND BELL: (On how prepared and successful he has been with one-off efforts at the Indianapolis 500): “I spend basically every day of the year thinking about this race. I try to take everything we’ve learned in years past and apply that to the future. That includes preparation both for me and just working with the team to make sure we’ve got everything we need to do a good job. This year’s no exception. We feel like we’ve got a great program. Herbalife 24 and Sam Schmidt Motorsports, everybody’s worked hard to make sure we’ve got a nice car out there. I’m anxious to see what it’s like.”

***

2009 Chase Rookie of the Year Alex Tagliani today unveiled the helmet paint design that he will use in this year’s Indianapolis 500.

ALEX TAGLIANI: “We knew some time ago that we were going to do a helmet for Indy, but when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced they wanted to bring all the past winners back, that triggered the idea first of all to have the Borg-Warner Trophy on the helmet and all the past winners, as well. For me, this is a great piece to remember being a part of this 100th anniversary of the race and to be one of the drivers that is a part of it. It’s basically the same helmet we’ve run all year with the addition of the trophy and the names of all the past winners.” (About drivers’ unique helmets): “The helmet is the piece that represents us. Most of the people see us in the cockpit, and in an open cockpit, they see the driver’s helmet. It shows who you are, your identity, what you like — your style, basically.”

***

MONDAY’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

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.”

***

FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:

* — Rookie

***

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).”

***

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

Target Chip Ganassi Racing

Race:

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
Location: Speedway, Indiana

NOTES/NEWS

Managing Director Mike Hull on Indianapolis: “If I could describe the Indianapolis 500 in one word it would be ‘significant’. For our Target group, the intensity of what we do multiplies from the first moment of practice until the final lap of the race. There isn’t a sporting event anywhere in the world that compares to the electricity of 300,000 plus spectators who are engaged from the moment that they arrive until well after the race. Giving Scott and Dario the opportunity to win is the focus of every team member, and has been so, since Dario’s winning performance last year. It’s a big race to win, and would be special to be first when it counts the most.”

One of Two: Chip Ganassi and Roger Penske are the only two owners to say that they have won both the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. Ganassi, however, is the only owner to have won the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 in the same season with drivers Jamie McMurray and Dario Franchitti in 2010.

TCGR History: This year’s 100th Anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 marks TCGR’s 18th start at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the team has taken home three wins. TCGR has had a total of 20 different drivers participate in this famous event. Former Target Indy car driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, was the first TCGR driver to win the Indianapolis 500. It was Montoya’s first trip to IMS, winning after starting second on the grid.

Dario Franchitti and the No. 10 Target Team

Follow Dario on Twitter: Follow @dariofranchitti for all the happenings and inside information on the driver of the No. 10 Indy car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

All-Time Win List: If Franchitti wins his third Indianapolis 500, he would not only move ahead of Johnny Rutherford on the all-time Indy car wins list with 27, but also tie Rutherford on the all-time Indianapolis 500 wins list with three victories apiece.

Leading the Pack: 2010 not only marked Franchitti’s second Indianapolis 500 win, but also the most laps led in a single race in his Indy car career, leading 155 of the 200 laps.

Among the Greats: Currently Franchitti is tied with Al Unser, Jr., Tommy Milton, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, Roger Ward, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Arie Luyendyk with two victories in the “world’s most famous race.” If Franchitti wins, he will tie Helio Castroneves, Louis Meyer, Rutherford, Wilbur Show, and Bobby Unser with three wins in the Indianapolis 500.

Back-to-Back: Winning this year’s Indianapolis 500 would give Franchitti consecutive wins at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He would tie Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Mauri Rose (1947-48), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71), and Helio Castroneves (2001-02) for the most consecutive wins at this track.

The Scotsman: There are only two drivers from Scotland that have ever won the Indianapolis 500: Jimmy Clark, from Kilmany, won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965 and Franchitti, from Edinburgh, won in 2007 and 2010.

A Look Back on 2011: Franchitti has had four starts, one win, three podium finishes, four top-fives, and four top-10s. His win this season came at the season opener at St. Petersburg.

Indianapolis 500 Review: Franchitti will be making his eighth appearance at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In seven previous starts, Franchitti has started on the front row four times (2004, 2007, 2009, and 2010), has two top-fives, five top-10s, and has led 255 laps. He won the event in 2007 and in 2010. Franchitti has also led in five of his seven starts at the Brickyard.

On the Verge of History: If Franchitti leads one more lap, he will move into a tie for 20th on the all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leader list, tying Mauri Rose with 256 laps led. Franchitti can also potentially move into the top-10 in all-time Indianapolis 500 lap leaders if he leads 176 laps or more.

Baby Borg: Franchitti picked up his second “Baby Borg” trophy in January after winning the 2010 Indianapolis 500. A replica of the BorgWarner Trophy, which recognizes every Indianapolis 500 winner and is on permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, the Baby Borg is 14 inches tall that rests on a beveled black marble base that includes a hand-crafted three-dimensional sterling silver image of the winning driver’s face. Rick Mears, winner of the 1988 Indianapolis 500, was the first recipient of the driver’s trophy.

Franchitti on the Baby Borg: “It’s great to get another one. I’d like to have a whole collection. For me last year, earning another win or trophy or championship was something that took awhile to sink it. Once the 2010 season was over, I was able to step out of the whirlwind of activity and reflect on the year. I would love to relive it all over again. Hopefully we can come away with our third Indianapolis 500 win this month.”

Brazil Recap: Franchitti maintained his sixth-place starting position in the beginning laps until the No. 10 Target made contact with the tire barriers which caused him to make a pit stop for a new wing and fuel, dropping him to 15th. Franchitti was able to fight back and cross the finish line in fourth position.

It’s a New Car!: Franchitti presented the keys to a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Pace Car to Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Sweepstakes winner Bruce Barhydt from Apex, NC in September. Barhydt was selected as the winner in a random drawing of fans who re-ordered or applied for tickets to the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Team

Follow Scott on Twitter: Follow @scottdixon9 for all the happenings and inside information on the driver of the No. 9 Indy car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

Consistent Laps: Dixon holds the all-time record for having the four most consistent qualifying laps in a single qualifying run at Indianapolis. In 2008, Dixon’s four laps were separated by .0049 of a second.

Start One, End One: In 2008, Dixon started the Indianapolis 500 on pole and won the race. In addition to his win and pole, Dixon has eight starts, three top-fives, and six top-10s.

Season Rewind: Within four starts to date in 2011, Dixon has one top-five and one top-10 with a best finish of second at Barber Motorsports Park, the second race of the season.

The One and Only: Dixon is the only driver from New Zealand to ever have won the Indianapolis 500.

Engine, Engine, Number Nine: If Dixon wins the Indianapolis 500, the No. 9 car will have won for the fifth time. Sam Hanks (1957), Rick Mears (1979), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000) have all won in the No. 9 car in addition to Dixon in 2008.

Brazil Recap: Dixon started third but spun out on a lap 7 restart which pushed him back to 17th. Dixon stopped for fuel-only on lap 36, putting him in 11th on lap 37. After a lap 38 restart, he spun in the turn one run-off, pushing him back to 15th. When the checkered flag flew on the timed, two-hour event (55 laps), Dixon crossed 12th.

Chasing History: If Dixon leads 36 more laps he will move into a tie for 20th place on the Indianapolis 500 all-time lap leader list tying, Mauri Rose with 256 laps led.

Twice Would be Nice: With a win, Dixon would tie Al Unser, Jr., Tommy Milton, Dario Franchitti, Mauri Rose, Bill Vukovich, Roger Ward, Gordon Johncock, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Arie Luyendyk with two victories in the “world’s most famous race.”

2011 STATS

Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s Pts. Pos./(Prev)
Scott Dixon 4 0 0 1 1 8/7
Dario Franchitti 4 1 0 4 4 2/1

CAREER STATS

Starts Wins Poles Top 5s Top 10s
Scott Dixon 173 25 17 79 120
Dario Franchitti 219 27 25 98 138

TEAM ROSTERS

Mike Hull – Managing Director

Scott Harner – Team Manager (Administrative Operations)

Barry Wanser – Team Manager (Racing Operations)

No. 9 (IndyCar)

Crew Chief/Stop Sign/Wheelgun Hose: Ricky Davis
Shocks/Firebottle: Chris Clark
Engineer: Eric Bretzman
Engines/Radio: Troy Scheller
Assistant Engineer: Brian Welling
Fueler: Todd DeNeve
Front End/(R/R): Tyler Rees
Gear Box/Air Jack: Andy Schneider
Front End/ Front Tire: Gilbert Swafford
Tires/Transport Driver: Travis Abel
Rear End (L/R): Adam Rovazzini
Floater(L/F): Wayne Westplate
Rear End/(R/F): Blair Julian Spotter: Robbie Fast

No. 10 (IndyCar)

Crew Chief/(R/F): Kevin O’Donnell
Shocks/Firebottle: Kevin Edgely
Engineer: Chris Simmons
Engines/Radio/(R/R): Troy Scheller
Assistant Engineer: Travis Jacobson
Gear Box/Fueler: Robby Page
Front End/(L/R helper): Nick Ford
Stop Sign/Front Wheelhose Gun: Chris Sutton
Front End/(L/F): Steve Namisnak
Transport Driver: Jimmy Wirey
Rear End/(L/R): Jaime Coates
Floater/Front End: Wayne Westplate
Rear End/Air Jack: Dave Pena
Spotter: Scott Harner

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

Chip Ganassi created his own one-car IndyCar team in 1990 and established a partnership with sponsor, Target. Today, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams includes two entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, four in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Cars Series. Overall his teams have 12 championships and 138 victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

- Chip Ganassi Racing, Press Release

Woodson, 34, was a prime contributor to the Packers’ title drive during the 2010 National Football League season at his starting defensive back position. Woodson was named to the 2011 NFL Pro Bowl for the seventh time in his career.

Woodson holds several Packers defensive records including the most touchdowns by a defensive player with 8 (7 interception returns and 1 fumble return). In 2009, Woodson won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Woodson has achieved an outstanding football record by winning the College Football Heisman Trophy (in 1997 over Peyton Manning) and was a member of the national championship-winning University of Michigan football team in 1997. He has been a member of team championships in both NCAA and NFL competition.

He played eight years for the Oakland Raiders before signing with the Packers in 2006. Since joining the Packers, Woodson has recorded 30 interceptions and named three times to the Pro Bowl.

“I am very excited to be a part of the Milwaukee 225 at the Milwaukee Mile,” said Woodson. “I am anxious to the see the cars on the track and to meet the drivers. It should be a great event.”

Woodson will witness his first IZOD IndyCar Series race at the Milwaukee Mile and he is expected to see highly-competitive racing action with many of the world’s best drivers at the famed Mile oval.

Current IndyCar Series stars such as Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Ryan Briscoe, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Danica Patrick, Graham Rahal and Marco Andretti will lead a stellar field into the nation’s oldest running auto racing facility dating back to 1903 for a 225-lap feature on Father’s Day scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. CDT.

In addition to the high-powered IZOD IndyCar Series machines, the Milwaukee 225 two-day spectacular will feature six other races including the Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship, US F2000 Series and three USAC events.

- AB Promotions Press Release