New feeling, bigger buzz at Indy
Unification of open-wheel series drives optimism
Driver Danica Patrick talks with fans as she signs autographs before Saturday's drivers meeting for today's Indianapolis 500.
Helio Castroneves, of Brazil, stands near the Borg-Warner Trophy on Saturday during the traditional drivers meeting for today's Indianapolis 500. The trophy is presented in the winner's circle at the Indy 500. Castroneves is a two-time winner of the race.
Indianapolis ? The Indianapolis 500 is new again.
Danica Patrick is a proven winner with a legitimate shot at taking the checkered flag, all the top teams and drivers are back for the 92nd running of the Indy 500 and optimism is high for what should, for the first time in 13 years, truly be “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Much of the optimism comes from the long-awaited unification of the two American open-wheel series in February.
Pointing to the strong mix of experienced drivers and young talent at Indy, longtime team owner Roger Penske said he’s excited about the sport’s possibilities, now that everyone’s under the IRL IndyCar Series banner.
Feel the difference
“You can feel and see the difference on pit road, with all the cars and people coming to watch practice and qualifying,” Penske said.
“I’ve been telling everybody the black cloud has lifted,” said Michael Andretti, a member of one of Indy’s signature families and co-owner of Andretti Green Racing. “It’s such a great feeling.”
The drivers, too, are caught up in a rejuvenated Indy.
“Everybody’s back, and that’s just an incredible feeling,” said Kanaan, considered by many the best driver never to have won here. “It’s always a 33-car field, but this year it’s just so competitive that anything could happen.”
That includes a victory by Andretti Green Racing teammate Patrick, who last month became the first woman to win an IndyCar race.
A win on Indy’s 21â2-mile oval, where the 26-year-old has finishes of fourth, eighth and eighth in her previous appearances, would be a huge boost for her and the series.
“I believe I can win the race,” Patrick said. “I have a lot of confidence at this place.”
As does Kanaan, who said he, like most everyone, expects the winner to come from the first three rows, inhabited by the top three teams in the 12-year-old IndyCar Series. Among them, they have won seven of the eight races in this decade.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s pole-winner Scott Dixon and 2005 race winner Dan Wheldon will start from the front row, along with Ryan Briscoe, driving for 14-time Indy winner Team Penske.
The second of the 11 rows includes Penske’s two-time winner Helio Castroneves, Andretti Green’s Patrick and Kanaan, followed in the third row by teammate Marco Andretti, Vitor Meira from Panther Racing and Hideki Mutoh, the fourth AGR driver and the fastest of 11 rookies in the field.
Champ Car drivers
Scattered through the rest of the lineup are nine drivers representing teams making the transition from the defunct Champ Car World Series, which was mostly a road and street racing circuit in recent years.
One such driver is 19-year-old Graham Rahal, son of 1986 Indy winner Bobby Rahal and one of the fresh, young faces IRL is hoping will bring the sport back to America’s mainstream fans.
Rahal, who won his IndyCar debut last month on the street course in St. Petersburg, Fla., to become the youngest IRL winner ever, will start 13th in the third oval race of his career.
“We knew it was going to be tough coming over to the IndyCar equipment versus what we had in the past,” said Rahal, who drives for eight-time Champ Car champion Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. “But we are going to keep on learning.”
Will Power, a former Champ Car rookie of the year, acknowledges drivers’ lack of experience on ovals is just one disadvantage.
“My team engineer says the IRL teams have a five-year, $50 million lead on us in the development of the Dallara cars, especially on the ovals. We’re not going to be able to overcome that in a few races or even one season,” the Australian driver said. “But we’re making gains every time we go on the track.”
FACTS AND FIGURES
The Associated Press
Facts and figures of the 92nd Indianapolis 500-mile race Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
EVENT – The 92nd Indianapolis 500.
DISTANCE – 500 miles; 200 laps around the asphalt-on-brick Indianapolis Motor Speedway track, a 21â2-mile rectangular oval.
SANCTIONING BODY – Indy Racing League; also open to USAC, NASCAR, SCCA, Formula One and other drivers through international FIA listing.
RACE CARS – Open-cockpit, open-wheel and single-seat, with 3.5-liter, 650-horsepower normally-aspirated Honda HI7R Indy V-8 engines.
PACE CAR – Chevrolet Corvette Z06, driven by two-time Indy winner Emerson Fittipaldi.
START – Noon today from a flying start, following warmup, parade and pace laps.
FINISH – Standings are unofficial until posted by the IRL.
NUMBER OF STARTERS – 33 cars, three abreast in each of 11 rows.
POLE POSITION – Scott Dixon, who averaged 226.366 mph in 4-lap qualifications. Will start first, the inside of the front row.
SLOWEST QUALIFIER – Marty Roth, who averaged 218.965 mph. Will start 33rd, the outside of the 11th row.
FASTEST ROOKIE – Hideki Mutoh, 223.887 mph. Will start ninth, the outside of the third row.
2007 WINNER – Dario Franchitti, who averaged 151.744 mph in a race shortened to 415 miles by rain. Franchitti, now racing in NASCAR, is not entered this year.
FORMER WINNERS IN RACE (4) – Buddy Lazier (1996), Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002), Buddy Rice (2004), Dan Wheldon (2005).
ROOKIES IN RACE (11) – Hideki Mutoh, Graham Rahal, Justin Wilson, Alex Lloyd, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Will Power, Oriol Servia, E.J. Viso, Mario Moraes, Enrique Bernoldi and Jaime Camara.
YOUNGEST IN RACE – Graham Rahal, 19 (Born Jan. 4, 1989).
OLDEST IN RACE – Marty Roth, 49 (Born Dec. 15, 1958).
MOST PREVIOUS RACES – Buddy Lazier (15).
FOREIGN BORN (20) – Scott Dixon, New Zealand; Dan Wheldon, England; Ryan Briscoe, Australia; Helio Castroneves, Brazil; Tony Kanaan, Brazil; Vitor Meira, Brazil; Hideki Mutoh, Japan; Tomas Scheckter, South Africa; Darren Manning, England; Bruno Junqueira, Brazil; Justin Wilson, England; Alex Lloyd, England; Will Power, Australia; Oriol Servia, Spain; E.J. Viso, Venezuela; Milka Duno, Venezuela; Mario Moraes, Brazil; Enrique Bernoldi, Brazil; Jaime Camara, Brazil; Marty Roth, Canada.
FIELD AVERAGE IN QUALIFICATIONS – 222.302 mph (Record 228.648 mph, 2002)
QUALIFICATION RECORD – 236.986 mph, Arie Luyendyk, 1996.
RACE RECORD – 185.981 mph, Arie Luyendyk, 1990.
CLOSEST FINISH – 0.043 seconds, Al Unser Jr. over Scott Goodyear, 1992.
PURSE – Depends on attendance and accessory awards; 2007 payoff was a record $10.7 million, of which winner Dario Franchitti received $1.65 million (not a record) for Andretti Green Racing.
CROWD – Estimated at about 400,000. Speedway never discloses attendance but admits to more than 250,000 reserved seats in permanent stands and room for 100,000 or more in the infield.
TELEVISION – Televised live by ABC (Sunflower Broadband channels 9, 12, 200), with host Brent Musburger, lead announcer Marty Reid, analysts Eddie Cheever and Scott Goodyear, and pit reporters Jack Arute, Jamie Little, Brienne Pedigo and Vince Welch.
RADIO – More than 400 affiliate IMS Radio Network radio stations throughout the United States and Canada, plus the LeSea Broadcasting network, which provides worldwide shortwave radio coverage, and the American Forces Radio Network, which broadcasts to U.S. military installations and ships around the world. Mike King, anchor; Dave Wilson, color commentator; Johnny Parsons, analyst; Donald Davidson, historian; Chris Economaki, commentator; Jerry Baker, Turn 1 reporter; Bob Jenkins, Turn 2 reporter; Mark Jaynes, Turn 3 reporter; Chris Denari, Turn 4 reporter; and Dave Argabright, Kevin Lee, Jake Query and Kevin Olson, pit reporters.
MORTALITY – There have been 67 deaths at the Speedway, including pre-500 races of 1909-10. Last death was Oct. 22, 2003, when driver Tony Renna crashed during private tire tests.
THE TROPHY – Sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy, 5-feet, 43â4-inches, 150-pounds, with bas-relief bust of each winner. Valued at $1 million, on permanent display at Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Each winner receives an 18-inch sterling silver replica.