Indy Racing Blog

Danica Mania

2005-06-06T05:56:00.000-07:00

As everyone talks about how great of a driver Danica is, shes also great and attracting new fans. Ever since the Cart- IRL ( the two major indy car series's in the country) spit in 1996, the ratings for the Indy 500 have steadily decreased, but this year was differnt as the whole world caught the "Mania." It hosted a 6.5 rating which was up 59% from 2004. The 6.5 was the highest since 1996. From 3 o'clock central time until about 3:15, ratings sky rocketed. Why? Well that was about the time of the final 15 laps when Dan Wheldon outdualed Danica for the win. The ratings for those 15 minutes was 8.6. The pre-race segment was up 61% of last year. This year the start time of the Indy 500 was pushed back an hour to draw more fans in the West Coast, ABC brought in Brent Musburger to do the pre race, and of course a gorgeous women going 225 mph is also going to help ratings!
http://www.indyracing.com/news/story.php?story_id=4764

Flying Under Radar

It seems all month long at Indianapolis we heard about Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan or Dan Wheldon. Well that didnt change on race day, with Tony Kanaan winning the pole, Danica leading 19 laps, and of course Dan Wheldon winning the race. But a name that most people have forgotten is Buddy Lazier. Lazier, who won the Indy 500 in 1996, has been without a full time ride since the end of the 2002 season. Buddy won the Indy Car series points championship in 2000 and has 7 career wins, and has finished twice two times at Indy. This year, driving for Panther Racing in the #95 Jiffy Lube, ESPN Radio 980 Jonathon Byrd's Cafeteria Chevy, Buddy qualified 9th, which was the fastest Chevy and the fastest out of the 3 Panther Racing drivers. Buddy crashed his car in practice about 48 hours before the start of the 500 on Carb. Day. His crew worked threw the night to get his car back to racing conditions. The #95 Chevy stayed near the front of the field for most of the day, avoided crashes and pit problems, and sailed to Panthers best finish in the Indy 500, with a 5th place finish. Great effort. I’ve got to hand it to John Barnes, all the team owners here. Panther Racing, there’s five of them (and) all great guys. Andy Brown, my engineer … I knew when I had him as my race engineer and Seth (Fleming) and all the engineers from the other teams. We all worked together, and when I looked at that engineering I knew that we would have a chance to win this race. If you take a look at my front wings, I had contact with Sharp in the last 10 (laps), so I broke the left front wing. We didn’t come in, we didn’t want to lose track position, and then we had contact again with another car blocking me. So without the contacts, I think I would have been able to make a better run of it at the end. Top-five finish, that’s really good. I’m happy with that.” (Chevrolet, you knew they’d want to end here strong. What kind of engine did they give you?): “Well, take a look at those wings, and if we wouldn’t have had those wings like that we would’ve – you can’t say if you’re ever going to win or not – but we would have had a lot better shot of it. I think we would have really charged at the end and had a chance to win, so my hats off to Chevy. They gave me a motor that would have won today.” (After what happened on Friday (accident in Miller Lite Carb Day practice), you have to feel extremely proud of this result): “It’s a testament to my team, Panther Racing, a testament to my race engineer, Andy Brown, testament to Seth, the guys on this race car. All these guys worked together all night for two nights to that car back together.” (This is obviously a partnership that works – you and Panther Racing. Is this the end of it?): “We keep working on it. Certainly my agenda is to be back full-time IndyCar racing, and hopefully this will help. I don’t know. We’ll just keep working at it.” Lazier said after the race.
http://www.pantherracing.com/content/blogcategory/28/80/

2005-06-03T05:59:00.000-07:00

Big time publicity are what the two most famous drivers of this years 500 aer recieving, Danica Patrick and Dan Wheldon. Patrick, the 2005 Rookie of the Year, is on this weeks cover of Sports Illustrated, and has been on numorous TV shows and news programs. It seems everyday there is a story about Danica in the news paper. For the champion, Dan Wheldon has been everywhere, Monday morning, the winners photo shoot at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Then a taping for Live with Regis and Kelly, interviews on CNN, Then to Shea Stadium to throw out the first pitch at the Mets vs. Diamondbacks game, then up to Connecticut to tape a segment of SportsCenter's "Fact or Fiction". He has also done interviews and promos to advertise the rest of the summer for the Indy Racing League. The 2005 Indy 500, will reair tonight on ESPN Classic at 8.
http://indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=4760
http://www.indycar.com/news/story.php?story_id=4753

Check Please

2005-06-02T05:57:00.000-07:00

In 1989, Emerson Fittapaldi won his first Indy 500, he earned a little over a million dollars for his win, which was the first year the winner would recieve over a million dollars. This year, the champion, Dan Wheldon received a check for $1,537,805. So whoever thinks its just about going in circles, well going in circles has never had a higher reward. The 500's purse, which is all the total money awarded to all 33 drivers was $10,304,815. Second place driver Vitor Meira, collected $656,955, third place Bryan Herta won $457,505, and the fourth place driver, Danica Patrick earned $378,855, added into that was a check for $25,000 for being the Bank One Rookie of the Year.
http://indyracing.com/news/story.php?story_id=4741

Buddy Back for Texas

The 2004 Indy 500 champion and Danica Patrick's teammate Buddy Rice was cleared to drive for the Lear Jet 500 in Texas on Saturday June 11. Rice, was injured in a practice crash on the second day of practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and was not cleared to run the Indy 500. Kenny Brack took his spot in the 500, and there has not been any word on whether not Kenny Brack will have a ride the rest of the year.
http://indyracing.com/news/story.php?story_id=4756

Why Milk?

2005-06-01T05:48:00.000-07:00

Why Milk?

For the past 70 years or so, every driver who has won the Indy 500, has pulled into victory lane, and took the traditional sip of milk, every driver except for Emerson Fittapaldi, who won in 1989 and 1993, who drank Orange Juice because he was from Brazil. But why milk? Louie Meyer started the tradition in 1936, when he was photographed gulping down a bottle of buttermilk, which was his favorite drink. He said he drank milk because his mother had recommened the drink saying it would refresh him. Every since 1936, the tradition has stuck and milk has been sipped back at the end of every 500 since. http://indyracing.com/multimedia/search.php?action=view&photo_id=18146&photographer_id=35&series_id=1&date=2005-05-29&track_id=4&pfirst=Michael&plast=Voorhees&series_dir=indycar&track_dir=indy&filename=_W8G0671.jpg&driver=Dan+Wheldon&event_id=26&page=y&p1=96&p2=120&total_results=118&num_pages=5&search=event&search_string=&connector=&search_year=&year=

Indy 500

2005-05-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

Job Whel-don

Dan Wheldon was the winner of the 89th Indianapolis 500, the only driver to ever win after starting 15th, Wheldon, the current leader of the IRL Points Standing, swaped the lead 6 different times with Danica Patrick and Vitor Meira over the final 50 laps. Danica, who led 19 laps, overtake Dan Wheldon on a restart with 10 laps to go, and pulled away from Wheldon by half a second, until Wheldon ran her down and took the lead for good on lap 194 of 200. “I made a hell of a point for anybody, are you kidding me?” Danica responded to a question about what she has done for females in auto racing.
Then Patrick, driver of the No. 16 Rahal Letterman Racing Argent Pioneer Panoz/Honda/Firestone, talked about how lousy it was back in 16th place where she found herself after stalling her car during her second pit stop. And she said she learned so much during the race. She never even referred to what her race success achieved in proving a woman can race with some of world’s best male racers without being intimidated.
A second reporter rephrased the question about the historical significance of her Indy performance that was seen worldwide on television.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m just racing. I don’t know.
“It sounds so goober stupid, but I just don’t think about it. I just don’t think about it. I don’t know why. I didn’t even think that all the media stuff going on was that – I wasn’t getting overwhelmed. I was getting overwhelmed with the lack of time I had for myself, but all the coverage? I was your story.” Danica said about her run Sunday, but the day belong to the Brit, Dan Wheldon. "But the race itself, I've got to say, is certainly since I've been doing it, was the most competitive. I think it just shows you the direction the series is going with the amount of leaders and the amount of leaders from different teams. Although, you know, it was good to see Andretti Green Racing running one-two-three at one point." "But the race was just difficult because there were so many good cars out there. And the depth of talent was amazing. I thought starting 16th I'd be able to come through perhaps a little quicker than I did. So that soon brought me back down to earth. It was, because people were so close.
But it's just such a proud moment. It's the proudest moment of my life, and I'm sure it will be, to win my first Indianapolis 500. So it was fantastic."
http://indy500.com/news/

Danica Shows What She Can Do

After qualifying for the 500 in the fourth position, she ended up leaving were she started after finishing fourth, but it wasnt a piece of cake. Danica, stalled the car on her second pit stop of the day, sending her back to the 16th position. And she said she learned so much during the race. She never even referred to what her race success achieved in proving a woman can race with some of world’s best male racers without being intimidated. On lap 57, after pitting off sequence, Danica became the first female to ever lead the Indy 500. Then after pitting 100 laps later, Danica was 8th, but under caution, Danica spun the car and took out Tomas Enge and Tomas Scheckter. Danica brought the car into the pits for a new front wing, and got back out onto the track and retook the lead with only 28 laps to go, only to loose the lead 16 laps later to Wheldon during pit stops. On the next restart on lap 189. Danica got by Wheldon to retake the lead, but on lap 194, Danica's fuel was running and low and she had to let off the to save gas, which gave Wheldon the lead and the win. Danica got passed on lap 198 by Vitor Meira and Bryan Herta. The caution came out on lap 199, which gave Danica the fourth spot.

2005-05-27T05:54:00.000-07:00

Panther Goes For First Win.

Panther Racing has won almost everything when it comes to the Indy Racing League. 2 Championships with Sam Hornish in 2001 and 2002, 11 Indy Car wins, 8 from Sam Hornish Jr. and 2 with Scott Goodyear, but never has a Panther car won the Indianapolis 500. Could this be year? Well Panther feels its there best shot ever. With three drivers qualified for this years 500, Panther does have the best chance. Tomas Scheckter, who was the 2002 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, has led more laps at the Indy 500, then any other driver that qualified here. Tomas in the #4 Pennzoil Platinum Chevy will start 11th. Tomas Enge, the rookie, will make his first Indy 500 start and is a possible contender for the Rookie of the year award, Enge, 29, will start his #2 Rock Star Energy Drink Chevy in the 10th spot. Then Panther racing brought in the 3rd driver, the winner of the 1996 Indy 500, Buddy Lazier. Lazier, the 2000 Indy Car Series Champion, has always ran well at Indy with one win and 2 top 5 finishes. He will start 9th in the Jonathon Byrd Cafeteria, Espn Radio #95 Chevy.
www.PantherRacing.com

Yesterday, the Infinity Pro Series took the stage at the Brickyard for qualifying, heres how they will line up for todays race.
http://www.indycar.com/pro/grid.php

Carb Day at Indy, always exciting.
With the new schedule's taking place for this years 500, an hour later start time, new qualifying format, and Carb being pushed from Thursday to Friday, it puts more excitement on Carb Day on that Friday. The events seem to never stop on Carb Day. At 10 a.m. the IRL will take to the track for an hour final practice session for the Indy 500, and now the Futaba Freedom 100, Infinity Pro Series race will be ran on that Friday at noon. Think thats enough? Then following the race, it will be the IRL's pit crews turn to display there talent at the Miller Light Pit Stop Competition, last year Buddy Rice's Argent Mortage team got it down by winning, which that confindence led them to the win in the Indy 500 last year

2005-05-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

Danica Has Company from Another Female

All month long you've heard about the new racing hearthrob Danica Patrick. But behind all the newspaper articles and interviews with Danica, theres another female walking around pit road at Indianapolis. Her name is Mishael Abbott. The 24- year old rookie from Missouri is trying to make her way to the Indy 500 through the Menards Infinity Pro Series. Ron Hemelgarn noticed her when Mishael aproached him three years ago in Miami. Mishael's words to her future car owner? “I’m going to drive for you, and I’m going to win the Indy 500.” This year she will become the first female to ever start in the Futaba Freedom 100, then Indy 500 of the Pro Series. T0marrow's Freedom 100 will be her 3rd career Pro Series race, her debut was the season open at Miami, where she qualified fourth and finished eighth. In her second race at Pheonix, Mishael crashed in practice and again in the race, finishing ninth. Mishael graduated from Florida Atlantic University and majored as an elementary school teacher. “I have a dream to be a race car driver,” Mishael said. “Others want to be fire fighters, whatever. You’ve got to follow your dream. Look for Mishael to make her dream come alive at Indy in the near future.
www.MishaelAbbott.com

2005-05-25T06:03:00.000-07:00

There was no IRL practice yesterday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the next practice is scheduled for Noon on Friday, which is Carb Day. That will be the final hour of practice before Sunday's Indy 500. Also taking place on Friday, will be the Coors Light Pit Stop Competition, and the Menards Infinity Pro Series Race.

This years Infinity Pro Series Futaba Freedom 100, showcases second generation drivers as well as rookies. Al Unser III, know as Just Al, will look to make his first start in any type of car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the track that made his last name such a phenomenon. Al's dad, Al Jr, won the closest Indy 500 in 1992 , and came back in 1994 to win it for the second time. Al III's grandfather Al Sr. is one of one three drivers to ever win the Indy 500 four times. Al Sr. won for the first time in 1970, came back the next year and won in 1971, and then won his final two 500s in 1978, and in 1987. Al III's uncle, Bobby was the first to sip the milk in victory lane, breaking through with his first win in 1968, again in 1975, and for a final time in 1981.

Marco Andretti is another third generation driver, driving for his father Michael Andretti who is the owner of Tony Kanaan, this years 500 pole sitter, Dan Wheldon, Dario Franchitti and Bryan Herta. Michael Andretti's luck at the 500 and been nothing but sour, comming to the 500 for the first time in 1984, Michael got the Rookie of the year award, becoming at the time, the first father son combo to win the Rookie honors. But Michael could never get it down, leading in 1991 after dominating the whole race, he was passed by the winner Rick Mears with just 9 laps to go. Michael has the record for most laps led by a non winner with 426 laps led without a win. Marco grandpa is the only Andretti with a win, comming in 1969. Marco's uncles, John and Jeff also competed in the race in the early 90's.
Dane Carter, son of Indy 500 veteran and sprint car legend Pancho Carter, will also run the Freedom 100, Rocky Moran Jr., son of Rocky Moran, Indy 500 vet in the 80's also makes his debut.

INDY 500 INFORMATION SITE
http://www.algebra.com/algebra/about/history/Indianapolis-500.wikipedia#Records

Indy 500

2005-05-24T05:55:00.000-07:00

All 33 starters for this years Indy 500 were in Time Square yesterday in downtown New York City to take pictures with the Indy 500 pace car driver Colin Powell. Cart Series regulars Bruno Junquira and Sebastian Bordouis flew in late Sunday night, after racing in the Cart race in Monterrey in which Bruno Junquira won the race, and Bordouis finished 5th. Felipe Giaphone was also on hand, after trading in his plane ticket to Brazil, for a plane ticket to New York.
http://www.indycar.com/news/

This year's Target Chip Ganassi Racing Tripe Threat see 3 young, strong running competitors who know how to get the job done. The Rookie Ryan Briscoe in the #33 Target Toyota crashed on Pole Day, but came back the next Saturday and posted the second fastest time of 2nd day qualifications with a four lap average of 224.080 to put him 24th on the starting grid. “It’s a special feeling, said Briscoe of having qualified for his first Indianapolis 500. “Maybe not the position I’d like to be in, but it’s better than on Pole Day when I lost the car during qualifying. Briscoe was in contention to win the IRL's first road course race in St. Pete, but tangled with leader Tony Kanaan and was knocked out late in the race. http://racing.target.com/news_article.asp?ArticleID=36&SeriesCode=IRL
The second driver in the Target garage is the driver of the #10 Target Toyota, Darren Manning, who has never won an IRL race, but ran well last year at Indianapolis. Darren definetly has the odds in his favor, the last 2 years the number of the horse that won the Kentucky Derby went on to win the Indy 500. This year, Giacomo, wearing the #10, won the Derby, now its Mannings chance to keep the streak alive. Manning will start 19th.
http://racing.target.com/news_article.asp?ArticleID=35&SeriesCode=IRL

Scott Dixon is the veteran of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Dixon, who won the 2003 IRL Indy Car series championship, is also looking for his first Indy 500 win. Dixon, who has won 2 IRL events, in Miami, and Richmond, will start this years 500 in the 13th position, looking for the biggest win of his career.

Indy 500

2005-05-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

The third day of time trials for the 89th Indy 500 took place on Saturday. Positions 23-33 were up for grabs as positions 1-22 were filled last Sunday on Pole Day. Kenny Brack completed the fastest 4 lap qualifying average out of the 33 drivers to qualify this year, with a speed of 227.598, which was faster the Tony Kanaan's pole speed of 227.566, but since Kenny's run came on the 2nd day of time trials, he will start 23rd. I am just relieved that we are in the field,” said Brack, the 1998 IndyCar Series champion. “I am also glad for the team, obviously. They have had a real tough month. I guess they had faith in that I could do the job. And I am just thanking them for doing all of these things because it was a lot of fun to put the car in the eighth row.” 32 out of the 33 spots for the race were filled on Saturday.
http://www.indy500.com/news/story.php?story_id=4632

The 4th and final day of qualifying took place on Sunday, also known as "Bump Day," turned out to be quite exciting. Arie Luyendyk Jr., Son of two time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk, was working on the setup for his car all day. Arie Jr. was looking to qualify for his first Indy 500, and when he went out for his qualifying attempt, he looked to be the only car looking to qualify for the race, making him the 33rd starter. Arie put up a 4 lap average of 215.039, which was the slowest in the field. Arie Jr. looked to be in the field, until A.J. Foyt pulled out a backup car and put Felipe Giaffone in line to qualify. Just 2 hours after shopping at Babies "R" Us with his wife, Felipe was in the cockpit of a plane red # 48 Toyota car. At 5: 45, Felipe went out for his qualifying run, and put up a four lap average of 217.645, which bumped Luyendyk Jr. from the field. But Luyendyk put his car back in line to qualify one more time before 6 p.m. when qualifying was over, and did not have enough to bump his way back in the field as his 4 lap average was 210.351 which was too slow to get him in the show.
http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/news/story.php?story_id=4648

What are the chances of Rahal-Letterman Racing repeating in the 2005 Indy 500? Well this question wont be answered until next Sunday, and as we have seen before, anything can happen in the 500, but the chances are looking good. Saturday, Kenny Brack, the 1999 Indy 500 winner and replacement driver for 2004 champion Buddy Rice who was injured in a practice crash, qualified the #15 Argent Pioneer Honda at a speed of 227.598, which was faster than the pole speed set by Tony Kanaan. But can Kenny do it? After almost loosing his life in a horrific accident in October of 2003 at Texas Motor Speedway, Can he come back in his first race back and run 500 miles and win the race? He will have a fast car, but he has to start 23rd, which means he will have to be patient and stay out of trouble if he wants to win the 500.
What about Rahals 2nd driver, the fastest female in 500 history, Danica Patrick, who qualified in the 4th spot at 227.004 after a bobble on the 2nd lap cause her a shot at the Pole. "We’re going to have to decide whether or not anyone goes any faster. Wheter or not it’s worth sacrificing a front row start or not. But I don’t know. I want to be on pole, so it is tough; it’s tough to decide.” Patrick said about going back out and trying for the pole. Now the best finish for a female in the Indy 500 was 11th by Lyn St. James in 1992, but Danica will look to break that record and break into history by becoming the first female to win the 500. Then theres Vitor Meira, maybe this years darkhorse of the field, who has never won an IRL event. Meira in the # 17 Menards Honda, qualified 7th position at 226.848. Meira, who is sometimes over shadowed by Rice and Patrick, and now Kenny Brack, may step out of the shadows and win this years Indy 500.