Daily Trackside Report - Tuesday, May 18
May 18, 2010 | By
DAY 4 – TUESDAY, MAY 18, 2010
TODAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8 a.m.
Garages open
Noon-6 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice
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Track drying has been underway throughout this morning at the Speedway. Race Control estimates a start time of approximately 1 p.m. (ET).
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The Indy Racing League will provide a Video News Feed during each day of practice in preparation for qualifying for the 2010 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
The Video News Feed will include b-roll of on-track activity and sound from various drivers following the day’s activity. Today’s feed:
Tuesday, May 18
Time: 8 p.m. (ET)
Coordinates: AMC 9 K 11 (CH A )
Bandwidth: 18 MHz
Symbol Rate: 13.235 MS
FEC: 3/4
Aspect Radio: 16:9
Digital: 4:2:0
Downlink Frequency: 11911 MHz Horizontal
Position: 83 degrees West
Uplink trouble number: 317-492-8657 or 317-492-8750
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Andersen Racing has signed Arie Luyendyk Jr. to be Carmen Jorda's teammate in the Firestone Freedom 100 Firestone Indy Lights race Friday, May 28 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Luyendyk, 28,is the son of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk. He has 62 career Firestone Indy Lights starts, with one victory. He started the 2006 Indianapolis 500.
His best finish in the Firestone Freedom 100 is third in 2004.
ARIE LUYENDYK JR.: “I am thrilled to be back in a race car, especially at Indianapolis. I have known Dan and John Andersen of Andersen Racing since my days in USF2000. I have always had a great relationship with them over the years, and now I'll finally have an opportunity to drive one of their cars. Indianapolis means more to me than I can express. I've come back to win, and I'm confident that Andersen Racing will give me a car that can make that a reality.”
DAN ANDERSEN (Co-owner, Andersen Racing): “We are pleased to add Arie to our lineup at Andersen Racing. We've known him since he competed in USF2000, and we've watched his performances in recent years in Firestone Indy Lights with great interest. He clearly is a winner, and with the car we know we can give him at Indy, it's exciting to look forward to having some fun in the Firestone Freedom 100.”
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Indianapolis 500 veteran Paul Tracy will drive in the new series “Battle of the Supercars” on SPEED. Tracy and Formula Drift champion Tanner Foust will drive in some of the most exotic cars, including models from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and other manufacturers.
The show, hosted by Lee Reherman, is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. (ET) July 22.
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The #06 car fielded by Newman/Haas Racing for Hideki Mutoh will be the 12th and final participant in the Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday,May 28.
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Thousands of iRacing.com members worldwide will race in the iRacing.com Indy 500 on Saturday, May 29, the day before “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” at IMS.
Part of the iRacing.com World Tour, PC simulation racers will compete in 33-car fields for 200 laps in exact digital duplicates of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval Dallara IZOD IndyCar Series cars. Racers will be matched by skill level, experience and qualifying times.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IZOD IndyCar Series formed an official partnership with iRacing in 2009.
IMS is one of more than 40 racetracks in the U.S. and around the world that are represented in the iRacing.com internet-based motorsport simulation service. The service is inexpensive and intended to let motorsport fans and racing games enthusiasts from all around the world practice and, if they wish, compete against friends and other fans in organized races. The tracks and cars in the service are modeled so accurately that a professional racing driver can use them to learn a track he or she has never seen before.
Survey-quality laser-scanning is used to capture data, so the finished track is accurate to with 2 millimeters. Every tiny bump or change in road camber is accurately represented in the virtual version of the track.
Scanning of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and photographic documentation took nearly six eight-hour days, while another four months were spent by iRacing.com’s production department converting the data into an exact replica of the legendary 101-year-old racetrack.
Indy 500 drivers who are iRacing.com members include Justin Wilson, Will Power, Ryan Briscoe, Vitor Meira, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dan Wheldon, Tomas Scheckter, Danica Patrick, Mike Conway, Raphael Matos, A.J. Foyt IV, Takuma Sato and Simona de Silvestro.
KEVIN BOBBITT (Director of marketing, iRacing.com): “It’s every racer’s dream to compete in the Indy 500. There is just no other race like it. The World Tour lets every one of our more than 20,000 members compete in any or all of 15 of auto racing’s signature events, but it’s hard to think of another race that exceeds the historic significance or pure thrill of the Indy 500. iRacers won’t have to just wonder what it’s like to funnel into the first turn of the Indy 500 coping with the turbulence of 32 other cars in close proximity – they’ll know first-hand. We have a special promotion that includes the Dallara-Honda Indy car and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, along with the regular rookie package of cars and tracks, plus a three month membership. Anyone interested in getting in on the fun can check it out at http://www.iracing.com/indy-500-2010/.”
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Indianapolis 500 veteran Townsend Bell talked about his preparations for the 2010 Indianapolis 500. He is driving the No. 99 Herbalife Ganassi/Schmidt Racing entry.
TOWNSEND BELL: (On getting up to speed in his first start of the season): “It’s great to be back. The car feels fantastic. The team has done a great job of getting us prepared, and we are excited to get some running done here.” (On the new Pole Day format and the shorter month): “Well, obviously the month has been condensed and we’ve had quite a bit of rain so far, which has condensed it even more. I think that that has put an increased intensity on the on-track action as we get closer to qualifying weekend. Any time you can increase the intensity of what’s on the track; I think it’s going to be good for the fans.” (On how an Indy-only program handles the shorter month): “You can’t fast-track chemistry and all that goes with that, but luckily I’ve worked with our race engineer before, and we’ve had a lot of time to prepare. I think that for an Indy one-off, we’re as well prepared as you can be.” (On racing plans after Indy): “I don’t have anything planned at this point.”
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A.J. Foyt Racing driver Vitor Meira will appear at a press conference at 10:30 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, May 19 on the fourth floor of the Media Center.
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Medical report from Dr. Geoffrey Billows, Indianapolis Motor Speedway director of medical services: #4 Dan Wheldon has been cleared to drive today after being re-evaluated for a bruised right foot suffered in a crash Sunday, May 16.
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Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency and the official Trade and Energy partner of the IZOD IndyCar Series, has added a spa featuring high-quality Brazilian beauty products to its hospitality facilities at the track.
A professional hair stylist and professional manicurist will be available to women in the IZOD IndyCar Series family.
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Entry update: #98 and #98T entries of CURB/Agajanian/Team 3G have been withdrawn from the 2010 Indianapolis