Daily Trackside Report - Thursday, May 20
May 20, 2010 | By
DAY 6 – THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2010
TODAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):
8 a.m.
Garages open
Noon-6 p.m.
Indianapolis 500 practice
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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:
Thursday, May 20
Time: 8-8:15 p.m. (ET)
Coordinates: AMC 9 K 18 (Slot CD)
Bandwidth: 18 MHz
Symbol Rate: 13.235 MS
FEC: 3/4
Aspect Radio: 16:9
Digital: 4:2:0
Downlink Frequency: 12069 MHz Vertical
Position: 83 degrees West
Uplink trouble number: (317) 492-8657 or (317) 492-8750
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INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:
At noon, the ambient temperature was 68 degrees with a relative humidity of 65 percent and winds from the southeastat 13 mph. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 76 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
•Fastest lap of month: 227.046 mph, #3 Helio Castroneves, Sunday, May 16
Noon – GREEN.
12:30 p.m. – Top five: #11 Kanaan 226.775, #15 Tracy 226.322, #4 Wheldon 226.106, #21 Hamilton 225.431, #3 Castroneves 225.323.
1 p.m. -- #06 Mutoh up to third at 226.230.
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PGA Tour legend Fuzzy Zoeller visited the Speedway on Thursday as a guest of Panther Racing. Zoeller’s vodka brand, Fuzzy’s Ultra Premium Vodka, is serving as a sponsor of the No. 20 Panther/Vision/Fuzzy’s Vodka entry driven this month by veteran Ed Carpenter.
Zoeller, a native of New Albany, Ind., has won 10 PGA Tour events, including The Masters as a rookie in 1979 and the U.S. Open in 1984. He plays now on the Champions Tour.
FUZZY ZOELLER: (Have you been to the Speedway before?): “Yes, I was here last year, and I have been here for time trials. I'm blessed: I was born and raised in Indiana, so I have had the opportunity to come up here, and it is something to see. It's like the Kentucky Derby of thoroughbred racing; it’s the Derby of sports cars.” (About wearing a team headset and looking at car telemetry): “I didn't know what the hell I was looking at, but they were explaining it to me, you know what I mean. But at least I could hear, which was great. It's amazing the technology today that goes behind auto racing. I never knew all this stuff was going on. I thought these guys were just gas pumpers, tire changers. But the littlest twitch of a nut here or there can mean that much of a difference.” (That's like golf?): “Well, it is. Eddie (Carpenter) was telling them he was fine through Turn 3, and Turn 2 he felt a push. I mean, that's major stuff. To me, if I got a push, oh, man, I would be excited. But for these guys, that's not good. They're trying to fine-tune it. That's what they are trying to do.”
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The Indiana Section of SAE International will announce the winner of the 44th annual Louis Schwitzer Award sponsored by BorgWarner at a press conference at 9:30 a.m. Friday 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.
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The 33-driver starting field for the Indianapolis 500 will spend Monday, May 24, on the ESPN campus in Bristol, Conn., as the drivers will appear on multiple ESPN platforms and programs both domestic and international.
ESPN’s production of the Indianapolis 500 airs on ABC on Sunday, May 30, beginning at noon (ET). The race is on ABC for the 46th consecutive year, one of five IZOD IndyCar Series events on ABC this season.
On American television, drivers will appear on ESPN “SportsCenter” as well as ESPN2’s “First Take,” “Mike and Mike in the Morning”(simulcast on ESPN Radio) and “SportsNation.”ESPNEWS, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, ESPN Mobile, SportsCenter.com, ESPN Deportes Radio and ESPNDeportes.com are other U.S. platforms that drivers will appear on, including “RPM Semanal” (in Spanish) on ESPNDeportes.com.
Drivers also will appear on various ESPN International platforms, including segments on “SportsCenter”Australia version, on “Limite,”ESPN Brasil’s autosports news and information program, and on ESPN360.com, ESPN’s localized broadband platforms in Brazil, Chile and Mexico.
International drivers also will appear in their native languages on the ESPN networks in Australia, the UK, Africa, and Latin America and on regional networks ESPN Dos (Mexico) and ESPN Mas (Southern Cone South America).
ESPN International’s networks and syndication of the Indianapolis 500 will reach more than 252 million households. In addition, U.S. troops serving overseas and on Navy vessels around the world will watch via a broadcast agreement between ESPN and the American Forces Network, bringing the total to 213 countries and territories.
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The Honda Indy Edmonton has entered into promotional relationships with Alex Tagliani and FAZZT Race Team and with Paul Tracy and KV Racing Technology to form “Team Oh Canada” for the Indianapolis 500.
The promotion includes prominent Honda Indy Edmonton logo placement on both cars for the 500 Mile Race. Tagliani’s No. 77 FAZZT Race Team car also will display the logo for the IZOD IndyCar Series races in Texas, Watkins Glen, Toronto and Edmonton.
The Honda Indy Edmonton will carry out promotional opportunities with Team Oh Canada in other markets, including event promotions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
KEN KNOWLES (President, Northlands, promoter of Honda Indy Edmonton): “Northlands and the Honda Indy Edmonton are absolutely delighted to partner with Canada’s two best IZOD IndyCar Series drivers. Our promotional support for Alex and Paul provides us with an incredible opportunity to place our event, and the city of Edmonton, in the international spotlight while reaching a huge international audience.”
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Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation (NYSE: PVH) announced today that the Indianapolis 500, the flagship race of the IZOD IndyCar Series, will take center stage at Macy's this month via "In Pursuit of Fast," a series of exhibits sponsored by its IZOD brand in partnership with Macy's and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, to celebrate the 2010 Indianapolis 500.
The focus of the exhibits -- speed, stars and cars, and iconic design fashioned throughout a century of American racing -- will be showcased at Macy's stores in New York, Indianapolis and Chicago. Complementing the exhibit is a collection of limited-edition IZOD IndyCar Series apparel available exclusively at Macy's stores nationwide.
The second annual "In Pursuit of Fast" exhibit comes to life through original photo collections, graphic designs and priceless race cars and memorabilia from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall