Daily Trackside Report - Saturday, May 22
May 22, 2010 | By
DAY 8 – SATURDAY, MAY 22, 2010 – POLE DAY
TODAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):
6 a.m. Garages open
8-10 a.m. Indianapolis 500 Practice
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Indianapolis 500 Qualifications (Positions 1-24; Fast Nine from
4:30-6 p.m.)
6 p.m. Track closes
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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:
Saturday, May 22
Time: 9-9:30 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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The drivers will be split into two groups for practice from 8-9 a.m. this morning, with all cars on track from 9-10 a.m.
***
2010 INDIANAPOLIS 500 POLE DAY QUALIFYING PROCEDURE:
Positions available: 1-24
Format:
•11 a.m.-4 p.m.: The top 24 spots in the 33-car field will be available through traditional four-lap attempts. Each car will have up to three attempts during this time. The times of the top nine drivers from this first segment of qualifying will be erased at 4 p.m., with all of those competitors guaranteed to start no worse than ninth in the Indianapolis 500.
•4:30-6 p.m.: “The Fast Nine” then will be required to make at least one four-lap qualifying attempt, with optional attempts if time permits. Each driver’s best run during the 90-minute session will set their position within the top nine spots on the starting grid. If inclement weather prevents the 90-minute shootout for the “Fast Nine,” their times from the opening session will determine starting positions.
Front Row Bonus Money:
•Pole: $175,000 ($100,000 PEAK Performance Pole Award, $75,000 Indianapolis Motor Speedway bonus)
•Second: $75,000
•Third: $50,000
***
2010 INDIANAPOLIS 500 QUALIFYING PROCEDURE Q&A:
Q: What happens if weather washes out the Fast Nine shootout before every driver gets a chance to make at least one attempt?
A: The position in the top nine starting spots for those nine drivers will be determined by their fastest runs during the 11 a.m.-4 p.m. segment.
Q: Can any drivers other than the Fast Nine make qualifying runs from 4:30-6 p.m. on Pole Day?
A: No.
Q: Must a driver in the Fast Nine withdraw their time from the mandatory attempt during the final segment if he or she chooses to make a second qualification attempt during that segment?
A: No.
Q: How will the qualifying draw for the Fast Nine segment be determined?
A: The driver with the fastest run during the 11 a.m.-4 p.m. segment will choose their position in the qualifying line at 4:10 p.m., followed by the second-fastest and so. The ninth-fastest driver will receive the final remaining slot in the line.
Q: Where does one of the Fast Nine drivers start if he or she can’t complete a run in the completed shootout due to a crash or a mechanical problem?
A: All nine drivers who qualify for the Fast Nine shootout based on their best runs from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. are guaranteed a starting spot in the top nine. The shootout from 4:30-6 p.m. determines their position in the top nine. If they don’t complete an attempt in the shootout, they will start ninth. If two drivers don’t complete an attempt in the shootout due to a crash or mechanical, then they will start eighth and ninth, respectively, based on their best run from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Q: What happens if a driver crashes in the Fast Nine, and that car is destroyed? If that driver is forced to a backup car for the rest of the event, will he or she start ninth or 33rd?
A: All drivers who qualify are guaranteed a starting spot in the top nine on Race Day, even if they must change cars.
Q: What happens if Pole Day is rained out?
A: One day of qualifying would take place from noon-6 p.m. Sunday, May 23, with all 33 positions up for grabs. Each car would get the traditional three attempts that day. The pole shootout for the Fast Nine would not take place.
Q: What happens if Bump Day is rained out?
A: Qualifying would resume on the next available day for positions 25-33. There would be one attempt per car, which has been the procedure for a Bump Day rainout.
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:
At 8 a.m., the ambient temperature was 67 degrees with a relative humidity of 90 percent and winds from the west-southwest at 6 mph. Skies were overcast. The track temperature was 63 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
•Fastest lap of month: 227.046 mph, #3 Helio Castroneves, Sunday, May 16
8 a.m. – GREEN. First group on track.
8:30 a.m. – First group speed update: #12 Power 227.646, #77 Tagliani 227.513, #3 Castroneves 225.956, #24 Conway 225.816, #30 Rahal 225.537. Power and Tagliani’s laps are two fastest of the month.
8:30 a.m. – YELLOW. End of first group.
8:32 a.m. – GREEN. Second group on track.
8:52 a.m. – YELLOW. #5 Sato does quarter-spin to the left and backs into SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 with left rear corner of car. Slides backward and sideways down back straightaway before stopping in middle of back straightaway. Heavy damage to rear of car. Sato climbs from car with assistance from Holmatro Safety Team.
***
Medical update from Dr. Geoffrey Billows, Indianapolis Motor Speedway director of medical services: #5 Takuma Sato is awake and alert and being transported via ground to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for X-rays and further evaluation due to tenderness in his back. A further update will be provided when available.
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INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE (cont.):
9:20 a.m. – GREEN. Second group will receive approximately have approximately 10 minutes of practice remaining. Then all cars can access track for practice.
9:30 a.m. – Track open to all cars.
9:45 a.m. -- #6 Briscoe up to third overall at 226.829. #21 Hamilton fourth overall at 226.415.
9:56 a.m. -- #9 Dixon up to fourth at 226.570.
10 a.m. – CHECKERED. End of practice. #12 Will Power fastest at 227.646, fastest lap of the month.
***
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:
Pos. Car Name Time Speed
1. 12 Will Power 39.5351 227.646
2. 77 Alex Tagliani 39.5582 227.513
3. 6 Ryan Briscoe 39.6774 226.829
4. 9 Scott Dixon 39.7228 226.570
5. 21 Davey Hamilton 39.7501 226.415
***
PEAK PERFORMANCE POLE AWARD QUALIFYING CHRONOLOGY:
At 11 a.m., the ambient temperature was 73 degrees with a relative humidity of 78 percent and winds from the west at 10 mph. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 75 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
11:01 a.m. #41 A.J. FOYT IV/Hockley, Texas
ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing - Dallara/Honda/Firestone
QA-1 1 – 40.1585 – 224.112 Q – 1
2 – 40.1713 – 224.041
3 – 40.2204 – 223.767
4 – 40.2148 – 223.798
T 2:40.7650 – 223.992
11:06 a.m. #15 PAUL TRACY/Scarborough, Ontario
GEICO – CURB Records-KVRT - Dallara/Honda/Firestone
Pulled in after first warm-up lap
#15 Tracy reported gearbox issue forced him to enter pits before taking green flag.
11:08 a.m. #25 ANA BEATRIZ/Sao Paulo, Brazil
Ipiranga/DRR - Dallara/