Daily Trackside Report - Friday May 23
May 23, 2014 | By Verizon IndyCar Series
DAY 10 – FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2014 – COORS LIGHT CARB DAY
TODAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):
7 a.m. Garages open
8:30-10 a.m. Vintage race car laps
10 a.m. Chip on the Bricks media availability, Yard of Bricks
11 a.m.-noon Indianapolis 500 final practice
12:05 p.m. Indianapolis 500 final practice fastest driver media availability, Economaki Press Conference Room
12:30 p.m. Freedom 100 (40 laps)
1:30 p.m. Freedom 100 winner media availability, Economaki Press Conference Room
1:30 p.m. Tag Heuer Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge
3 p.m. Tag Heuer Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge winner media availability, Economaki Press Conference Room
3:30 p.m. Coors Light Carb Day Concert featuring Sammy Hagar and the Wabos plus Sublime with Rome, Coors Light Stage, Turn 4 infield
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Sunoco, Inc., an American company with an illustrious history in auto racing, will be the title sponsor beginning in 2014 of the Sunoco Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced today.
Now in its 63rd year, the Sunoco Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award has been presented to an amazing list of legendary drivers including Parnelli Jones, Mario Andretti, Rick Mears, Tony Stewart, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Arie Luyendyk and many more.
"The Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award has long been one of the most coveted honors that a first year driver in the race can receive and the list of its recipients is a 'Who's Who' among professional racing drivers," said J. Douglas Boles, Indianapolis Motor Speedway president. "What makes the award exciting is that a driver who might not have had the best of practice or qualifying leading up to the race, could put it all together on race day and make a strong showing when it really counts. We are looking forward to seeing who that Sunoco Rookie of the Year is for the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500."
Sunoco has a long and successful history in motorsports. In the late 1960's, the team of Roger Penske and Mark Donohue competed in several different series with Sunoco-sponsored cars. This legendary team won many major events including the 1969 24 Hours of Daytona, the 1972 Indianapolis 500 and numerous high-profile sports car championships.
"Sunoco is proud to sponsor this year's Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Award," said Sunoco Director of Marketing Drew Kabakoff. "We are thrilled to expand the Sunoco Rookie program and our partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through this historic and prized award."
Sunoco has been the official fuel partner of the Verizon IndyCar Series since 2010, providing the opportunity to demonstrate the performance and durability of Sunoco gasoline in the most demanding and competitive forms of racing in the United States.
Firestone is pleased to announce the Firestone Legends of the Indianapolis 500 Award and the inaugural recipient, Mario Andretti. The award celebrates the proud heritage of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and those individuals who have helped define and contribute to the legacy of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Andretti’s win at the 1969 Indianapolis 500 was one for the record books. He completed the entire 500-mile race with the same right-rear Firestone tire on his car. The right-rear wheel was stuck, so Andretti and his crew decided to leave it on the car rather than risk losing valuable time. The decision proved to be the right one, and speaks to both his incredible competitive spirit and ability as a driver as well as Firestone’s unrivaled performance at the Speedway.
During his five-decade long career, Andretti was a champion in every sense of the word. He is the only driver to have won the Indianapolis 500, the IndyCar Championship, the Daytona 500 and the Formula One World Championship. To Firestone, and racing enthusiasts worldwide, it wasn’t just the winning that made Andretti a champion. It was the way he did it. Andretti continues to be one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors.
In addition to honoring Andretti, Firestone will make a $20,000 donation to The Fund to Benefit Children & Youth which provides services to abused, neglected and at-risk children and their families in the Lehigh Valley near Andretti’s home in Nazareth, Penn.
Firestone will present Andretti with his award during the Public Driver’s Meeting .
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Andretti Autosport drivers Marco Andretti and James Hinchcliffe joined RumChata vice president Mike Neises in presenting a check for $108,985 to Terence Jung, executive director of the Lone Survivor Foundation.
Marcus Luttrell established the foundation to honor and remember American service members by providing unique educational, rehabilitation, recovery and wellness opportunities to U.S. Armed Forces members and their families.
If Andretti or Hinchcliffe finish the race in one of the top three positions, RumChata will donate an additional $25,000 per driver to the Lone Survivor Foundation. Also, RumChata will donate $5 to the foundation for every tweet during the race (use hashtag #RumChata500) up to $25,000.
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Andretti Autosport today announced its partnership with headphone brand and music lifestyle company Sol Republic to commemorate Kurt Busch's historic attempt at “The Double,’ which will see the NASCAR champion attempt to race the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR race in Charlotte on May 25.
Sol Republic has created one-of-a-kind tracks headphones for Busch and the Andretti Autosport crew. Ten fans can win one of the limited-edition headphones, which are autographed by Busch, by posting the name of a song that embodies Indy or stock car racing on SOL REPUBLIC's Facebook page or tweeting it @SOLREPUBLIC.
"Music and racing go hand in hand," said Seth Combs, SOL REPUBLIC co-founder and CMO. "We are thrilled to bring the power of music to celebrate Kurt's incredible 1,100-mile feat and the entire Andretti Autosport team with our race inspired limited-edition headphones."
Grammy Award-winning country music sensation Martina McBride will sing "America The Beautiful" during pre-race ceremonies at the 98th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.
McBride, who sang the national anthem at IMS prior to the start of the 2012 Indianapolis 500, is known for having one of the most spectacular voices in any genre of music. She has been awarded 14 Gold Records, nine Platinum honors, three Double Platinum Records and two Triple Platinum awards, and been recognized for selling 18 million units. The Country Music Association has named her its Female Vocalist of the Year four times, and the Academy of Country Music has presented her with its Top Female honor on three occasions.
"I'm looking forward to being back at the Indy 500 and singing one of my favorite songs for all the race fans," McBride said.
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Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC), announced a new multi-year sponsorship agreement.
The agreement is the second between Ganassi and PNC, which have also had a banking relationship that goes back 25 years.
With the wide range of racing that CGRT participates in across three national touring series of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), the Verizon IndyCar Series and the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship (TUSC), the agreement provides PNC with business development and client entertainment opportunities throughout the year.
CHIP GANASSI (Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams): “I have always maintained that outside of the racing itself, I have always enjoyed the relationships with highly respected companies and brands. My relationship with PNC is certainly one of those that I am proud of. Given that we are both from Pittsburgh it makes this announcement even more special. We are happy to be deepening that relationship.”
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Actor and comedian Larry The Cable Guy is at the Speedway today to kick off his Zero* Burn Barbeque Tour . Teaming up with long-term partner Larry the Cable Guy, as well as 1986 Indy 500 Winner Bobby Rahal of Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing and their featured driver, Graham Rahal, Prilosec OTC is on a mission to help Americans live life to the fullest this summer, with zero* burn.
“There is nothing better than summer, and my dad and I have teamed up with Prilosec OTC to make sure that Americans are enjoying every minute of it,” says Graham Rahal, driver of the National Guard-sponsored entry for RLL in the Verizon IndyCar Series.
Larry the Cable Guy asserts, “Getting heartburn and then treating it day after day is like checking on your BBQ after it’s already burnt! That’s why I take Prilosec OTC for my frequent heartburn - so I don’t get heartburn in the first place.*”
Ivy Tech Community College is partnering with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) and rookie Indianapolis 500 driver, Sage Karam.
Karam will be driving the No. 22 Brantley Gilbert/Comfort Revolution Chevrolet of Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing that will carry Ivy Tech branding for the 98th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, on Sunday, May 25, 2014.
“We’re excited about this new opportunity to bring Ivy Tech to the Indianapolis 500,” said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder. “In addition to making his Indy 500 debut, Sage is also a high school student, making him the perfect driver to represent Indiana’s top college choice for high school graduates. The Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event, and as the largest college in Indiana, we’re thrilled to be a part of the greatest spectacle in racing.”
This is the first time Ivy Tech has partnered with a race team or been on the car of an Indianapolis 500 driver. Before the race, Karam will visit Ivy Tech’s Central Indiana campus, meet with students, and tour the Automotive Technology Center, which houses a Technical Certificate program in Motorsports to prepare students for careers in the racing industry.
“Having great partners is always important to having great success on the race track and I am very happy about our partnership with Ivy Tech,” said Karam. “The fact that I am just graduating from high school this spring makes the partnership all the more important to me as continuing my education will certainly be a priority. I think this partnership can help me both on and off the track.”
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INDIANAPOLIS 500 PRACTICE:
At noon, the ambient temperature was 67 degrees with a relative humidity of 49 percent and winds from the north at 3 mph. Skies were fair. The track temperature was 88 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
11 a.m. – Session on hold for safety to reposition a pit closed light.
11:04 a.m. – GREEN. Session will run the full 60 minutes. #27 Hinchcliffe is the first car on track.
11:34 a.m. – YELLOW. #22 Karam gets loose and makes light contact with the outside retaining wall in Turn 4 with the right rear of the car. Car continues on course and returns to the pit lane under its own power. Driver climbs out of the car when car reaches its pit box.
11:37 a.m. – GREEN
12:04 p.m. --CHECKERED.
FASTEST TIMES/SPEEDS OF PRACTICE:
Pos. Car Name Time Speed
1. 10 Tony Kanaan 39.5018 227.838
2. 9 Scott Dixon 39.5131 227.773
3. 6 Townsend Bell 39.6090 227.221
4. 3 Helio Castroneves 39.7900 226.187
5. 7 Mikhail Aleshin* 39.8150 226.045
* - Rookie
Thirty-four drivers have been on the track to date and turned 1,441 laps today and 12,400 laps this month. Carlos Huertas turned 65 laps today, most of any driver. There was 1 caution for a total of 3 minutes and 25 seconds today.
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Selected quotes from today’s “Chip on the Bricks” Media Availability with Chip Ganassi Racing owner Chip Ganassi.
CHIP GANASSI: (About his race team) “I’m just trying to be competitive, be consistently toward the front. The changes haven’t been that big. Component changes are easy; when you make people changes, that’s when it gets difficult. We’ve had a change in drivers but not with our management, the style in which we work, our MO, the way we go about our work day after day. This sport rewards continuity and loyalty in the final standings at the end of the day and at the end of the series. (About Winning the “500” or winning the series?) “We treat them equally; obviously winning Indianapolis is like winning a championship. It’s obviously a big event. Indy in one respect is the biggest win you could have all year and in the other respect; you must first finish to finish first. So let’s not lose sight of the basics. We try to do the obvious things right. You still have to have a clean day here – the pit lane is a little narrow from time to time, restarts can be a little sketchy, you have to be on your toes – just like any other race.” (About this year’s 500 being wide open race?) “I think the race is wide open. You saw that last year. You saw the lead changes, you saw the packs. We don’t just race Penske, we have to race 30 other cars.” (About his team’s strategy?): “Our philosophy is to get to the front and stay in the lead pack until the end. I don’t want to say you don’t take your time getting to the front, but it doesn’t matter is if takes you 10 laps or 50 laps. One-hundred fifty laps make sure you’re there, you’re safe, you’re clean and you’re in the front pack. Who knows, that pack could be 12 cars?” (About finishing under caution): “I think they should have a green-white-checkered. It (ending on caution) is a complete letdown to the fans who are on site. That’s something that other series have adopted that we need to adopt. It’s certainly disappointing to the on-site fans to see a race finish under yellow. Make one attempt at a green-white-checker. There are certain things about all sports that are traditional and ending a race under green is one of them.” (About Kurt Busch and “The Double”): “He’s been doing a good job. Thank God he didn’t get hurt the other day. It’s a tall order. We did it in 2002 with Tony Stewart and it’s a lot to concentrate on both – the cars are so different, the teams, the culture, the rules; it’s hard to keep that all straight in your head. And that from time to time can take away from your concentration. Kurt’s a great driver. He can do the driving part but I’m always concerned about that last one or two percent to be sharp. He’ll be fine.” (About women in racing): “I don’t care – men, women or Martians – I don’t care who it is or what their gender is, their background, their race; if you can win, great! If you can’t win, see you! For my team anyway, personally, racing’s about winning; it’s not about driving. If you have the talent, all that (other) stuff’s irrelevant. The highest level of sports has to be about winning, about excellence, about hard work and perseverance, the grid on the field, the grind; all of that. At the top level of any sport, I’m more of a traditionalist (because) it has to be about excellence in that particular field.”
INDIANAPOLIS 500 POST-PRACTICE QUOTES:
SAGE KARAM (No. 22 Comfort Revolution/Brantley Gilbert Chevrolet): “This is a big learning experience for me. Every day I’m learning something new, and today was more of a race trim situation running with more cars. I was following (James) Hinchcliffe, and it looked like he had a bit of a wiggle in Turn 3, so I had a huge run going into four. I got closer than I should have been, and was below him when he went low, so I crossed his path, and I had no air on the front wing. I had the wheel fully locked to the left trying to turn it, and once I lost it on the bottom and washed up, as soon as the air hit the wing the thing just snapped. We were lucky to save it and get away with minor damage. Like I said, I’m learning every day, and thankfully I learned this today and not Sunday.”
JUAN PABLO MONTOYA (No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): “Honestly I’m pretty happy with the No. 2 Verizon Chevy. We ended this practice session the best we had been yet, especially in traffic. I’m really excited about the race. Do we have a winning car? I think so, but I will know more after 500 miles on Sunday.”
CARLOS HUERTAS (No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda): “I think we did the most laps out of anyone during that session. We were just working for the race and understanding everything so that was the plan for today, to run as many laps as possible to get ready for the race. The track was very similar to when we ran on Monday. It is a little bit hotter today but it didn't really make a difference. I am just looking forward to getting in the car for the race on Sunday."
JACQUES VILLENEUVE (No. 5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): “The car handled well, but today is like a warm-up. I saw some guys out there taking big risks. We didn’t do that, and the car is handling better than it has been all week. We’re happy right now, which is a good place to be heading into the race on Sunday.”
MIKHAIL ALESHIN (No. 7 SMP Racing Honda): “My car was really good today. I think Schmidt Peterson Motorsports is working hard right now, and it’s helping me feel prepared for my first Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. We were very fast in traffic today during practice. I think we’ll have a good chance during the race, we’re just going to have to be ready to fight and stay out of trouble.”
RYAN BRISCOE (No. 8 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet): “It was great to get back out in the No. 8 NTT DATA Chevrolet after having a few days out of the car. Carb Day is really important for the team to make final changes to the car and get everything in order for Sunday. We have a few things we need to tweak before the race, but overall I felt that the car handled really well out there today. I’m really excited to get out there on Sunday, and I have a lot of confidence in the car and the team.”
CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 Novo Nordisk Ganassi Racing Chevrolet): “You have to be really smart on Carb Day going into race weekend. You want to make sure you have everything in order for Sunday after this final practice today. We spent a lot of time today working in traffic and running full fuel. We also focused on making sure that pressures and heights, the more detailed areas, were correct. I feel confident and happy with the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet and I think the whole Chip Ganassi Racing organization looks really strong for the race on Sunday.”
BUDDY LAZIER (No. 91 Wynn Institute for Vision Research Chevrolet): ““We’ve been focusing on race set-ups the whole time we’ve been on the track. The race is what we’re here to do. The Wynn Vision Research car is pretty good race car. There are still a lot of unknown elements because how sensitive the track is to temperature. So, we’ll have to see what race day brings. I think we’re inside the strike window of having a really good race car. You can’t have a good race day without a good race car. You have to remember, we’re essentially an all new team from last year, so we practiced the things today that are important. We got our work done early on the race track, so we were able to spend some time fine-tuning our pit stops.”
JR HILDEBRAND (No. 21 Preferred Freezer/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “It was good today. Everyone was just getting little taste of what the race will be like. We want to see how slippery the track is going to get. But the conditions today were actually pretty good. So we are trying to forecast what it is going to be like on Sunday. I was trying to get in a lot of traffic today. We have been in four and five car drafts in practice. But you really have a 33-car draft in the race. So I wanted to run in more traffic than usual. I was trying to get sent out in the back of the packs and see how the dirty air was then. I feel like we got that experience under our belt today. Ed (Carpenter) and I will sit down and go over the data. Then we’ll map out our game plan.”
ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): ““We got a lot done today. We did many pit stops and the balance of the car feels good. It’s a little warmer than it has been this week but it was closer to the track conditions for Sunday. We have to figure out how we want to start the race. But overall I’m pretty pleased with the things we did today. We knew everyone was going to run today since the Hondas didn’t run much on Monday. It was definitely busy out there. And that is good for us to learn more about the car for Sunday. Now we are going to look over the data and prepare for the race. We have some sponsor commitments tonight and tomorrow, so that will keep us busy. I always enjoy the parade too, especially with our young kids. They have a blast.”
ALEX TAGLIANI (No. 68 SFHR/RW Motorsports Honda): “I'm very happy with how the car was today in practice. Working with two cars these past few weeks has been really good because we've been able to feed off of each other. I'm happy with where we ended up running in traffic and thought the car was good in dirty air. That's where we need to be because that's where we are going to start the race. I think it paid off to work hard on making sure our car is good in dirty air, so I'm pretty content where we're at and looking forward to the race now. Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing does not cut any corners, so I'm excited for the race because I think we have a car that is capable to fight up front as soon as we get up there. I'm looking forward to trying to help them get a good result."
MARTIN PLOWMAN (No. 41 ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): “I think it was a productive session for us. We tried some things from Monday and found out they didn't work. Sometimes you try things and you hope they work, but in this case they didn't. I think we've got a pretty solid foundation to fall back on based on what we did earlier in the week. The good and bad news is that Takuma and I are feeling very similar things so we know what we need to do for the race. I just want to get the race started now. This whole month has been so surreal. We've been building up to this point and now it's here. I'm anxious to get this show on the road. [Are you nervous?] No, nervous is the wrong word. I'm definitely excited and anxious to get going."
TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): “Today it was good program – quite a busy day. We were able to run in traffic which we were missing on most of the practice this month. We still need to do some work to find speed to be prepared for Sunday. We were testing some items so hopefully that will help with adjusting the car for the high temperatures.”
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Veteran chief mechanic Mark Shambarger, chief mechanic for BHA/BBM with Curb-Agajanian, today was presented the 2013 Clint Brawner Mechanical Excellence Award sponsored by Firestone Racing. Shambarger is the chief mechanic for the No. 98 Integrity Energee Honda driven by rookie Jack Hawksworth, who qualified 13th after a crash earlier in the week.
The Brawner Award has been presented annually since 1987 to the Indianapolis 500 chief mechanic who “exemplifies the mechanical and scientific creativity, ingenuity, perseverance, dedication, enthusiasm and expertise” of its namesake, according to the Clint Brawner Foundation. Brawner was chief mechanic for 51 race victories and six IndyCar national champions.
Shambarger received a $5,000 check and plaque, and his name will be inscribed on the permanent Brawner Award trophy housed in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.
MARK SHAMBARGER: “It’s an honor to get this award; we had to have a crash to do it. A lot of people I respect have received this award. It’s named after Clint Brawner ,who was a mentor to my mentor. It’s really pretty cool to be acknowledged for our hard work. This (award) is for our whole team.”
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Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR Medical Director: Indy Lights driver Chase Austin has been transported to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation of a fractured left wrist.
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Gabby Chaves of Bogota, Colombia won today’s Freedom 100 for the Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires with a last lap pass of Matthew Brabham. The 20-year-old Chaves, who finished second in last year’s four-wide Freedom 100 finish, won the race by .0050 of a second.
It was the second consecutive Freedom 100 win for Belardi Auto Racing, which won the race with the No. 5 car with Peter Dempsey last season.
GABBY CHAVES (No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing): “I don’t know how to describe it. I am out of voice because I was just yelling so loud on the victory lap. I can’t describe this. I am so happy. The team deserves this. We deserve it. I have worked so hard to be where I am. Just to see myself get one step closer to where I want to be – I’m speechless.” (Talk about that final lap.) “I didn’t try to take the lead in Turn 1. I was just trying to get around Zach (Meyer) for second position. I thought I had a better shot at the win if I was in second position on the last lap. It didn’t work out - maybe thankfully, I don’t know. I was able to hang on to the car. It got a little loose, for sure. I got a good run and made my way inside of Zach in Turn 3, got a good run off of 4, and made the pass for the win. I’m happy for the guys. They deserve it. And, I am so happy too. It’s going great. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
MATTHEW BRABHAM (No. 83 United Fiber & Data): “I thought I had it on the last lap. They were battling (behind me). I had a little bit of a gap. They closed up on me right on the last two corners. I came out of the last corner; I thought I still kind of had it. And right at the very end Gabby just picked me. I’m a little bit disappointed not to win, but I’m happy I was up there and happy that I could fight for the win. I guess it came down to a little bit of luck. I just didn’t quite have that last little bit to get the race win. I’m happy (because) the team did a great job. The car was great. I had to adjust with the tools, the weight jacker and the roll bars. The car was pretty good in clean air and dirty air. Maybe if I stayed out in front the people behind me would battle and that kind of happened for me, but I just didn’t get the win. (Racing at the Speedway) It was incredible. The atmosphere is fantastic and there are so many people in the stands. My dad (Geoff) told me so much about this event. It’s an indescribable feeling. It’s really cool.”
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Target Chip Ganassi Racing and driver Scott Dixon won the Tag Heuer Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge today, earning a $50,000 prize.
Dixon and Target Chip Ganassi Racing beat Sage Karam and Dreyer & Reinbold-Kingdom Racing with Chip Ganassi Racing, 11.737 seconds to 12.084 seconds, in the final round. This is the second win in three years for Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
Crew members for Dixon: Chief mechanic and right front tire, Blair Julian; Adam Rovazzini left front tire; Greg Shuker right rear tire; Tyler Rees, left rear tire; Andy Schneider airjack,; Todd DeNeve fueler,.
Helio Castroneves was the last Pit Stop Challenge-winning driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in the same year, in 2009.
Dreyer & Reinbold-Kingdom Racing with Chip Ganassi Racing earned $15,000 for its runner-up finish.
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SCOTT DIXON: “It’s actually one of my most stressful days apart from Race Day because you don’t want to mess it up. I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have such a great team for many years and to win the pit stop competition two times within three years is pretty tough to do. It’s a bit hard with strategy with lane choice and things like that but straight up, all but one race this year, this team has been the quickest on pit road. They’re amazing at what they do. Without them, I wouldn’t have the success that I have had. They are one of the best teams on pit road. It’s definitely going to help me a lot come Race Day this weekend.”
BLAIR JULIAN: “Every week it is pretty tight (between teams in the pits). We’ve been fortunate enough to do a good job here on pit lane - today and in the races. It’s working out pretty good. There is not a huge amount of (pit stop) practice throughout the season. It is mainly on race weekend. We try to get a few in during the sessions, unless we have a big problem, and everything has been going pretty good. Problems have been minimal.”
SAGE KARAM: “To lose to Scott (Dixon), he’s a pretty good guy. To get Chip to get two guys in the final is a great accomplishment. He was on the side with better grip. We got to the box at similar times, when I let go of the clutch it was just wheel spin, wheel spin.”
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE (all times local):
7 a.m. Garages open
8:45 a.m. Sunoco Rookie of the Year media availability, Pagoda Plaza Stage
9-10 a.m. Indianapolis 500 Driver Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza (no interviews)
9-10:30 a.m. Vintage Car laps
10:30 a.m. Public drivers’ meeting, in front of Tower Terrace