Lloyd Climbs To Head Of Indy Rookie Class At 223

Hideki Mutoh was second fastest Monday during Day 2 of Rookie Orientation at 222.600 mph.
By Dave Lewandowski
indy500.com
Monday, May 5, 2008

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There's a daily evolution of the 2.5 miles of asphalt racing ribbon that can be a driver's friend or foe. Find yourself betwixt, and there is uncertainty at best. Experience in the form of laps logged on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the tonic.

That's what the 10 hours of the Rookie Orientation Program/refresher program - incorporated into the Month of May track time - are partly designed to do.

"I remember coming here in 2002, and the best advice I can give is to respect this place," said Dario Franchitti, the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner who visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Monday, May 5 on the second day of ROP.

"It's the most difficult track I've ever driven. It changes so much with the weather. You think you have it right, and the next thing you know it bites you. The race is incredibly difficult. I think the guys who haven't raced here before will have their work cut out because there are certain tricks with these cars to make them go faster as a driver, and engineer and a mechanic, and it takes a while to learn them.

"The talent level is definitely up there, but they just need experience."

Ten drivers passed the four phases of rookie testing Sunday, May 4. Conquest Racing's Enrique Bernoldi was added to the list, while Mario Dominguez of Pacific Coast Motorsports and Dale Coyne Racing's Mario Moraes progressed through three phases Monday. Davey Hamilton, who finished ninth in the '500' last year, and Rubicon Race Team's Max Papis completed their refresher courses.

"I can't believe that I ran my first laps around this amazing track," said Dominguez, who is matriculating into the IndyCar Series full time with Pacific Coast Motorsports starting here. "This is an absolute dream come true for me. I have to give credit to my crew for getting this together in such a short period of time. Despite some issues, we still made it out there, and we were able to pass three phases of the rookie test.

"We only managed to run two hours and it was our first two hours ever running this car, but we accomplished a lot and I am relieved. Now we can turn our focus to making the car better, and I look forward to that."

Dale Coyne Racing's Bruno Junqueira also received track time as a "transition" driver from the Champ Car World Series, though he wasn't categorized as a rookie or refresher participant.

"It's great to be back at Indy," said Junqueira, who last competed at the Speedway in 2005 and started from the pole in 2002. "If we would have gone out yesterday, we would have been P1 with the time we ran today. So I am very happy with the car's performance on its first time out. I have had some great results here at Indy and would like nothing more than to give Dale Coyne Racing and Z-Line Designs a podium finish."

Alex Lloyd, who progressed through ROP on May 4 in the No. 16 Rahal Letterman Racing with Chip Ganassi car, topped the speed chart with a quick lap of 223.033 mph (40.3528 seconds). Andretti Green Racing's Hideki Mutoh was second at 222.600. Sixteen driver/car combinations totaled 655 laps with one incident.

The No. 34 Conquest Racing car driven by Jaime Camara made contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier early in the session. Camara will be evaluated Tuesday, May 6 to determine his fitness to drive. The first full-scale practice is scheduled for noon-6 p.m. (ET).

"I was able to gradually take a little bit of downforce out of the car, which is the key," said Lloyd, the 2007 Firestone Indy Lights champion who will attempt to make his IndyCar Series debut in the 500-Mile Race. "I've been doing that nice and gently over the next couple of days. It's obviously my first time in an IndyCar on an oval, so we're going to be giving the track a lot of respect and taking our time with it.

"We've got everyone out tomorrow and that's going to be nice to see what sort of speeds they're doing, and see where we are and what we need to improve on and keep working."

***

Indy 500 tickets on sale: Tickets are on sale for the 2008 Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25, the 92nd running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

Fans can order tickets online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700 or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or at the ticket office at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Parking and camping information also can be obtained through the ticket office.

Hours for phone orders and the ticket office are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET) Monday-Sunday during May, with special hours of 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on Pole Day, Saturday, May 10 and 6 a.m.-1 p.m. on Race Day, Sunday, May 25. Online orders can be made at any time.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $20.


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