By Eric Powell
indy500.com
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Ten of the top pit crews in the Indianapolis 500 will participate in the 32nd annual McDonald's Pit Stop Challenge on Miller Lite Carb Day, Friday, May 23 with $50,000 of the $100,000 purse awarded to the winner.
The competition will get underway at 1:30 p.m. on Miller Lite Carb Day with a Qualifications round, followed by Elimination rounds.
The No. 3 Team Penske crew of Helio Castroneves is the leading contender entering the 2008 event, as it has won the popular event the last two years. Penske Racing has won this competition a record 10 times, including the last three years. The No. 6 Team Penske crew won in 2005.
But Castroneves' crew will face tough competition from the Penske Racing crew of teammate Ryan Briscoe and also from IndyCar Series standouts Andretti Green Racing, Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, Panther Racing, Rahal Letterman Racing and Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
During every pit stop in Qualifications and Eliminations, crews must change all four tires while making a simulated fuel hose connection to the car. The fastest crews will advance.
Time penalties of various lengths will be assessed for violations, such as running over an air hose, leaving the pits before the wheels are properly tightened, and pit crews and equipment straying from the marked pit box during the stop.
The McDonald's Pit Stop Competition brackets:
Qualifications
No. 11 Tony Kanaan (Andretti Green) vs. No. 7 Danica Patrick (Andretti Green)
No. 02 Justin Wilson (Newman/Haas/Lanigan) vs. No. 17 Ryan Hunter-Reay (Rahal Letterman)
No. 3 Helio Castroneves (Penske) vs. No. 26 Andretti (Andretti Green)
No. 6 Ryan Briscoe (Penske) vs. No. 4 Vitor Meira (Panther)
Quarterfinals
No. 10 Dan Wheldon (Ganassi) vs. third-fastest crew from qualifications round
No. 9 Scott Dixon (Ganassi) vs. fourth-fastest crew from qualifications round
Semifinals
Wheldon (Ganassi)-third-fastest crew winner vs. fastest crew from qualifications round
Dixon (Ganassi)-fourth-fastest crew winner vs. second-fastest crew from qualifications round
The McDonald's Pit Stop Challenge is one of four exciting events taking place at IMS on Miller Lite Carb Day, and admission is just $10 per person for the entire day. Final practice for the 33-car Indianapolis 500 starting field is 11 a.m.-noon, followed by the 40-lap Firestone Freedom 100 race for the Firestone Indy Lights series at 12:30 p.m. The Pit Stop Challenge gets underway at 1:30 p.m., and international rock superstars Stone Temple Pilots will headline the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert at 3:30 p.m. Public gates are open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
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 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.
Indy 500 TV, radio: ABC and ESPN2 will provide live Race Day television coverage of the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 25. Pre-race coverage starts at 11 a.m. (ET) on ESPN2, continuing at noon on ABC. Race coverage begins at 1 p.m. on ABC.
IMS Radio Network Race Day coverage starts with a pre-race show at noon, followed by the race at 1 p.m. The radio network's coverage also will be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio Channel 145, "IndyCar Series Racing," and XM Channel 144.
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