Friday, May 9, 2003

TODAY AT THE TRACK:

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The Indy Racing League will provide numerous Video News Releases throughout the month of May to assist with your coverage of the 87^th Indianapolis 500. The next VNR will be:

Friday, May 9 (Fast Friday):

·Time: 7:30-7:45 p.m. (EDT)

·Coordinates: AMC 2, Transponder K18

Audio 6.2/6.8

Download Frequency 12060 horizontal

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The fastest lap of the month of May was turned on 4:43 p.m. May 8 by rookie Dan Wheldon, driver of the No. 26 Klein Tools/Jim Beam Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Wheldon turned the fastest lap at the Speedway since 1996 with a lap of 38.7594 seconds, 232.202 mph.

Bruno Junqueira won the 2002 MBNA Pole for the Indianapolis 500 with a four-lap qualifying average of 231.342 mph and a time of 2 minutes, 35.6136 seconds. His fastest lap was Lap 1, which was 38.8543 seconds, 231.635 mph.

Arie Luyendyk holds the one- and four-lap track records, which he set in 1996. The one-lap record is 37.895, 237.498, and the four-lap record is 2:31.908, 236.986.

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ESPN announcer Kenny Mayne, who used to host the popular "RPM2night," was in the garage area this morning. He is here shooting segments that will air on ESPN throughout the month of May.

KENNY MAYNE: "We're screwing around and having fun, but when it goes on TV, it will look like we were working. We're having fun. We had the two-time defending champion (Helio Castroneves) out in the rain last night for a shoot, which was really cool. It' rare in any sport that you'll get a defending champion out in the rain to do something. It's nice to be in Indy. You've got an Off-Track Betting place and a lot of nice restaurants. We're a little concerned about your weather, though." (Are you a race fan?): "Oh yeah, I'm not as involved as I was when I was doing 'RPM2night,' but I still follow it."

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PRACTICE REPORT:

At 11 a.m., the ambient temperature was 76 degrees with southwest winds at 14 mph and a relative humidity of 87 percent. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 89 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

11 a.m. - GREEN.

11:05 a.m. - #52 Rice first car on track.

11:45 a.m. - YELLOW. Debris.

11:49 a.m. - GREEN.

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John C. Deagan, technical representative for Hats Off - Emergency Helmet Removal Systems, was in the Media Center today to describe his safety device. The system, mandated by the Indy Racing League, uses an air bladder within each driver's helmet that enables much easier removal of a driver's helmet after an accident.

JOHN C. DEAGAN: "It all came about when I broke my neck in a motorcycle accident. The helmet that saved my life then became a pretty bad enemy, because the paramedics pulled it off and put a great strain on my neck and I had a broken neck. I felt at that time that it wasn't a good way to do it. The only alternative is the push the helmet off, and you have to do that from the inside and you can do that by expanding a balloon or a bladder that's folded up and placed in the top of the helmet. It's been picked up by a number of racers, frankly everyone that see it like it and wants one. The IRL has mandated it. Dr. (Henry) Bock (medical services director for the IRL) likes it. It makes his work easier. It makes the EMT's job easier because they don't have to worry (about taking) that helmet off if they're concerned about neck damage. The CO2 cartridge inflates the bladder in a matter of seconds, and the helmet pushes off with no loads on the neck. There's very little pressure on the top of the head."

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Marlboro Team Penske officials announced this morning that Helio Castroneves will attempt to qualify with a Dallara chassis and Gil de Ferran will use a Panoz G Force chassis. This marks the seventh time that Penske Racing has used two different chassis or switched chassis during the month of May since the team first came to the Speedway in 1968. A full transcript of today's Marlboro Team Penske press conference will be available shortly.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Miller Brewing Company officials announced May 9 that the Miller Lite brand is returning to IMS as the official beer sponsor for the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and Brickyard 400. Miller Lite will be a major sponsor at the Speedway during the Indianapolis 500 on May 25 for the IRL IndyCar™ Series and the Brickyard 400 on Aug. 3 for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

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Popular rock band Cracker will headline the annual Miller Lite Carb Day Concert on Thursday, May 22, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The concert will be the finale of a busy day at the legendary 2.5-mile oval. Miller Lite Carb Day begins with final practice for the Indianapolis 500 starting field from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (EST). Pride and a hefty payday will be on the line for 12 Indy Racing League IndyCar™ Series teams competing in the 27^th annual Checkers/Rally's Indy 500 Pit Stop Challenge from 1:30-3 p.m., and Cracker will take to the Coca-Cola Stage for the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert at 3:30 p.m. The Coca-Cola Stage is located in the Pagoda Plaza behind the 13-story Bombardier Pagoda control tower. Tickets for Miller Lite Carb Day are $10 and available at the gate and ages 5 and under are free.

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There will be a press conference at 3:30 p.m. Monday, May 12 in the Trackside Conference Room with actor/director Christopher Reeve and Infiniti Pro Series team owner Sam Schmidt. Jim Cotterill of Jcotterill.com, who helped bring the two men together, also will attend.

"Racing to Recovery, an Evening with Christopher Reeve," will take place from 6-10 p.m. May 12 at Standard Management Corporation Headquarters, 10689 N. Pennsylvania St. in Indianapolis.

Sponsored by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and catered by Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, the benefit, including a silent auction, will benefit the Sam Schmidt Paralysis foundation, the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana.

Tickets are $199 per person. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (317) 281-0423 or email racingtorecovery@rhin.com.

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In addition to the exciting run for the MBNA Pole, several other activities will take place on Pole Day, May 10. Free Indy Racing League fan guides with driver trading cards will be available in the Bombardier Pagoda Plaza to the first 3,000 fans.

There also will be a kids coloring table near the Coca-Cola Stage from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. The band "Drama Queen" will perform on the Coca-Cola Stage at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The presentation of the MBNA Pole Award to the 2003 Indianapolis 500 pole winner is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the start/finish line. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford will sign autographs from 3-4 p.m. in the Bombardier Pagoda Plaza. Rutherford painted one of the "Art Cars" for the "Art in Motion" theme of this year's "500" and will sign next to the car he painted.

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PRACTICE REPORT:

12:14 p.m. - #11 Kanaan turns first lap faster than 230 mph today with a lap of 230.157 mph.

12:25 p.m. - YELLOW. Debris.

12:32 p.m. - GREEN.

12:37 p.m. - YELLOW. #20 Luyendyk did a 90-degree spin to the right exiting Turn 1 and made contact with the outside retaining wall with the rear of the car. There was no contact with the SAFER Barrier during the initial contact. The car then slid to the left, and the left side of the car made contact with the outside retaining wall. The car came off the wall, spun to the left and made secondary contact with the Turn 2 wall with the right side of the car. The secondary impact was made just at the beginning of the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2. There was heavy damage to rear and left side of car, and to the right-front side of the car. Luyendyk climbed from the car with the assistance of the IMS and IRL safety crews.

Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, medical services director for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League: Arie Luyendyk has been transported by ground to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis for further evaluation of back pain. A further update will be provided when available.

12:45 p.m. - The ambient temperature was 80 degrees with southwest winds at 13 mph and a relative humidity of 79 percent. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 114 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

12:53 p.m. - GREEN.

***

QUOTES FROM TODAY'S IMS/MILLER BREWING PRESS CONFERENCE:

JOIE CHITWOOD (Senior vice president, Business Affairs, Indianapolis Motor Speedway):"It's my pleasure to announce a whole new relationship with Miller Brewing Company. We've had great relationship in the past. The current relationship really extended only to the Brickyard 400. So we have now entered into a multiyear relationship, which spans across the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400 and results in Miller Lite being the official beer of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As another component to that, Miller will again take entitlement of Carburetion Day and the concert that takes place that day. We're very happy to have them back in fold and looking toward working with Sig (Wysocki) and Steve Lauletta on really maintaining a great relationship and working with them to promote Miller Lite here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway."

SIG WYSOCKI (Miller Brewing Company): "It's a very exciting time for the Miller Brewing Company and Miller Lite. We're exciting to again be part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the greatest race on Earth. Miller Lite has always thought of the month of May synonymous with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500, and we're really happy to be here. (I'd) like to at least talk a little bit about Carburetion Day and the fact that we are sponsor of the Carb Day Concert at which time Kenny (Brack) will take the stage with his band, the Subwoofers and put on a great show, I'm sure. I've seen it before. After that, the headliner will be Cracker. We hope it will be a great day, great weather, and a lot of people stick around after the track activity for some music."

TONY GEORGE (President and CEO, Indianapolis Motor Speedway): "It's an honor to be here in the presence of three great champions, of course, Bobby Rahal, a champion here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kenny Brack, as well, and Miller Brewing and Sig (Wysocki). To have their continued relationship here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is very important to us, so I congratulate Sig and his team, and Joie and his team for expanding our relationship that has been around for the better part of three decades dating back to my grandfather's era. I, as a young man, remember the first time seeing Miller High Life on a race car back in Wyoming, actually, when Jim Hurtubise was going to Ontario Speedway with an open-air trailer and his car, the Miller High Life Special, so it goes back a long way, and we've always appreciated the support of Carburetion Day activities, and it's good to have them back. What a combination of three great champions - Miller sports marketing, which is second to none, and to have them continue their relationship with Team Rahal and Kenny Brack as a driver, (it) presents a very formidable challenge for the rest of the field this month of May."

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Top Five Drivers of the Day, 1 p.m.

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