Saturday, May 10, 2003
POLE DAY SCHEDULE:
| 7 a.m. | Public gates open; Hall of Fame Museum, IMS gift shops open. |
| 8-10 a.m. | IndyCarÔ Series practice |
| 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | MBNA Pole Qualifying |
| 6 p.m. | MBNA Pole Ceremony |
| 6:15 p.m. | MBNA Pole winner's press conference |
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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 87th Indianapolis 500. The next VNR will be:
Saturday, May 10 (Pole Day):
·Time: 7:45-8 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 at 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.
***
Today marks the fourth time in the last 10 years that weather has affected the schedule for Pole Day. In 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999 rain delayed the start of Pole Day Qualifying. In 1997, cold weather delayed the start of Pole Day practice, but qualifying started on time.
***
Top 10 Drivers of the Month
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | Date | |
| 1 | 26 | Dan Wheldon (R) | Klein Tools/Jim Beam D/H/F | 232.202 mph | 5/8 |
| 2 | 12 | Tora Takagi (R) | Pioneer Mo Nunn Racing G/T/F | 232.007 | 5/8 |
| 3 | 3 | Helio Castroneves (W) | Marlboro Team Penske D/T/F | 231.595 | 5/8 |
| 4 | 6T | Gil de Ferran | Marlboro Team Penske G/T/F | 231.567 | 5/8 |
| 5 | 27 | Robby Gordon | Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola D/H/F | 231.362 | 5/9 |
| 6 | 11 | Tony Kanaan | Team 7-Eleven D/H/F | 231.061 | 5/8 |
| 7 | 15 | Kenny Brack (W) | Rahal/Letterman/Miller Lite/Pioneer D/H/F | 231.039 | 5/7 |
| 8 | 9 | Scott Dixon (R) | Target Chip Ganassi Racing G/T/F | 230.970 | 5/8 |
| 9 | 8T | Scott Sharp | Delphi D/T/F | 230.829 | 5/9 |
| 10 | 10T | Tomas Scheckter | Target Chip Ganassi Racing G/T/F | 230.823 | 5/6 |
(R) - Rookie
(W) - Former Winner
***
INDIANAPOLIS 500 QUALIFYING PROCEDURES:
1. In order to alleviate possible congestion or misunderstandings when qualifications begin, IRL requires that each team designate a representative to participate in a blind drawing to determine the initial qualifications order.
2. A completed qualifying attempt consists of four consecutively timed laps. A car may make a maximum of three attempts, provided that neither the first nor second attempts have been run to completion. Once a car has posted its four-lap average speed, no further attempt may be made by that CAR; however, the DRIVER may attempt to qualify another car provided that the first car has been "bumped" from the field by a faster car or the first car has been withdrawn.
3. The starting field is made up of the 33 fastest qualifiers, regardless of the day on which a car has qualified. Cars are lined up according to their speed ranking on EACH DAY with the fastest qualifier on the first day occupying the pole position. The successful second-day qualifiers line up behind the successful first-day qualifiers in order of speed with the fastest qualifier of the second day always starting behind the slowest successful qualifier of the first day, regardless of overall speed, followed by the successful qualifiers of the third day, in order of speed, etc.
4. Once a total of 33 cars have qualified and the time allotted for qualifications has not run out, other cars may make qualification attempts, placing the car with the 33rd fastest speed in the position of being "bumped" from the field by a faster qualifier, regardless of the day on which the original qualifier posted his/her time and speed.
5. Each car participating in the pre-qualifications draw is guaranteed a qualifying attempt provided the car is properly presented at all times. In the event of delays due to weather, etc., the "first-day" qualifiers could conceivably not be determined until the second or even the third day. The original line may "run out" ("break in the line") before the end of the first day. In that case, any subsequent qualifier is still considered a first-day qualifier and is still eligible for the pole position until the track is closed for the day.
6. Each car must take two warm-up laps. The decision either to take the green flag to start the attempt or to "wave off" the attempt must be made before the car completed the second warm-up lap.
7. If the team representative does not display the green flag to signal the start of a qualification attempt, the car will not be charged with an attempt and must return to the pit lane. A car may depart from the line an unlimited number of times, provided the team representative has not displayed the green flag.
***
Shigeaki Hattori, who suffered a concussion and a broken finger in an accident May 6 at the Speedway, was released May 8 from Methodist Hospital. Further evaluation by the IRL Medical Staff will determine his fitness to return to on-track action.
SHIGEAKI HATTORI (No. 5 EPSON/A.J. Foyt Racing Dallara/Toyota/Firestone): "I feel much better every day. My EPSON car is ready for qualifying and I want to drive as soon as possible but the doctors won't clear me to drive until next week. I want to thank the medical staffs here at the Speedway and at Methodist Hospital for taking such good care of me. I really appreciate it."
***
MBNA Pole Qualifying will be broadcast live from noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. (EDT) today on ESPN, from 1-3 p.m. on ABC and 6-7 p.m. on ESPN2.
***
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, director of medical services for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League: #20 Arie Luyendyk has been cleared to drive. Luyendyk crashed Friday in the No. 20 Meijer Mo Nunn Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone and was released from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis later in the day after evaluation of back pain.
ARIE LUYENDYK: "I'm stiff. I have a stiff neck, and I feel really sore in between my shoulder blades. But I'm surprised I don't feel worse than I did last night. I guess my body heals quick. But it was a pretty hard hit. And it obviously was not good timing, the day before qualifying. But that's the way it goes sometimes around here. We tried something and it kind of bit us in the butt. That car (#20T) was all together. They were ready to go if we had to last night. But I couldn't drive last night. And I don't know the extent of the damage of this car (#20). This car is reasonable. I don't think the tub is damaged, so that's a big plus. But a lot of other parts are." (Did the accident change your mind about driving?) "Well, you kind of think about it. Do I want to be here, in the hospital? No. But I came here to race, and that's what I'm here to do. So if my body will allow me, I'm going to do it. I think I'll be all right. I'm just thinking of how to make the car go quicker and things like that, put in the show and next week work on race setup."
***
Entry update:
No. 3T switched from Panoz G Force to Dallara
No. 6 switched from Dallara to Panoz G Force
No. 66 switched from Dallara to Panoz G Force
No. 68T switched from Panoz G Force to Dallara
***
This morning's practice session is divided into two groups based on the first and second half of the qualifying draw last night. Each session has been shortened to 30 minutes due to the wet-track delay.
***
PRACTICE REPORT (Group 1):
At 9 a.m., the ambient temperature was 67 degrees with southeast winds at 9 mph and a relative humidity of 90 percent. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 70 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
9:21 a.m. - GREEN. #4 Hornish first on track.
9:25 a.m. - #6 de Ferran fastest of the session with a lap of 231.288 mph.
9:30 a.m. - #9 Dixon fastest of the session with a lap of 232.174 mph.
9:38 a.m. - #27 Gordon turns fastest lap at IMS since 1996 with a lap of 232.959 mph.
9:50 a.m. -- #9 Dixon turns fastest lap at IMS since 1996 with a lap of 233.236 mph.
9:51 a.m. - CHECKERED. End of first practice group.
Top Five Drivers of First Practice Group
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | |
| 1 | 9 | Scott Dixon (R) | Target Chip Ganassi Racing G/T/F | 233.236 mph* |
| 2 | 27 | Robby Gordon | Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola D/H/F | 232.959 |
| 3 | 26 | Dan Wheldon (R) | Klein Tools/Jim Beam D/H/F | 231.955 |
| 4 | 6 | Gil de Ferran | Marlboro Team Penske G/T/F | 231.288 |
| 5 | 15 | Kenny Brack (W) | Rahal/Letterman/ Miller Lite/Pioneer D/H/F | 231.362 |
(R) Rookie
(W) Former Winner
*Fastest speed of the month
***
PRACTICE REPORT (Group 2):
9:52 a.m. - GREEN. #23 Fisher first on track.
10:02 a.m. - YELLOW. #98 Boat did a 180-degree spin to the right exiting Turn 4. The car then spun forward, then spun 180 degrees to the left and made contact with safety attenuator at the end of the north pit wall with the left rear of the car. Car lifted slightly in the air and did two 360-degree spins across the track before coming to rest against the outside retaining wall on the main straightaway facing backward. Heavy damage to rear and left rear of car. Boat was helped from the car by 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: Billy Boat has been transported by ground to Methodist Hospital for further evaluation. He is awake and alert. An update on Boat's condition will be provided when available.
***
At 10:17 a.m., the remains of the safety attenuator were removed from the end of the pit wall. The new attenuator was installed 10:18 a.m. The tarp that covers the barrier was put in place at 10:19 a.m. Crews from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway facilities department, the IMS Fire and Safety Team and the IRL Safety Team contributed to the quick replacement of the attenuator.
***
At 10:24 a.m., rain began falling at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
***
Top Five Drivers of Second Practice Group (Still to be finished)
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | |
| 1 | 11 | Tony Kanaan | Team 7-Eleven D/H/F | 231.951 mph |
| 2 | 7 | Michael Andretti | Team 7-Eleven D/H/F | 230.606 |
| 3 | 8T | Scott Sharp | Delphi D/T/F | 228.778 |
| 4 | 91 | Buddy Lazier (W) | Victory Brand/Delta Faucet/Life Fitness D/C/F | 227.367 |
| 5 | 12 | Tora Takagi (R) | Pioneer Mo Nunn Racing G/T/F | 226.611 |
(R) Rookie
(W) Former Winner
***
Top Five Drivers of Morning Practice (Second session still to be completed)
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | |
| 1 | 9 | Scott Dixon (R) | Target Chip Ganassi Racing G/T/F | 233.236 mph* |
| 2 | 27 | Robby Gordon | Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola D/H/F | 232.959 |
| 3 | 11 | Tony Kanaan | Team 7-Eleven D/H/F | 231.951 |
| 3 | 26 | Dan Wheldon (R) | Klein Tools/Jim Beam D/H/F | 231.955 |
| 4 | 6 | Gil de Ferran | Marlboro Team Penske G/T/F | 231.288 |
(R) Rookie
(W) Former Winner
*Fastest speed of the month
***
At 12:02 p.m., Indy Racing League officials closed the track for the day due to rain. Qualifying will resume at noon Sunday. Today marks the first time that Pole Day Qualifying has been rained out since 1990.
***
Tonight's Hoosier Twin 50's USAC Weld Racing Silver Crown Championship race at Indianapolis Raceway Park has been postponed due to rain. The event has been rescheduled for Thursday night, May 22. Details pertaining to starting times will be released when finalized.
***
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SAFETY ATTENUATOR:
After Dennis Firestone (1986), Kevin Cogan (1989) and Mark Dismore (1991) were involved in accidents at the beginning of the pit wall at the pit entrance, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Engineering and Construction department designed an energy absorbing safety attenuator at the end of the pit wall.
There is a rounded concrete barrier at the end of the two walls at the north end of the pits, said Kevin Forbes, IMS director of engineering and construction. In front of that barrier, there is a custom-made, form-fitting piece of "Bead-all," which is the same material that is in the inside of a driver's helmet. According to Forbes, noted racing safety expert Bill Simpson recommended the material for the attenuator. It is more superior and less flammable than standard Styrofoam, Forbes said.
The attenuator is placed in an 18-inch deep base, which helps ensure that the attenuator does not lift out of the pit or move from the concrete barrier. A tarp is also placed on the attenuator to help ensure minimal movement. The attenuator has been in place since 1992, and the engineering department routinely checks it to ensure that the energy-absorbing quality has not been affected by environmental exposure.
If members of the engineer department think that any energy-absorbing qualities have been lost, the attenuator is replaced. Boat's accident was the first heavy impact into the barrier.
KEVIN FORBES (Director, Engineering & Construction, IMS): "It worked very well, because the attenuator stayed in place. It did what it was supposed to do. The car didn't redirect the attenuator. It did exactly what we hoped it would do. It stayed intact for the full duration of the impact. We have some data that we didn't have before. We will look at it." (About replacing the attenuator): "It took us less than 20 minutes today, and we had never done it before. I think next time we could do it in 12-15 minutes."
***
Marsh Mother's Day Qualifying will take place May 11. In addition to the second day of Indianapolis 500 qualifications, a Marsh Mother's Day Brunch will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (EST) at the Plaza Pavilion behind the Bombardier Pagoda Plaza. Sarah Fisher and her mother, Reba, as well as Al Unser Jr.'s mother, Wanda, will attend.
The brunch is open to the public, and tickets are available at local Marsh stores for $20, which includes gate admission to the track. Brunch-only tickets purchased at the Chalets on the day of the brunch are $15.
Children 6-12 cost $5 at the door. "Duke Tumatoe" will perform music on the Coca-Cola Stage at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
***
Normal Pole Day qualifying procedures will be in effect for Sunday for qualifying.
***
QUALIFYING RAIN-OUT QUOTES:
ARIE LUYENDYK (No. 20 Meijer Mo Nunn Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone): "I was hoping to go out today and basically put the car in the show and get it over with and then rest, but I guess I'm going to have to do that tomorrow. But as the day progresses, I'm getting really, really sore. I think it doesn't really matter what your experience is. What really matters is feeling comfortable with your car. You can see guys like (Tony) Kanaan and (Dan) Wheldon and the Penske guys, they get on the track, they're up to speed immediately, and you know that they feel comfortable in their cars. That's what's important. Once you know that, in the back of your mind, whatever they throw at you, they can throw at you. Once you have that confidence in your car, then it's easy to do."
SAM HORNISH JR. (No. 4 Pennzoil Panther Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone): "You can't control the weather. I know that that's part of it. It does affect us -- I'm probably not going to get to go home now for a couple of days. But most of the family is down here anyhow, so we're just enjoying the day being able to talk to each other and hanging out. I don't have to do the race car thing."
ROBBIE BUHL (No. 24 Purex/Aventis/Dreyer & Reinbold Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone):"What comes is what comes, and you just make do with it. It's OK. I would have liked to have run this morning. If this would have held off an hour, we were the first one to draw, and conditions were still good. It would have been nice to take advantage of that. It didn't happen, so we'll just wait to see what comes next."
SARAH FISHER (No. 23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone): "This morning, if the weather had held out, it would have been perfect conditions for us to qualify because of the cool weather and no wind. We wouldn't have to worry about gears as much as we do now. With a little bit of wind, we can be 50 revs off and really be down on the punch. It will be challenging tomorrow because it's supposed to be really windy. We'll do the best we can."
FELIPE GIAFFONE (No. 21 Hollywood Mo Nunn Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/ Firestone):"It's the same for everybody. Everybody's going to have to wait one more day. It's bad for the crowd and everybody who came to watch. Actually, for us, I think it's a little better because we were struggling a little bit. The car has been pretty loose, so we have a few more hours to sort things out."
HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota/Firestone): "Obviously, I'm a little disappointed we couldn't qualify this afternoon. It's my birthday today, so I was hoping for a special present. The Marlboro Team Penske car has been performing very well all week, and we were really looking forward to qualifying. Now, we'll just have to maintain our focus until tomorrow when the weather is better. Maybe it's best this way, because now I can try to earn the pole for my mom on Mother's Day."
BUDDY RICE (No. 52 Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone): "The biggest thing is that everyone was hoping to get qualified today and get it all sorted out. Then you can start prepping tomorrow for the race and full-tank runs. This just postpones everything one day."
SCOTT SHARP (No. 8 Delphi Dallara/Toyota/Firestone): "Ultimately, you get yourself to the point that at some point in time they're going to say get yourself in the car, strap the belts on, and go do four of the fastest laps you can do. You've got to hope that when that time is right, the car is where you want it to be, the balance is where you want it to be, conditions are hopefully the best they can be, and you're going to get a great lap. You can't be worrying about 'Oh, no, the wind's picking up,' or 'The rain's here.' You've just got to be focused for when the time's right, and you know what you need to do."
***
MARSH MOTHER'S DAY SCHEDULE:
| 8 a.m. | Public gates open; Hall of Fame Museum, IMS gift shops open. |
| 10-11 a.m. | IndyCarÔ Series practice (two groups) |
| 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Marsh Mother's Day Brunch (Plaza Pavilion) |
| Noon-6 p.m. | MBNA Pole Qualifying |
| 6 p.m. | MBNA Pole Ceremony |
| 6:15 p.m. | MBNA Pole winner's press conference |
***
Today is Helio Castroneves' 28th birthday. While live on ABC Sports with Marlboro Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran and Andretti Green Racing driver Tony Kanaan, ABC presented a birthday cake to Castroneves.
Kanaan quickly grabbed the cake and planted it in Castroneves' face on live television. Castroneves, his smiling face coated by frosting and cake, then looked to ABC announcer Gary Gerould and said, "Can we go to a commercial?" between laughs.
***
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, medical services director for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League: Billy Boat has been released from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He will be re-examined tomorrow morning at the Clarian Emergency Medical Center in the infield of IMS to determine his fitness to participate in tomorrow's activities.
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