Sunday, May 11, 2003
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 |
***
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:
Sunday, May 11 (Pole Day):
·Time: 8:15-8:30 p.m. (EDT)
·Coordinates: AMC 2, Transponder K18
Audio 6.2/6.8
Download Frequency 12060 horizontal
***
The fastest lap of the month of May was turned at 9:50 a.m. May 10 by rookie Scott Dixon, driver of the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Panoz G Force/Toyota/Firestone. Dixon turned the fastest lap at the Speedway since 1996 with a lap of 38.5876 seconds, 233.236 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.
***
This morning's practice session is divided into two groups based on the first and second half of the qualifying draw that took place May 9.
***
Today's qualifying will be broadcast live from 1-4 p.m. (EDT) and 6-7 p.m. (EDT) on ESPN2.
***
PRACTICE REPORT (Group 1):
At 10 a.m., the ambient temperature was 58 degrees with west winds at 21 mph and a relative humidity of 67 percent. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 76 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
10 a.m. - GREEN. #3 Castroneves first on track.
10:05 a.m. - #27 Gordon fastest of the day with a lap of 230.779 mph. First lap past 230 mph today.
10:07 a.m. - #10 Scheckter brushed the SAFER Barrier on the outside retaining wall with the right side of the car at the exit of Turn 2. Car continued to pits. No noticeable damage to the car. Crew pushed car back to Gasoline Alley.
10:12 a.m. - GREEN.
10:20 a.m. - #26 Wheldon fastest of the day with a lap of 231.882 mph.
***
10:28 a.m. - CHECKERED. End of first practice group.
Top Five Drivers of First Practice Group
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | |
| 1 | 26 | Dan Wheldon (R) | Klein Tools/Jim Beam D/H/F | 231.882 mph |
| 2 | 27 | Robby Gordon | Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola D/H/F | 231.206 |
| 3 | 15 | Kenny Brack (W) | Rahal/Letterman/ Miller Lite/Pioneer D/H/F | 230.847 |
| 4 | 9 | Scott Dixon (R) | Target Chip Ganassi Racing G/T/F | 230.659 |
| 5 | 32 | Tony Renna (R) | Cure Autism Now/HomeMed D/T.F | 229.240 |
(R) Rookie; (W) Former Winner
PRACTICE REPORT (Group 2):
10:30 a.m. - GREEN.
10:33 a.m. - IRL officials have indicated that Tomas Scheckter will be allowed to turn a few practice laps in the second group to test his car after he brushed the wall in the first group.
TOMAS SCHECKTER: "The wind just pushed the car a little. You run so close to the walls here that an extra foot or two will change your line. We're getting the car back out for the second session. We'll be fine for qualifying."
10:39 a.m. - YELLOW. #52 Rice stopped on warm-up lane between Turns 3 and 4. Crew reports car ran out of fuel.
10:44 a.m. - GREEN.
10:45 a.m. - Dare on track for first time this month in #14. Team officials have not indicated if Dare will attempt to qualify today. Foyt is practicing in the #14T.
11 a.m. - CHECKERED. End of morning practice session.
Top Five Drivers of Second Practice Group
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | |
| 1 | 8T | Scott Sharp | Delphi D/T/F | 230.935 mph |
| 2 | 12 | Tora Takagi (R) | Pioneer Mo Nunn Racing G/T/F | 230.454 |
| 3 | 11 | Tony Kanaan | Team 7-Eleven D/H/F | 230.062 |
| 4 | 7 | Michael Andretti | Team 7-Eleven D/H/F | 229.518 |
| 5 | 21 | Felipe Giaffone | Hollywood Mo Nunn Racing G/T/F | 227.235 |
(R) Rookie
Top Five Drivers of Morning Practice
| No. | Driver | Car | Speed | |
| 1 | 26 | Dan Wheldon (R) | Klein Tools/Jim Beam D/H/F | 231.882 mph |
| 2 | 27 | Robby Gordon | Alpine/Archipelago/Motorola D/H/F | 231.206 |
| 3 | 8T | Scott Sharp | Delphi D/T/F | 230.935 |
| 3 | 15 | Kenny Brack (W) | Rahal/Letterman/ Miller Lite/Pioneer D/H/F | 230.847 |
| 4 | 9 | Scott Dixon (R) | Target Chip Ganassi Racing G/T/F | 230.659 |
(R) Rookie; (W) Former Winner
***
AIRTON DARE: "The Conseco car is working good, but it moves around in the corners more than last year's car. (Dare drove a Dallara last year, and he was in the Panoz G Force in this practice session.) The car seems more forgiving, but I have to get used to that because when it moves around like that, I think to myself, 'Oh, no.' The way the wind is blowing, you can't take all the corners the same, so I am just trying to find my line. I'm definitely not using it all; I'm still trying to get myself up to speed."
***
During qualifications for the MBNA Pole, drivers will take the green flag to begin their qualifying attempt the third time past the flag stand.
***
MBNA POLE QUALIFYING CHRONOLOGY:
At noon, the ambient temperature was 57 degrees with west-southwest winds at 25 mph and a relative humidity of 59 percent. Skies were cloudy. The track temperature was 76degrees, according to Firestone engineers.
| Noon | #24 | ROBBIE BUHL/Cleveland | ||
| Purex/Aventis/Dreyer & Reinbold - D/C/F | ||||
| QA-1 | 1 - 40.0990 - 224.444 | Q - 1 | ||
| 2 - 40.1478 - 224.172 | ||||
| 3 - 40.1211 - 224.321 | ||||
| 4 - 40.0820 - 224.540 | ||||
| T 2:40.4499 - 224.369 | ||||
| 12:05 p.m. | #32 | TONY RENNA/Deland, Fla. | ||
| Cure Autism Now/ HomeMed - D/T/F | ||||
| QA-2 | 1 - 39.2786 - 229.132 | Q - 2 | ||
| 2 - 39.3542 - 228.692 | ||||
| 3 - 39.3551 - 228.687 | ||||
| 4 - 39.3785 - 228.551 | ||||
| T 2:37.3664 - 228.765 | ||||
| 12:11 p.m. | #15 | KENNY BRACK/Arvika, Sweden | |||
| Rahal/Letterman/Miller Lite/Pioneer - D/H/F | |||||
| QA-3 | 1 - 39.1679 - 229.780 | Q - 3 | |||
| 2 - 39.2181 - 229.486 | |||||
| 3 - 39.2605 - 229.238 | |||||
| 4 - 39.2100 - 229.533 | |||||
| T 2:36.8565 - 229.509 | |||||
***
| 12:16 p.m. | #26 | DAN WHELDON/Emberton, England | ||
| Klein Tools/Jim Beam - D/H/F | ||||
| QA-4 | 1 - 39.1351 - 229.973 | Q - 4 | ||
| 2 - 39.1768 - 229.728 | ||||
| 3 - 39.1191 - 230.067 | ||||
| 4 - 39.1193 - 230.065 | ||||
| T 2:36.5503 - 229.958 | ||||
| 12:21 p.m. | #31T | AL UNSER JR./Albuquerque, N.M. | ||
| Corteco - D/T/F | ||||
| QA-5 | ||||
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