By Dave Lewandowski
indy500.com
Friday, May 22, 2009
Practice Results | Photos | Audio | Notes/Quotes | IMS Tickets
Engine warm-up at 11:50 a.m. on May 24 will be the next time the 33 starters for the Indianapolis 500 will feel the power, exhilaration and vibe. Butterflies will be ever-present in the interim.
On a humid late morning on Miller Lite Carb Day May 22 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, drivers shook down their cars and more during a final practice. A total of 1,223 laps were recorded without incident.
Pole sitter Helio Castroneves topped the one-hour session with a top lap of 223.920 mph on the 2.5-mile oval.
"Today went really well out there," said Castroneves, who won the PEAK Performance Pole Award presented by AutoZone way back on May 9. "Our setup is good, the car is good, and the team is ready I think today's weather is similar to what it will be like on Race Day, so we should be in good shape. We're not overconfident, but I feel very comfortable in the car.
"I think we've shown all month how solid the Team Penske car is, and I can't wait until Sunday."
The race starts at 1 p.m.
Will Power, who will start ninth in the No. 12 Team Verizon car for Penske Racing, was second-fastest at 223.560 mph.
"I came here last year with no experience and the team did, as well," said Power, who joined Penske after driving for KV Racing last year. "We were learning on the job. This year I was a bit more composed because I knew what to expect.
"If I came here again next year, we would do things differently again. It's just a process where you learn and you experience from everything going on around you. This has been a more comfortable month for me this year, for sure."
Mario Moraes, who will start his second 500 Mile Race from the seventh spot, could be an underdog to watch in the No. 5 Azul Tequila-Votorantim-KV Racing Technology entry. He was third fastest in the final practice at 222.957 and recorded a field-high 55 laps, while Dan Wheldon was fourth at 222.386 in the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car.
Ryan Briscoe (222.374 mph) and Dario Franchitti (222.357) -- the other front-row starters - were fifth and sixth in the session, respectively. Reigning 500 Mile Race champion Scott Dixon was seventh at 222.017.
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2009 IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.
Tickets for the three events in 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - the Indianapolis 500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Red Bull Indianapolis GP - can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
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