2012 Indy 500 Race Thread

[DanicaFan]

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/2012-indy-500-logo_100388713_m.jpg

Race 5 of 16

Race - Indianapolis 500

Location - Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, IN

Date - Sunday, May 27th

Time & TV Schedule - Pre-Race Show - 11:00AM , Green Flag - Approx. 12:12PM - ABC

Course Type - 2.5 Mile Oval

Distance - 200 Laps / 500 Miles

Practice Sessions -

Saturday, May 12th -12:00 -6:00pm Eastern
Sunday, May 13th -12:00 - 6:00pm Eastern
Monday, May 14th - 12:00 -6:00pm Eastern
Tuesday, May 15th - 12:00 - 6:00pm Eastern
Wednesday, May 16th - 12:00 -6:00pm Eastern
Thursday, May 17th - 12:00 - 6:00pm Eastern
Friday, May 18th -Fast Friday - 12:00 - 6:00pm Eastern / Qualification Order Drawing - 6:15pm
Saturday, May 19th - Pole Day - 8:00-8:30am Group 1 & 8:30-9:00am Group 2 / 9:00am - 10:00am All Cars
Sunday, May 20th - 9:00am - 10:00am
Wednesday, May 23rd -Pit Stop Practice - 9:00am -12:00pm
Thursday, May 24th - Pit Stop Practice 12:15pm - 1:00pm & 2:30pm -5:00pm
Friday, May 25th - Miller Lite Carb Day - 11:00am-12:00pm / Pit Stop Competition - 1:30pm -3:30pm

Qualifications

Saturday, May 19th - Pole Day -

10:45am - Qualifying Line Begins
11:00am -4:00pm Segment 1 qualifying- positions 1-24
4:30pm -6:00pm - Segment 2 & 3 - Positions 1-9 (to determine pole)
6:15pm - Qualification Order Drawing for Bump Day

Sunday, May 20th - Bump Day

11:30am -Cars go in qualification line
12:00pm -6:00pm -Qualifying for positions 25-33 / 6:15pm - Race Day Pit Selection

Sunday, May 27th - Race Day

9:30am - 9:55am- Cars moved to pit lane
10:15am -10:40am - Grid
10:50am -11:00am - Engine Warm-up
11:33am - Driver Introductions
12:04 - Pace Laps
12:12 - Approximate Green Flag Start Time

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Length - 2.5 Miles
Front & Back Straightaways - 5/8 of a mile each
Short Chutes (Straights between turns) - 1/8 of a mile each
Turns 1-4 -1/4 of a mile each
Banking -9 degrees - 12 minutes on Turns - 0 degrees on straights

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/IMSmap.jpg


2011 Indy 500 Race Information

2011 Winner -Dan Wheldon
2011 Pole Sitter - Alex Tagliani - 227.472 mph
Length Of Race - 2 hours, 56 minutes, 11 seconds
Average Speed - 170.265 mph
Number Of Cautions - 7 for 40 laps
Lead Changes - 23

[DanicaFan]

Current Entry List..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/indy500list1.jpg
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/indy500list2.jpg

[DanicaFan]

Practice Session 1 Results..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/2012indy500practice1.jpg

[DanicaFan]

Practice Session 2 Results..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/indypractice2.jpg

[DanicaFan]

Just some music facts for this year's race..

Unfortunately Jim Nabors wont be at the track singing "Back Home Again In Indiana". He will be undergoing heart surgery later this month. They will play a recording of Jim singing the song. Jim will be filmed singing the song in Hawaii this month and this will be played on race day.

Martina McBride will be singing the national anthem.
Lynyrd Skynyrd will be playing a concert on Miller Lite Carb Day -Friday, May 25th.

[DanicaFan]

2012 Indy 500 Pace Car

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/2012pacecar.jpg

[heliocastroneves#3]

I dont think i need to say that this is once again a nice opening post.... Oh wait, i just said it there....

[FIAT1]

2012 Indy 500 Pace Car

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/2012pacecar.jpg



Corvette C6 is amazing car.

[DanicaFan]

I dont think i need to say that this is once again a nice opening post.... Oh wait, i just said it there....

Thanks again. This one took a little longer due to all the information....lol

[edv]

LOL
The Pace car is more powerful than the Race car!

[heliocastroneves#3]

Corvette C6 is amazing car.
Totally agree!

[Nem14]

LOL
The Pace car is more powerful than the Race car!

But the pace car weighs more.

[SarahFan]

Go Josef!!

[Nikki Katz]

Are Dragon gone now then?
I wish they wouldn't enter drivers twice on the list when they get in a different numbered car, it's really confusing!

[beachbum]

Are Dragon gone now then?
I wish they wouldn't enter drivers twice on the list when they get in a different numbered car, it's really confusing!Not yet. But the deadline is getting very close. It has been reported that they need to get a resolution today, or there won't be enough time to get Legge through ROP and Seb through his refresher. Sounds less than 50/50.

[fan-veteran]

LOL
The Pace car is more powerful than the Race car!
:D :rotflmao:

[SoCalPVguy]

Why is Dario Franchitti running no. 50 instead of the customary #10 ?

[SoCalPVguy]

Why is Dario Franchitti running no. 50 instead of the customary #10 ?

Answering my own question - because of Target's 50th anniversary

[Phoenixent]

Not yet. But the deadline is getting very close. It has been reported that they need to get a resolution today, or there won't be enough time to get Legge through ROP and Seb through his refresher. Sounds less than 50/50.

Remember when other teams would help rookies in the ROP by loaning the car for the test or loan parts to the team to complete the cars.... I would say that this group of owners are the biggest bunch of J*****S ever. No sportsmanship at all in this group and RB won't admit that his Lotus deal is a failure and help Dragon get the parts they need. Not good for a team that Lotus screwed over with the lies and broken promises.......

[Marbles]

Alesi is the top Lotus! Woohoo! It would be interesting to see what this guy could manage in a competitive car. I certainly don't think he would have a chance at winning but it would be nice to see this future historical Indianapolis 500 footnote have a bit more "oomph" behind it.

Anybody hear about what Bruno, Paul and Buddy are up to these days?

[FIAT1]

Anybody hear about what Bruno, Paul and Buddy are up to these days?

Bruno was racing in ALMS for Rocketsports at Laguna seca last Saturday .Paul was racing in grand-am in Jersey last Sunday. Buddy???

[DanicaFan]

Practice Session 3 Results..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/indypractice3.jpg

[Phoenixent]

Katherine Legge is scheduled for R.O.P. from 8-930 AM Thursday..... If this information is correct that's good news for Dragon Racing as Sebastien Bourdais will run his refresher soon. I think that Will Power has some serious competition coming if correct.

Maybe we will see Sebastien Bourdais in the number 2 car next year? I remember when Ryan Briscoe drove for Dragon in a one off ride at Indy than became a Penske driver..

[SoCalPVguy]

LOL. Has any Lotus car broken 212 yet ? I think Alesi's 211+ is the best.

I think that 224 will be the pole 4-lap avg. speed.

[Phoenixent]

Looks to be a shakeup at Dragon Racing involving KL....

[DanicaFan]

It's good to see Marco Andretti on top of the speed chart. Here are the results of Practice Session 4..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/indypractice4.jpg

[SarahFan]

I'm a little confused about cranking up the boost

Will teams be allowed to increase boost for their qual runs?

[SarahFan]

I'm not finding alot of info on this ... But from what I can tell it looks like they will get extra boost fri and sat

Seems a bit strange to me ...

If they were flirting with 238 I get it... But they aren't

At least they get a day ( Friday ) to test

Hmmm

[anthonyvop]

I'm not finding alot of info on this ... But from what I can tell it looks like they will get extra boost fri and sat

Seems a bit strange to me ...

If they were flirting with 238 I get it... But they aren't

At least they get a day ( Friday ) to test

Hmmm


And now they allowed Alesi to run the higher boost for a "Test" Of course the fact he was able to pass his rookie test with the "test" boost was just a coincidence.


Word is the Dragon will be getting Chevys 2day.

[FIAT1]

I'm sure what they are doing is fixing this year new cars,engine problematic situation as they should do whatever necessary to make a race safe and successful.

[Nikki Katz]

I feel a bit sorry for Alesi, he seems to have come in for a lot of flack due to his age and lack of oval experience, but for all we know he's really good. He did go faster than de Silvestro, who's been in IndyCar a few years now, and she's really the only benchmark he'll have. But the Lotus engine on oval form is just awful, at best he'll be a lot of laps down come the end assuming that the engine doesn't blow first.

Presumably this is the last race for Lotus, I hope HVM doesn't disappear.

[heliocastroneves#3]

I really hope HVM will get a Honda or Chevy engine very soon, de Silvestro has a lot of talent... Last year she had to drive with a very old chassis and now with a crappy Lotus engine.... Not fair, especially if you compare it to the equipment which Princess had during the last 7 years.....

[booger]

More boost for quals only. If they left the boost up in the race, you'd see 33 hand grenades going off throughout the event and there would be no one left at the 500 mile mark. They'll still be using lots of oil dry this weekend.

[FIAT1]

Josef Newgarden is getting used to finishing first. The American rookie topped the Indianapolis 500 speed chart Wednesday, posting the fastest lap of the day at 222.785 mph. It's the third time he has led in five practice sessions (end of quote). I think this kid is real and in the right time for Indycar, what a breath of fresh air, he will be the future star of Indycar racing. Congrats to a small team of Sarah Fisher for great work. To bad that Indycar pr is at sleep. This is a story for month of May for me, not Lotus bs. Go Josef!

[SarahFan]

So far it's been a good week to be SarahFan

Go Josef

[anthonyvop]

It is official



Team Chevy ‏@TeamChevy

We’re pleased to add @DragonRacing drivers Sebastien Bourdais & Katherine Legge to be powered by Chevrolet V-6 engines for the #Indy500!

[garyshell]

It is official

Anything said about beyond Indy?

Gary

[anthonyvop]

Anything said about beyond Indy?

Gary

Still negotiating.

[Blancvino]

Anything said about beyond Indy?

Gary

This is such a lame effort for Lotus to drop the ball so badly. These are two decent people and drivers relegated to begging for engines? How do the executives at Lotus sleep at night?

[FIAT1]

INDYCAR also confirmed its support of Dragon's switch from Lotus to Chevrolet for the remainder of the season.

[booger]

Watching live video of practice. Seems like these cars are even easier to drive than the old ones. Nobody hanging it out. Seem to be stuck like glue. They don't even get near the wall (5 feet at best). Flat all the way around? A monkey could drive one of these flat out all the way around Indy. Boring!

[FIAT1]

More info on tv coverage for this weekend.


NBC SPORTS NETWORK’S INDY 500 QUALIFYING COVERAGE (subject to change, all times ET):

Sat., May 19 IndyCar Qualifying 11-2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Sun., May 20 IndyCar Qualifying 12-6:30 p.m.

Fri., May 25 Carb Day 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. including the Freedom 100 Indy Lights at 12 p.m.

Sat., May 26 IndyCar 36: J.R. Hildebrand 6:30 p.m.

COMMENTATORS: Bob Jenkins (lead race announcer), Jon Beekhuis (analyst) and Wally Dallenbach (analyst) will call all the qualifying coverage.

REPORTERS: Kevin Lee and Derek Daly will serve as pit reporters along with current IndyCar driver Townsend Bell. Bell will also enter this year’s Indy 500 and will give his unique prospective as a participant and insider right up until race day. Robin Miller is the NBC Sports Network’s IndyCar reporter.

[Phoenixent]

Katherine Legge passes Phase 1 and 2 of her ROP.... Dragon cars with Chevy power nicely reached 212 for their first time on track this week. Lotus car no where close with a 207 from HVM racing.

Lotus is done in the Indycar Series.... Hope HVM can get a motor for Texas....

[ChicagocrewIRL]

I think it's so bogus they are only adding 50 hp extra for qualifying only. RIDICULOUS ! Let them keep the extra boost for the race or don't give it to them at all. I hate this "manufactured" drama.

Boo IndyCar

[heliocastroneves#3]

I don't really care about that 50 hp at all, but if you wanna add it.... Do it for the Indy qualifying, race, Texas Motor Speedway and Auto Club Speedway events......

[numanoid]

Practice is pretty good today. So far we have 227.5 as fastest lap. Looks like AA has it dialed in.

[numanoid]

Watching live video of practice. Seems like these cars are even easier to drive than the old ones. Nobody hanging it out. Seem to be stuck like glue. They don't even get near the wall (5 feet at best). Flat all the way around? A monkey could drive one of these flat out all the way around Indy. Boring!

They've had some time to tune things, but the initial testing at Indy stated quite the opposite. Due to it's poor weight distribution the car was a dog to drive. I don't know if they are lifting at all, but I would imagine they are.

[DanicaFan]

Qualification Order..

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/qualorder.jpg

[ChicagocrewIRL]

"GIMME FOUR GOOD ONES!" .... TGBB...

Wonder what Beaux will say to the drivers.

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[FIAT1]

"GIMME FOUR GOOD ONES!" .... TGBB...

Wonder what Beaux will say to the drivers.

Go fast !!!

[DanicaFan]

Robin Miller just ripped Lotus but he was exactly right! That was funny....

[00steven]

I think marco wins the pole today.

[DanicaFan]

I think marco wins the pole today.

I agree 100%. The only thing that could hurt him is going out late when it will be the hottest.

[00steven]

Ashame for clausen.

[DanicaFan]

Wow, Hinchcliffe just put that GoDaddy car at P1.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Wow, Hinchcliffe just put that GoDaddy car at P1.
Finally someone's driving that car, who's capable to do that! Congrats to him!

[00steven]

Red gloves. Nice move by hinch.

[SarahFan]

Sarah and Josef look to be first day top nine Qualifiers

Good day to be SarahFan!!!

[00steven]

Damn i wanted hinch to get it.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Congrats to Briscoe, and also a great job by Hinchtown and Hunter-Reay!

[DanicaFan]

Congrats to Ryan Briscoe.

[FIAT1]

Red gloves. Nice move by hinch.

That was real cool. Congrats to Briscoe.

[Nikki Katz]

Congrats to Ryan Briscoe.
agreed, if there's one driver in dire need of a good result soon it's him

bump day might be nothing but it looks like there'll still be 31 competitive cars so it should be a good race.

i admit i still whince when they enter the corners though, the safer barriers don't really look safer enough, and the catch fence is horribly rusted

[heliocastroneves#3]

I hate it to see two very good drivers being stuck with a Lotus engine... :(

[Marbles]

I think that smokin' warm-up lap did Hinch in. It was good TV. The gloves were a nice touch -- a few kids probably wiki'd Greg Moore. A nice reminder. Penske and Andretti are dialed in but Penske would have to get the advantage because it is Indy.


I hate it to see two very good drivers being stuck with a Lotus engine... :(
I think there is a few drivers out there that feel like they're "stuck" with a Honda engine.

I am not so concerned about having a field of 33 cars but it is the bumping that I will miss this year. No chance of guest appearances or T-cars being entered?

[FIAT1]

Dallara was put through its first real safety test on Saturday when three drivers walked away from crashes over 200 mph. That is a very good news. I hope for safe race and that no one makes dumb moves,especially at the start.

[Nem14]

The crashes also point out the fact that these cars are being driven at and beyond the limits.

I have a concern about how the cars behaved when they contacted the wall, particularly Carpenters car going up on it's side. Clausons car went up a little too, but much less so because he impacted the wall at a shallower angle to the wall.

[Phoenixent]

The crashes also point out the fact that these cars are being driven at and beyond the limits.

Well we know that DW12 is junk on balance and is at least a year from any other changes. What is really needed in another manufacturer to come in and make a safety cell to compete with Dallara. These DW12 will all be show cars by the end of the year due to the design issues with the balance.


I have a concern about how the cars behaved when they contacted the wall, particularly Carpenters car going up on it's side. Clausons car went up a little too, but much less so because he impacted the wall at a shallower angle to the wall.

All these cars lift on the opposite side of the impact and have so for 30 or 40 years. It's physics and you can not change that unless you raise the center of gravity on the car and that will cause other issues. Everyone is still suffering from TLODW and are still over reacting to wrecks in open wheel cars. If you all want a cage on wheels your watching the wrong series.....

[heliocastroneves#3]

Yes, crashes do happen in motorsports, especially in IndyCar racing... We don't have to overreact about every accident, because of what happened in Las Vegas last year. IndyCar racing has it's dangers, and it will be always like that.

[Anubis]

The crashes also point out the fact that these cars are being driven at and beyond the limits.


I'd suggest that's a driver issue then, not a car issue. Drivers have pushed beyond the limits more or less since the sport was conceived, it's nothing unique to this series or this car. The truly gifted will find ways of existing at and indeed beyond that edge, but even they sometimes take it too far. For the rest, even the extremely competent, the point at which the limit has been reached may not be as readily apparent, hence there are accidents. I don't see anything in these two crashes that worries me, certainly when compared to Di Silvestro's crash last year, for example.

[FIAT1]

....and we have 33.... This year no bump day , but that's ok. New everything and so far so good. Not to bad as predicted and only will get better next year. I wish drivers and fans a safe race! Everything else will fall in line just fine. Go Josef!!!

[call_me_andrew]

I found it amusing to watch the NBC crew try to kill 4 hours.

I was intially worried that 500 would be the first time the DW12 is ever driven on an oval in anger, but the last week has put me at ease.

[jimispeed]

I hate it to see two very good drivers being stuck with a Lotus engine... :(

That's for sure! I was looking forward to seeing Simona blossum a little more this year. She has absolutely no chance for that this year under the current conditions. And Mr. Alesi has to be very frustrated!!

Lotus.......the unfair disadvantage......

Question though, with the way things looked at practice do you think we'll have a good Indy 500?

I think so!! But, I'd like to see a quicker car.

[SoCalPVguy]

I am not so concerned about having a field of 33 cars but it is the bumping that I will miss this year. No chance of guest appearances or T-cars being entered?

It is my understanding that Chevy and Honda decided not to support any additional cars to bump Lotus out of the field so as not to embarrass Lotus and Indycar series.

[Phoenixent]

It is my understanding that Chevy and Honda decided not to support any additional cars to bump Lotus out of the field so as not to embarrass Lotus and Indycar series.

That exactly what I heard plus Judd delivered version 3 of the Lotus anchor and it improved by 90hp but only HVM used it but it was still 15mph off pace form pole.

[jimispeed]

That exactly what I heard plus Judd delivered version 3 of the Lotus anchor and it improved by 90hp but only HVM used it but it was still 15mph off pace form pole.

Well they should all use version 3 (or create a version 4) to prevent any dangerous situations in traffic. Those are Milka times they're being exposed to!!!

[Phoenixent]

Well they should all use version 3 (or create a version 4) to prevent any dangerous situations in traffic. Those are Milka times they're being exposed to!!!

I really don't understand what Judd is doing on these motors. Do they have or use a dyno on this lump they build? How can you build a motor knowing the specs and they come up so short. Are they so well know that their name can withstand the damage of have a junk motor no matter who's name is on the valve cover. I comes down to Judd really has to step it up as it's their name on the line and right now their name is MUDD.........

[FIAT1]

...9 Americans, yaaay...Indycar PR Department sucks.

[DBell]

I really don't understand what Judd is doing on these motors. Do they have or use a dyno on this lump they build? How can you build a motor knowing the specs and they come up so short. Are they so well know that their name can withstand the damage of have a junk motor no matter who's name is on the valve cover. I comes down to Judd really has to step it up as it's their name on the line and right now their name is MUDD.........

This isn't on Judd. I'm sure he's done what he has on a sliver of the budget that Illmor and HPD are using. Take Illmor and put them with Lotus and their minuscule budget and you probably wouldn't have much more than what Judd has delivered. Judd can't afford to develop this motor out of his own pocket. A company like Cosworth has said that they would only come back with manufacturer badging because they couldn't be competitive without it. Judd has a badge for his motor, but no money to work with.

Lotus needs to realize that if you want to run with the big dogs, you can't pee like a puppy.

[wedge]

First of all congrats to Ryan Briscoe for the pole.

After watching footage of qualifying and practice how great it is to finally hear real Indycars screaming around the Brickyard!

[DanicaFan]

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee236/DanicaRules/2012indygrid.jpg

[Anubis]

Nice effort from Rubens. Top ten on your first visit is none too shabby. As for Lotus and Alesi, the whole thing is becoming a farce. Looking at that speed differential, I honestly wouldn't blame him for parking it, as he's achieving nothing at all being out there beyond getting in the way. All well and good claiming you have an Indy dream (which I don't buy for a second), but not if it ruins the race for someone who actually has a chance.

[heliocastroneves#3]

Judd never has been competitive in open wheel, just look at the results of WilliamsF1 from 1988 while they were using a Judd engine.... The only good thing Judd has done in the past, was giving the poor March Engineering an engine for the 1988 F1 season, which brought the team to the points regularly and even a podium finish..... As for Alesi: He has had a good career in F1 and has had competitive cars, but it's almost heart breaking to see such a young talent like de Silvestro being stuck with a Lotus engine. Although I think some good results might follow for her on street circuits like Detroit, Toronto, Qingdao and maybe Baltimore... At least not on the tracks where much horse power is needed.... The girl almost brought it to the Firestone Fast Six in 2010, while driving an old chassis and finished 4th last year in St. Petersburg, while driving an old chassis... Give the girl a competitive car please.... And for Hélio: Win your 4th '500 mate!

[DBell]

I'm not saying Judd would have the engine to beat with a similar budget to Chevy or Honda, but I believe he would build a reasonably competitive engine. He has accomplished that in other series. The reason they are so far off the pace and an embarrassment is lack of funds to develop the engine. Hell, they can't even scrap up enough money to go testing.

[garyshell]

Huh? It must be too early this morning. I am not following this.

Gary

[booger]

Anybody have a take on the fines and infractions...in laymen's terms?

[Phoenixent]

This isn't on Judd. I'm sure he's done what he has on a sliver of the budget that Illmor and HPD are using. Take Illmor and put them with Lotus and their minuscule budget and you probably wouldn't have much more than what Judd has delivered. Judd can't afford to develop this motor out of his own pocket. A company like Cosworth has said that they would only come back with manufacturer badging because they couldn't be competitive without it. Judd has a badge for his motor, but no money to work with.

I don't buy your argument one bit that Judd sits with their head in the sand while their name is being made in to MUDD. Do you own a company that manufactures special parts? I do and if I have to make a little less on an item to keep my good name then so be it. In the end you name is all you have and that is what everyone has. When Ilmor lost MB they tried for a few races under the name Phoenix and when they saw the damage it was causing to their name they walked away until they could do it better with Honda and now Chevy. Judd should just pull the plug on this venture as they are the one that are going to look like MUDD. It's not Lotus but Judd that will take the hit on making motors that are underpowered. Come now Judd is so under budget that he pulls a v3 worth 90hp out of his rear in a weeks time. Judd should not be in this series ever he failed in the 80's, 90's and now. Late engine deliveries, lack of horsepower, and just obvious to what is needed in the series.

[DavePI2]

all I know I am sitting just comming out of turn 4 this week and oh what a finish I saw last year in the same spot. Add to that grandstand 3 in detroit at the end of the front stretch and I am in heaven.

[Marbles]

Judd should not be in this series ever he failed in the 80's, 90's and now. Late engine deliveries, lack of horsepower, and just obvious to what is needed in the series.

Honda and Chevy drivers are going to think there are 20 Lotus engined cars on the track come Indy because they'll be lapping the two of them quite frequently. They alluded to Lotus being awarded extra boost, not to be competitive, just so they can get out of the faster.

Bottom line: Judd has never nailed it.

[numanoid]

Well the areo of these cars seem promote good racing on ovals. It sounds like they really punch a hole through the air so cars behind can get a major tow. That's going to make for some interesting racing. Hell, the practice was pretty interesting with some of the "race" moves that were pulled.

[Lousada]

Judd never has been competitive in open wheel, just look at the results of WilliamsF1 from 1988 while they were using a Judd engine.... The only good thing Judd has done in the past, was giving the poor March Engineering an engine for the 1988 F1 season, which brought the team to the points regularly and even a podium finish.....

In 1988 Judd had the best N/A engine in the field, let's not rewrite history here.

[FIAT1]

Those who are going to the race..... looks like is gonna be little warm on a race day. Protect your children as aluminum can be brutal on hot day like that. Don't forget ...water...a lot of water !!!!

[heliocastroneves#3]

In 1988 Judd had the best N/A engine in the field, let's not rewrite history here.Still it wasn't very good as the reliability was awful. Mansell finished twice on a second place, which were his only finishes of the season... You could also say that the BAR 001 of 1999 was a good F1 car, but it wasn't.... It was fast, indeed but not able to finish races regularly....

[FIAT1]

Indy 500...looking forward to it! Just sayin'...

[Nem14]

The crashes also point out the fact that these cars are being driven at and beyond the limits.

I have a concern about how the cars behaved when they contacted the wall, particularly Carpenters car going up on it's side. Clausons car went up a little too, but much less so because he impacted the wall at a shallower angle to the wall.

Others were also concerned - AutoRacing1.com - Hot News Page (http://autoracing1.com/hotnews.asp?tid=59781)

[FIAT1]

Dallara modifies IndyCar DW12 chassis to improve safety - Autoweek (http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120523/INDYCAR/120529905)

[Marbles]

Wow! Between qualifying and racing at the Indianapolis 500 the car builder cuts 3 holes in the bottom of your car. "Testing shows"... WHAT TESTING? I guess they mean computer simulations... I hope all their 1's and 0's are in the right order.

“Dallara’s response has been immediate to try and make sure all improvements possible could be implemented in time for the race—all credit to them,”

A slight oversight by a car manufacturer that's notoriously inept at providing cars that can keep all four wheels on the ground on ovals in Indy racing when contact is involved.

[TheCountessZ]

Those who are going to the race..... looks like is gonna be little warm on a race day. Protect your children as aluminum can be brutal on hot day like that. Don't forget ...water...a lot of water !!!! I second that! It'll be like Brickyard weather. Now that's brutal!

[00steven]

Who else is going? I'll be in three.

[ChicagocrewIRL]

The 500 rated front page coverage on ESPN.COM today . Amazing ESPN/ABC finally gets it that they need to step up coverage if they want the ratings to recover.

[numanoid]

During the drivers meeting today, I heard BB say something about getting lost laps back. Anyone know if the "lucky dog rule" is in place for this race? He also said double file restarts will be back next year, but handled differently.

[GRW1983]

Today is a very good day for motorsport. Firstly, I'll be watching the Monaco Grand Prix, & then the Indy 500. I'm hoping for 2 very eventful & exciting races today!!!

[maxmach]

Love that lots of drivers are wearing white sunglasses

[gm99]

Race control ends the day early for the two Lotus-powered cars - they are called in after just ten laps for not being on the pace. I hope that's the last we see of this joke of an engine...

Viso back to his old ways...

[MAX_THRUST]

What was the first yellow for???? Missed the first 17 laps. Viso racing incident???? Don't get that he should have a drive through for not being awake in Pit Lane someone could have been hurt bad then.

[gm99]

@Max: First yellow was for a spin by Clauson.

[MAX_THRUST]

Thanks Buddy.

[MAX_THRUST]

Why Did Will go High ??? Just saw replay as I typed that. So questioned answered. Helio was lucky there...

[Anubis]

So Conway's wing broke right where the crew-man landed on it? Why the hell did they release him without checking it?

[Anubis]

Taku Taku Taku. Had that won if he'd just waited one more turn.

[truefan72]

but it was a somewhat dirty move by dario
shame no him

[gm99]

Classic Sato move on the last lap...
Congrats to Dario, now a three-time Indy 500 winner.

[truefan72]

Classic Sato move on the last lap...
Congrats to Dario, now a three-time Indy 500 winner.

3 time caution flag winner
and this time he caused it :down:

[anthonyvop]

Classic Sato move on the last lap...
Congrats to Dario, now a three-time Indy 500 winner.

Roundly Booed by the fans. IndyCar blew it by not penalizing him. The worst part is that if the roles had been reversed Dario would have been screaming like a girl to penalize Takumo

[Anubis]

I'm a huge fan of Sato and was jumping out of my seat as he closed up on Dario, but even I wouldn't blame Dario for that crash. A bit of patience from Sato and I'm certain he'd have got him on the back stretch with no need for heroics, as he absolutely had the legs on him for speed. There really was no need to be putting his car down there and risking it all. Typical Sato red mist stuff. Exciting to watch, but he's just cost himself and the team at worst a second place finish at Indy and given them a very large repair bill to boot.

[gm99]

I might have to watch the replay again, but I didn't see Dario moving down on Sato. The way I saw it, Sato stuck his nose in where there wasn't any room. In any case, he should have waited with his move until turn three, because even if he had managed to pass Dario through one and two, Franchitti would have slip-streamed him on the back straight and repassed before the checkered.

[djparky]

Dario took the line- Sato was below the white line- and that ended in a crash each time it happened. Sato would have won had he just waited a tiny bit longer. Enjoyed the race overall- these cars look a bit strange but reckon they race better than the old one did. Shame that ABC commentary team seemed to miss what I could see on the TV at times.

[FIAT1]

Good race. Cograts Dario. Takuma wf. Andretti go back to school. Dallara why these cars are lifting? Engines not bad. Lotus .... Indy fans you are the best on this hot day.

[jimispeed]

Well I have to say that that was one of the most exciting Indy 500's that I've seen in a long time!! And I don't know about anyone else, but I thought Brent Musburger was a great addition for adding color to the race. They should hire him for the rest of the season!! Really enjoyed it!

[Lousada]

GB_sXxdLLvQ

Dario set out the bait. Had Sato lifted, the momentum would be lost, had he made the pass Dario would have taken him back on the backstretch. That's the skill that makes a 3-time winner.

[SarahFan]

IMO if sato doesn't try the move then he loses momentum and the race... Dario could have given a tiny tiny bit more room..

But it's lap 200 at the brickyard

Raving incident

[garyshell]

Sadly, it was a typical Takuma moment. I looked at the replay several times wanting to convince myself that Dario pinched him down. But I remain unconvinced. I think Lousada is right, Dario set the bait knowing Takuma would bite. I think Dario thought Takuma would either back off and lose momentum or make it thru and then get passed in three by Dario. Dario could not risk going too wide and getting in the marbles. We saw how that plays out.

Gary

[MAX_THRUST]

Dario covered the inside line approaching turn one, he then gave Sato room as Sato was still coming. SAto just pinched it too low on the apron. Gutted for Sato but pleased for Dario. Sato should have gone to the right before the turn and gone around the outside or waited for the back stretch. Shoulda coulda didn't. Great race, better than the F1 today.

[MAX_THRUST]

AS for Ashley Judd's comments that Dario came form the back and no one has done it before. Jaques Villnerve 1995, two laps down after penalty and won it. Saw Dario's first oval win at Rockingham, this ws amazing today three 500 wins.

Great things said about Dan.

[garyshell]

Great things said about Dan.

The segment about Dan in the pre-race show was so good. I was in tears. I loved all the white sun glasses.

Gary

[heliocastroneves#3]

For me it was very emotional when Dario started to talk about Dan, while he was in Victory Lane... Dan will be very proud of Dario's performance today! :)

[neophyte]

Great race today! got me back typing about american openwheel racing after 3-4 years! Only thing I disliked was the winner.
Great to see Oriol finish 4th and can't say enough about Rubens' solid race. This new car is SOLID, almost as good as the DP-01

[call_me_andrew]

IMO if sato doesn't try the move then he loses momentum and the race... Dario could have given a tiny tiny bit more room..

But it's lap 200 at the brickyard

Raving incident

I agree. If Sato doesn't go for it at turn one, he wouldn't have the momentum to go for it at turn three. If I'm in the driver seat, I would do the exact same thing he did.

I thought last year's 500 was the best I ever saw. This year topped it!

[FormerFF]

Sato needed to not try to pass into 1. Even if he pulls it off, Dario goes back by either at the end of the back straight or outdrags Sato between turn 4 and the finish line.

Marco, Marco, Marco. If the move's not there don't force it. It's better to get a solid finish than take an outside chance at a move that isn't likely to succeed.

[Eagledale Fan Since 1966]

Honda snookered IndyCar with the Turbo update...sandbagged Qualifications...and won on the Flop as it were. No wonder Penske and Chevy are upset. NASCAR like.

[anthonyvop]

GB_sXxdLLvQ

Dario set out the bait. Had Sato lifted, the momentum would be lost, had he made the pass Dario would have taken him back on the backstretch. That's the skill that makes a 3-time winner.


I saw Dario doing exactly what he screams ans whines other people do to him.

If he hadn't caused Sato's crash it would have taken all of the back straight just to catch back up and so would have finished 2nd.

[00steven]

Why the hell would you give room? It's the final lap of the Indy 500!

We were at the race and it was just incredible. The atmosphere and action was fantastic.

[Bruce D]

I saw Sato's move on Dixon with about 3 to go and I thought that was mad enough so when he lined up Dario going into the final lap I thought he was going to win-or-bust it. Dario did give him room but only enough and anyone else would have backed out, or tried to outfox him for the run to turn 3 later. Awesome to see such a group of cars running together in the end though.

[ioan]

Dario set out the bait. Had Sato lifted, the momentum would be lost, had he made the pass Dario would have taken him back on the backstretch. That's the skill that makes a 3-time winner.

That's only speculation.

[ioan]

Why the hell would you give room?

Because that's what he expects when in the same situation?

[ShiftingGears]

Shame, I would have greatly enjoyed Sato winning the 500.

[neophyte]

Shame, I would have greatly enjoyed Sato winning the 500.

Likewise.

[MAX_THRUST]

On the last restart SAto pinches TK low on the apron. Watch the highlight clips and you see some passes as close as the DArio Sato one. Would love to have seen either driver win. Kudos for Sato for trying, but i don't think dario was that bad. He did move up and give Sato a little more room. If he hadn't they both would have crashed. It was the lst lap of the biggest race of the year for these guys. You can't blame Dario and you can't blame Sato, they both had to do what they did and any of you would have done the same to win that race. I would have blocked if i were Dario and I would have attacked if I were Sato. Lets not ruin a great race with silly bickering.

On a side note why do so many people dislike Dario???? Has he done something I missed in the last couple of years....thats not sarcasm its a serious question.

[MAX_THRUST]

Also Sato's pass on Dixon when follwing through Dario. Dixon didn't give much room either. The more I watch this the more i think Sato got all tensed up in the car, thinking about drinking the milk before he crossed the line.

[00steven]

Because that's what he expects when in the same situation?

So? This is Indy.

[FIAT1]

Indy 500!

We were at the race and it was just incredible. The atmosphere and action was fantastic.

On tv in hd was fantastic also. Good race ,and I solute you and others for enduring the heat.

[FIAT1]

[quote="00steven"]Why the hell would you give room? It's the final lap of the Indy 500!

Exactly!!!

[wedge]

That's only speculation.

Agreed.

Was that his best chance? What if he got a bad run off turn 2? What if Dario managed a good run off 2? What if the same move replicated at turn 3? Haters are still gonna hate.

It's a racing incident.


I saw Sato's move on Dixon with about 3 to go and I thought that was mad enough so when he lined up Dario going into the final lap I thought he was going to win-or-bust it. Dario did give him room but only enough and anyone else would have backed out, or tried to outfox him for the run to turn 3 later. Awesome to see such a group of cars running together in the end though.

It looked like Sato neatly judged rim-riding the white line against Dixon but with Dario, Sato definitely went beyond the white line. Sato tried to back out but as we've seen with Marco and Ed Carpenter the car whips round in No Man's Land.


On a side note why do so many people dislike Dario???? Has he done something I missed in the last couple of years....thats not sarcasm its a serious question.

He's a hypocrite. Constantly moans about HCN's blocking yet Dario has his share of pulling dumb moves in road courses.

[FIAT1]

Beaux Barfield ,great job! Thank you.

[TheCountessZ]

I just wish we'd see a new guy win this race...I'm tired of the Ganasi and Penski boys. Hinch, JR, Tony, Marco, Graham or Sato would have made it such a great finish. Besides, we wouldn't have to endure Ashley again. I'm just really disappointed this year.

[00steven]

I just wish we'd see a new guy win this race...I'm tired of the Ganasi and Penski boys. Hinch, JR, Tony, Marco, Graham or Sato would have made it such a great finish. Besides, we wouldn't have to endure Ashley again. I'm just really disappointed this year.

Then I suppose the rest should step up their game.

How could you be disappointed with that race? Uncomprehendable.

[TheCountessZ]

Then I suppose the rest should step up their game.

How could you be disappointed with that race? Uncomprehendable.

Gosh so sorry - great race - sad finish (my opinion).

[Phoenixent]

Then I suppose the rest should step up their game.

I agree with you 100%. Those other teams just don't want it as bad as Penske and Ganassi does.... Besides a small team won last year with Dan Wheldon and almost had a small team win this year....

I enjoyed the race this year and was hoping the TK would win.... But it was not meant to be but to have Dan's three best friends come in 1-2-3 you could not ask for anything better....

[Nem14]

Takato pulled off the almost identical pass the lap before, BUT he was following Dario, who had completed his pass on Scott further from the entry to turn 1. Scott had already had to adjust his line for Dario, leaving JUST enough room for Takuma to get by a bit deeper into the corner than on the next, penultimate lap.

On the next entry to turn 1 Takuma didn't have anyone to clear the way like dario did for him going into turn 1 the previous lap, and he did not get far enough along side Dario before they got into the corner on the next lap.
Dario has every right to defend, and did. Takuma was likely emboldened by the way it worked the previous lap.
However, had Takuma pulled off the pass on the last lap, he may have been vulnerable going into turn 3.
Had Takuma shadowed Dario through 1 & 2, he could well have gotten a good tow to slingshot past Dario going into 3, leaving Dario to little remaining lap to pass Takuma back on the front straight.

[Bruce D]

It looked like Sato neatly judged rim-riding the white line against Dixon but with Dario, Sato definitely went beyond the white line. Sato tried to back out but as we've seen with Marco and Ed Carpenter the car whips round in No Man's Land.

I think you have neatly summed up what happened here, he got it right with what I felt was a bigger risk move on Dixon, but got it wrong with Dario.

[wedge]

Beaux Barfield ,great job! Thank you.

The Great Beaux Barfield!

[DexDexter]

IMO Sato threw it away and that's not surprising at all. He was the modern-day Andrea De Cesaris in F1 and seems to continue the same way in Indycar. Fast on his day, inconsistent and crash-prone, that's what he's always been.

[wedge]

Fast on his day, inconsistent and crash-prone, that's what he's always been.

You mean like his Super Aguri days in F1 when he was super consistent, bagged points and pulled off a number of overtaking moves on the outside.

[FormerFF]

IMO Sato threw it away and that's not surprising at all. He was the modern-day Andrea De Cesaris in F1 and seems to continue the same way in Indycar. Fast on his day, inconsistent and crash-prone, that's what he's always been.


He needs a nickname, like Andrea De Crasheris, or John "Stuff'em" Buffum.

[call_me_andrew]

Overnight rating: 4.1/11

Charlotte's overnight rating: 4.1/8

[anthonyvop]

Overnight rating: 4.1/11

Charlotte's overnight rating: 4.1/8

Source?

My source has IndyCar at 4.1 like your source (down from last year) But NASCAR up with a 4.4

[DexDexter]

You mean like his Super Aguri days in F1 when he was super consistent, bagged points and pulled off a number of overtaking moves on the outside.

Admittedly he had one good year when they had the old BAR, his race in Montreal was particularly fantastic.

[FIAT1]

INDY 500 was a success in every way this year, as a matter of fact this whole season is great so far in my opinion. Good job Indycar! Stay the course!

[wedge]

Admittedly he had one good year when they had the old BAR, his race in Montreal was particularly fantastic.

One good year?

In Super Aguri's first year Taku hauled that truck off the back of the grid where it belonged. His starts were so fantastic he would hold up a train of cars within 10 laps. And at the last race of the year in Brazil he finished in the top 10 from the rear of the field.

[call_me_andrew]

Source?

My source has IndyCar at 4.1 like your source (down from last year) But NASCAR up with a 4.4

Jayski Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - Sprint Cup Series Television Ratings 2012 (http://www.jayski.com/pages/tvratings2012.htm)

4.4 was the Charlotte final in 2008, but the race hasn't broken 4.0 final since.

[DexDexter]

One good year?

In Super Aguri's first year Taku hauled that truck off the back of the grid where it belonged. His starts were so fantastic he would hold up a train of cars within 10 laps. And at the last race of the year in Brazil he finished in the top 10 from the rear of the field.

What about his time at Jordan or BAR? A lot of crashes, 2005 being the worst. It's F1 stuff anyway so a bit off topic.

[wedge]

What about his time at Jordan or BAR? A lot of crashes, 2005 being the worst. It's F1 stuff anyway so a bit off topic.

Paul Tracy suffered from red mist and he had a habit of crashing. Never stopped him being a fan's favourite.

[DBell]

Here is an interesting read from Marshall Pruett on how Honda gained so much speed for the race. It seems they have more areas to work with in the engine department than I've seen written in other articles. Chevy and their teams need to stop bitching and get on with the program. This is supposed to be an engine competition. They only have themselves to blame if Honda had a better strategy for the race and did some serious work to upgrade their engine.

INDYCAR: Inside Honda's Indy 500 Victory (http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-inside-hondas-indy-500-victory)

The "fast national" rating for Indy was higher than the overnight at 4.34 (6,857,100 viewers), making it the highest rated 500 in 4 years. The final rating will be released later this week and is not expected to change

pressdog.com: ABC Ratings for Indy 500 Improve in National Numbers, Up 7.7% from 2011 (http://pressdog.typepad.com/dogblog/2012/05/abc-ratings-for-indy-500-improve-in-national-numbers-up-75-from-2011.html)

[Anubis]

I'd be interested to know what sort of ratings the race got in the UK (on Sky). Anyone know?

[jens]

Gutted for Sato. It is soo frustrating to cheer for this guy. He is fast, but most of the time something goes wrong and he never catches a break. Takuma is an aggressive driver and regardless of whether we are trying to (over)analyze his fault in every crash, this aggressive and risky style is bound to get him involved in more accidents, even if he is not at fault. Needless to say, this is already second time this season, when Taku has retired on the final lap from a podium position. Imagine the string of results without those crashes: 3-3-1/2. He could be a championship contender! But he never is, because he is Sato and something is usually bound to happen...

In those moments, when Sato doesn't get involved in a crash, he is a joy to watch. Like that wonderful safety car restart in Brazil a few weeks ago. Or at Indy500 that penultimate lap overtake on Dixon for P2. Sure it gave him extra confidence to "go for it" and make a similar move on the last lap as well. But... Fast, a contender, but the results never come. Story of Sato's career. Sad.