BETWEEN RAINDROPS, PENSKE'S MAN FROM DOWN-UNDER IS ON TOP
Briscoe and Castroneves Set the Mark in the Final Practice Before Pole DayINDIANAPOLIS -RIS- Mother Nature has been a bit temperamental with Indy this year. Light rain occasionally caused issues with the day, but nearly four and a half hours of practice today allowed 33 car/driver combinations to get on the track this afternoon.
Indy has always been a battle of competitors, but some competitors are more equal than others. Over the years, we've seen battles between Duesenberg and Miller, between Watson and Epperly, between roadsters and rear-engine cars. Sometimes, the battles have been between teams. In the last 40 years, we've seen All-American Racers versus Team McLaren, Vel's Parnelli Jones versus Granatelli Racing, and Team Penske versus teams like Chaparral Racing, Newman-Haas, Bob Fletcher Racing, Bignotti-Cotter Racing, Patrick Racing and others.
The last several years, the cream teams that have risen to the top remain - Team Penske versus Target Chip Ganassi Racing. And it looks so far like Pole Day will once again be a dog fight between these two powerhouses.
Marco Andretti and Tony KanaanPhoto by Larry Clarino/RISWhile Andretti-Green Racing has been making major strides, Marco Andretti's performance yesterday in a tow being a good example, the best performances today were turned in by the red and white cars - first, Team Penske, and second, Team Target.
Ryan Briscoe is the man to beat at the moment. The talented Australian came to Indy cars from the ALMS endurance series, and he's persevered after a lot of open-wheel education. The best time this month, 225.981 mph, was earned by Briscoe early in the day.
Briscoe's teammate, Helio Castroneves, may have evaded the tax evasion charges, but he'll find it hard to evade the authority with which Briscoe is driving.
Photo by Larry Clarino/RIS"The car is just so solid this week," Briscoe said enthusiastically late in the day. "It's giving me so much confidence."
Briscoe credits his team's work over the winter months for his results here.
"I know I'm in the best team to get the job done," he says, noting that the trimming-out of the #6 will continue during morning practice tomorrow before qualifying.
"We want to get that first attempt in," he said, "and see how it stands. It's all very calculated."
You can calculate that the Target Chip Ganassi brain trust is also working on getting their cars right for tomorrow. Having the last two Indy 500 champions on the payroll helps. In five previous starts, Dario Franchitti has started in the top-six three times. Four of teammate Scott Dixon's previous starts have been top-fours - including last year's pole position.
While the red-&-white cars stare at the checkered flag, a couple of black cars are poised to spoil the picture - those cars belonging to Marco Andretti and Danica Patrick.
Andretti was quickest yesterday at 225.478, but could only muster a 224.724 today.
Patrick is sixth-quick over the two days of practice with a best lap of 224.755 coming in today's occasionally rainy session.
Photo by Larry Clarino/RIS"It looked amazing on the weather map," Patrick said of the conditions. And he's hopeful, but pragmatic, about tomorrow's potential.
"(Thursday), we weren't bad. We just weren't perfectly happy with the car," she confessed. "We got a couple of good laps in today."
Patrick sees the slight horsepower reduction this year, due to the new mufflers being run on the Honda IndyCar engines, as a reason the pole speed might dip from last year. She calls the pole speed as a 225 mph 4-lap average.
"Anything could happen, but I wouldn't be surprised," she said. "People are taking more risks to move up."
She's not inclined to make multiple attempts to qualify if she can help it.
"I've never requalified here," she said, noting that she would requalify if necessary. "It's great to start up front," she noted, "but it's 500 miles."
Getting the pole is a self-discipline exercise, she says, "keeping your cool all day, being smart."
All four of Patrick's Indy starts have been top-10s, with a best start (and finish) of fourth in 2005.
Possibly the biggest dark horses tomorrow are likely to be Tony Kanaan (whose lack of speed this week is enigmatic), Dan Wheldon (still feeling the legs of the Panther-prepared #4), Will Power (the Penske connection), Alex Lloyd (the Schmidt Dallara, prepared by Ganassi), Graham Rahal (a two-time polesitter this year, but off the radar at the moment) and - if Hollywood was writing this story - Paul Tracy (holder of 25 career pole positions).
Photo by Larry Clarino/RISWe'll know tomorrow when IndyCar practice runs from 9:00-11:00 a.m., pole qualifying schedule to begin at Noon. The forecast for both Saturday and Sunday is currently the same - partly sunny with highs in the mid-60s. The fastest eleven cars will make the field tomorrow. The rest will have to try again Sunday.
One driver who really needs to try tomorrow, if possible, is Scott Sharp. Sharp wrecked his #16 Patron Dallara this afternoon in Turn 1, resulting in significant damage to the right side of the car. The engine was totaled and his Panther Racing chassis had been taken to the team's shop here in Indy. Sharp will be running next weekend with his Patron Highcroft team in the American LeMans Series' Utah Grand Prix, so this weekend is do or die. Failing to qualify this weekend, the team plans to have another driver qualify the car next weekend and have Sharp start the car from the back of the field on Race Day.
Robert Doornbos and Arie LuyendykPhoto by Larry Clarino/RISRobert Doornbos has climbed the oval racing learning curve amazingly quickly, but one lesson he learned today was how hitting the Indy wall at speed can hurt. Doornbos' #06 got high exiting Turn 1 and hit the outside wall, resulting in some significant damage to the car. It is believed that something broke before the accident, but if the team fails to get the car back together, the Dutchman will start in the team's back-up.
A.J. Foyt IV became reacquainted with the Indy wall today after he tank-slapped the North Chute wall. No significant damage to the car, but some damage to the Nomex underwear is probable.
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If it seems like the venerable "Month of May" at Indy has flown by this week, you'd be right. According to our source within the Indy Racing League, there have only been eleven hours and one minute of green flag practice time this May prior to Indy - by far the smallest practice time ever.
Granted, foul weather played a role here, but even the most optimistic of IndyCar planners had to know that - bad economy or no - three days prior to Pole Day would never be enough time to do the two things necessary for success: 1) provide drivers with sufficient time to properly shake down their cars in a relatively tow-free environment, and 2) provide enough days to generate a psychological momentum that whips not only the drivers' and teams', but the fans' interest level up and create anticipation for the Indy 500.
There's no question that the abbreviation of the Month of May has been a mistake. While it might make some financial sense in this compromised economy, the escapism this activity might engender has not been allowed to take root and grow.
With luck a dramatic day tomorrow will spark some of that fire that Indy is known for, and we'll be here to share that with you. From Indy, I'm...
RIS/Indy-Tom Beeler
