It’s Christmas in May — for some of us, anyway.
The Indianapolis 500 — long billed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” — will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its first running May 29, and the buzz around 16th and Georgetown, Speedway, Ind. is really beginning to pick up.
Plenty of drama, story lines and fanfare accompany the Indy 500 as 33 of the world’s greatest auto racers attempt to cement their places history by putting their faces on the Borg-Warner Trophy as “500″ winners. Thirty-three compete; even more attempt to make the field. It all starts with Pole Day.
By Drew Allen
While Pole Day no longer occurs on its traditional date of two weeks before the race, the first day of Indy 500 qualifications — and by extension, Bump Day and the entire qualifying process — arguably is as thrilling as ever under the new, condensed schedule that was introduced last year. Twenty-four of the 33 starting spots will be decided today, and the rest of the grid will fill out tomorrow on Bump Day, the final day of qualifications in which unclassified drivers can return to the track and “bump” other competitors from the field once all 33 spots become occupied.
If there’s any safe bet nowadays in Indy-car racing, it’s that you’re likely to see two teams — Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing — at the front to start a race and in the winner’s circle, and the Indy 500 is no different. These two powerhouses have combined for 19 Indy 500 wins and 17 pole positions in the race (though Penske dominates both categories with 15 wins and 16 poles). Moreover, it’s a virtual certainty these days in the IZOD IndyCar Series that these titan organizations will dominate an oval event; Penske and Ganassi drivers have claimed 26 of 29 races on oval tracks since the beginning of the 2008 IndyCar season.
Look for more of the same at the Brickyard this year, including on Pole Day. However, a few drivers from lesser-tier teams could make noise in qualifications as they have in practice earlier this week. Let’s take a look at some drivers to watch today.
The Indianapolis 500 — long billed as “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” — will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its first running May 29, and the buzz around 16th and Georgetown, Speedway, Ind. is really beginning to pick up.
Plenty of drama, story lines and fanfare accompany the Indy 500 as 33 of the world’s greatest auto racers attempt to cement their places history by putting their faces on the Borg-Warner Trophy as “500″ winners. Thirty-three compete; even more attempt to make the field. It all starts with Pole Day.
By Drew Allen
While Pole Day no longer occurs on its traditional date of two weeks before the race, the first day of Indy 500 qualifications — and by extension, Bump Day and the entire qualifying process — arguably is as thrilling as ever under the new, condensed schedule that was introduced last year. Twenty-four of the 33 starting spots will be decided today, and the rest of the grid will fill out tomorrow on Bump Day, the final day of qualifications in which unclassified drivers can return to the track and “bump” other competitors from the field once all 33 spots become occupied.
If there’s any safe bet nowadays in Indy-car racing, it’s that you’re likely to see two teams — Team Penske and Target Chip Ganassi Racing — at the front to start a race and in the winner’s circle, and the Indy 500 is no different. These two powerhouses have combined for 19 Indy 500 wins and 17 pole positions in the race (though Penske dominates both categories with 15 wins and 16 poles). Moreover, it’s a virtual certainty these days in the IZOD IndyCar Series that these titan organizations will dominate an oval event; Penske and Ganassi drivers have claimed 26 of 29 races on oval tracks since the beginning of the 2008 IndyCar season.
- Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Shell/Guidepoint Systems Team Penske. No one else in modern-day Indy-car racing has matched Castroneves’ success at the famed speedway. The vibrant Brazilian has won the “500″ three times (2001, ’02, ’09) and has started from the pole four times (2003, ’07, ’09, ’10). While Castroneves has struggled early this IndyCar season, he unsurprisingly has been among the fastest in practice at Indy thus far, posting the month’s top speed yesterday. You can’t go wrong by picking Helio.
- Dario Franchitti, No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing.If Castroneves is the best at Indy of the current U.S. open-wheel racing crop, then Franchitti is a clear second. The Scotsman is a two-time and the defending race winner and always is a tough customer in qualifying. However, Franchitti might not want to win the pole; he started third in each of his “500″ victories (the first came in 2007).
- Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing. The Kiwi won the “500″ from the pole in 2008. Dixon has generally been outpaced by teammate Franchitti the last two seasons, but don’t ever count him out on an oval.
- Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske. The most dominate road- and street-course driver in IndyCar over the last year, Power is looking to break through on ovals in 2011. What better place to do so than Indianapolis? The Aussie has run well in his two trips to the Brickyard, averaging just under an eighth-place finish in three career starts. He started second last year and perhaps had the strongest car other than Franchitti, but a pit mishap prevented him from contention at the end. Power has been fast in practice this last week and will be a threat for pole.
- Ryan Briscoe, No. 6 IZOD Team Penske. Briscoe hasn’t earned the results many might expect from a Penske driver at the Brickyard, but the Aussie generally has shown speed at Indy, having qualified fourth, second and fourth in his last three “500″ appearances. I wouldn’t put it past Briscoe to earn pole or a front-row starting spot.
- Alex Tagliani, No. 77 Sam Schmidt Motorsports. A surprisingly fast entry at Indy last year and in practice thus far this year, Tagliani generally has paced the non-Penske and Ganassi contestants and has turned some of the quickest laps in practice. He qualified for the “Fast Nine” pole round last year, and I bet he’ll do it again today.
- Townsend Bell, No. 99 Sam Schmidt Motorsports.Another Sam Schmidt driver, Bell has always excelled in one-off entries at Indianapolis. His team has shown plenty of speed in practice, and he could be right there with teammate Tagliani in the Fast Nine.
