Round 6: The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. May 18-30, 2021.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Round 6: The 105th running of the Indianapolis 500. May 18-30, 2021.


With the fitst practice session starting tomorrow, it's time to start the thread for the 105th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Last year's race was the first Indianapolis 500 to be run by new series and IMS owner Roger Penske. However, with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was doubtful whether there would be a 2020 IndyCar season, let alone the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500. The season eventually got underway in June, though that meant the 104th running of the race wouldn't take place until August. It was also hoped there would be a limited crowd attendance of 25% capacity but unfortunately it was decided to hold the race behind closed doors; at least there was a race.

This year the Indy 500 is back where it belongs on the calendar, the Sunday before Memorial Day. However there is a different format from previous years, with the Rookie Orientation Program and refresher session having already taken place during the Open Test on April 8th. Sebastien Bourdais making his return to a full season since 2019, with A.J. Foyt Enterprises, topped the rookies and refreshers session with a lap time of 40.1022 and speed of 224.427mph (361.180 km/h). Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden topped the second day, with a lap time of 39.679 seconds and speed of 226.819mph (365.030 km/h).


Qualifying:
A two day format will be used for qualifying.

Saturday 22nd:
12:00 pm to 5:50 pm, Qualifying.
All cars entered will be guaranteed at least one attempt, consisting of a four lap average.
Additional attempts are allowed, time/weather permitting.
Positions 1–9 will advance to the Fast Nine Shootout.
Positions 10–30 will be locked-in and will not re-qualify.
Positions 31 and lower will be entered into the Last Chance Shootout.

Sunday 23rd:
1:15 - 2:30 pm, Last Chance Shootout.
Times from Saturday will be erased,
Entries that finished 31st and lower on Saturday will have one attempt to qualify.
Grid positions 31–33 will then be set.

3:00-3:45 pm, Fast Nine Shootout.
Times from Saturday will be erased.
Entries that finished 1-9 on Saturday will have one attempt to qualify
Grid positions 1–9, including Pole position will be set.
Championship points (9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) will be awarded, based on the results of the Fast Nine Shootout.

There are 35 entries for this year's race.


History
Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of the world's oldest, purpose-built tracks that is still in use. In 1905 Indiana businessman Carl G. Fisher, envisioned building a circuit after watching some of the world's earliest car races in France. He felt Europe had the upper hand in car design and thought one reason was the lack of permanent testing facilities for American car manufacturers. After another visit to Europe and seeing the banked oval at Brooklands, England, he decided to build his own track.

Fisher convinced local businessmen James A. Allison, Arthur Newby and Frank W. Wheeler to join him in purchasing Pressley Farm, five miles outside of Indianapolis and totaling 328 acres for about $72,000. On March 20, 1909, The Indianapolis Motor Speedway company was incorporated and construction began that month.

The track surface consisted of packed soil covered by two inches of gravel, two inches of limestone covered with a solution of tar and oil, taroid, one–two inches of crushed stone chips, also drenched with taroid and topped with crushed stones.

The first motorsport event was a series of motorcycle races planned over two days, under the sanction of the Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM), starting on August 14, 1909. Concerns about the track surface stopped the event part way through day one. Five days later 15 teams arrived for the first car event, held over three days. This was not without incident.

On day one Wilfred Bourque suffered a rear-axle failure, resulting in his car flipping end over end on the main straight, before crashing into a fence post, killing him and his mechanic Harry Halcomb. On day three the right front tire blew on Charlie Merz's car, knocking down five fence posts and dozens of spectators, killing two as well as his mechanic Claude Kellum. Ten laps later, after another accident, the race was cancelled.

The AAA, American Automobile Association, announced it would boycott further events unless the surface was changed. A concrete surface was considered but the track owners decided to pave the entire facility with bricks, after tests proved their durability. Five Indiana manufacturers supplied 3.2 million, 10-pound bricks. Each was hand laid on a 2 inch bed of sand, then leveled and the gaps filled with mortar. A concrete wall 33 inches tall was also constructed in front of the main grandstand and around all four corners to protect spectators. The final brick was made of gold and laid in a special ceremony by Governor Thomas R. Marshall.

In December 1909, the track reopened for testing, with speeds of up to 112 mph being reported. Racing returned the next year, with a series of short races held over the three main holiday weekends: Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The following year, 1911, racing was just confined to Memorial Day and the very first 500 mile race was held on May 30. It was won by a former racer and Marmon engineer Ray Harroun, who came out of retirement for just one race, driving the legendary Marmon-Wasp. Since then, the event has usually been held on the Sunday before Memorial Day, though there have been exceptions, due to World Wars I and II, the weather intervening and more recently the Covid-19 pandemic.


Some 500 Trivia:

1911: Ray Harroun was the first winner of the 500, driving a Marmon-Wasp.
Race Time: 6:42:08.039.
Average speed: 74.59 mph (120.04 km/h).

1913: Jules Goux of France was the European and the first rookie, excluding the innaugural race, to win, .

1920-21: Ralph DePalma, first consecutive Poles.

1922: Jimmy Murphy was the first driver to win the race from pole position.

1936: Louis Meyer was the first driver to win three times, 1928, 1933, 1936. It was after his third win that the Lois Meyer asked for a glass of buttermilk, something his mother had encouraged him to drink on hot days, hence the tradition of the bottle of milk.

1940: Wilbur Shaw was the first driver to win back to back races, 1939-1940

1947: Mauri Rose and Bill Holland, scored the first team 1, 2 for entrant Lou Moore

1952: Art Cross won the first Rookie of the Year Award.

1961: Sir Jack Brabham was the first driver to race a rear engined car, a Cooper-Coventry Climax

1965: Jim Clark was the first Scotsman to win and first driver to win in a rear engined car, in the Lotus 38-Ford.

1966: Graham Hill won the 50th Indy 500, in a Lola T90-Ford, the first rookie winner since 1927.

1967: Parnelli Jones raced the first gas turbine powered car, the Granatelli STP-Paxton Turbocar.

1977: A.J. Foyt was the first driver to win 4 times.
Janet Guthrie was the first woman to qualify for the Indy 500.

1989: Emerson Fittipaldi was the first Brazilian driver to win.

1990: Arie Luyendyk was the first Dutch driver to win

1992: Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds in the 500's closest finish.

1992: Lyn St. James won the first Female Rookie of the Year Award.

1995: Jacques Villeneuve first Canadian driver to win.

1996: Arie Luyendyk sets a new 1 lap track record of 37.895 seconds, 237.498 mph (382.216 km/h) and a new 4-lap average track record of 2:31.908, 236.986 mph (381.392 km/h). He also recorded an unofficial 1 lap of 00:37.616 seconds, 239.260 mph (385.052 kmh). Will Arie Luyendyk's 24 year old lap records be finally broken this year? I doubt it.

1999: Kenny Bräck first Swedish driver to win,

2005: Danica Patrick became the first female driver to lead the Indy 500.

2008: Scott Dixon first New Zealand driver to win.

2009: Danica Patrick finished 3rd, the highest position for a female driver.

2013: was the fastest race, with a time of 2:40:03.4181 and average Speed of 187.433 mph (301.644 kmh).

2016: Alexander Rossi won the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, the first rookie since 2001.

2017: Takumo Sato was the first Japanese driver to win.

2018: Will Power was the first Australian driver to win.

The car number with the most wins is #3 with 11.

The starting grid position with the most wins is Pole with 21.

This year nine former 500 winners will be taking part, three are multiple winners.
Helio Castroneves, 2001, 2002, 2009
Juan Pablo Montoya, 2000, 2015
Takuma Sato, 2017, 2020
Scott Dixon, 2008
Tony Kanaan, 2013
Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2014
Alexander Rossi, 2016
Will Power, 2018
Simon Pagenaud, 2019

There have been 10 rookie winners:
Ray Harroun (1911, inaugural race)
Jules Goux (1913)
Rene Thomas (1914)
Frank Lockhart (1926)
George Souders (1927)
Louis Meyer (1928)
Graham Hill (1966)
Juan Pablo Montoya (2000)
Helio Castroneves (2001)
Alexander Rossi (2016)

There have been 9 women drivers:
Janet Guthrie (1977-79)
Lyn St. James (1992-97, 2000)
Sarah Fisher (2000-04, 2007-10)
Danica Patrick (2005-11, 2018)
Milka Duno (2007-09)
Ana Beatriz (2010-12, 2021)
Simona de Silvestro (2010-12)
Pippa Mann (2011, 2013-2017, 2019)
Katherine Legge (2012)

The driver with the most wins is 4, held jointly by:
A.J. Foyt: 1961, 1964, 1967, 1977.
Al Unser Sr.: 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987.
Rick Mears: 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991.

The team with the most wins:
Tram Penske, 16.
1972, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988,
1991, 1993, 1994, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006,
2009, 2015, 2017

The driver/team owner with the most wins:
A.J. Foyt.
1964, 1967, 1977.

Current driver with the most wins:
Hélio Castroneves.
2001, 2002, 2009.


Track layout:


Length: 2.5 Miles (4.02 Km)
Straightaways: 5/8 of a mile (1000 m)
Short chutes: 1/8 of a mile (200 m)
Turns: 4, with 9.2º banking. 1/4 of mile (400 m)

1 lap record:
Arie Luyendyk, May 10, 1996. 00:37.895 seconds, 237.498 mph (382.216 kmh).
Reynard 94i-Ford Cosworth XB,
Indy Racing League.

4 lap average record:
Arie Luyendyk, May 12, 1996. 2:31.908, 236.986 mph (381.392 kmh),
Reynard 94i-Ford Cosworth XB,
Indy Racing League.


Last year's race:
https://www.motorsport.com/indycar/n...aign=widget-22

Pole:
Marco Andretti,
Andretti Herta Autosport w/ Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian
Dallara IR18-Honda HI20R Indy-V-6
Combined four lap average 2:35.7985 minutes. 231.068 mph (371.867 km/h)

Winner:
Takumo Sato,
Rahal Letterman Lannigan Racing,
Dallara IR18-Honda HI20R Indy-V-6.

Laps: 200
Distance: 500 Miles (805 km)
Race Time: 2:59:42.6365
Average Speed: 157.824 mph (253.993 km/h).
Fastest lap: James Hinchcliffe, Arrow McLaren SP, Lap 66. 40.3290 sec, 223.164 mph, (359.147 km/h)

Caution periods: 7
Laps 52: 6-11, 25-30, 84-91, 92-99, 122-130, 144-153, 196-200.


Race broadcast:
NBC May 30th, 11:00 am, ET. 3:00pm UTC, 4:00 BST
Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, 6:00 pm BST

[bjohnsonsmith]

Entry list:

[S griffin]

Great entry. Nice to see Pietro Fittipaldi on there. Joining other drivers following in the footsteps of their older relatives who have also raced the Greatest Spectacle in Motor Racing

[tux]

I believe that this year is the first year that you'll be able to watch the practice sessions LIVE in the UK on Sky Sports F1 starting on Tuesday 18/05/21.

[fieldodreams79]

Excellent post #1 as ever, bjs!!

We will be moving the weekend of the race but I'll stop for a few hours to enjoy the show! Can't wait!

[Maggo]

is there a livetiming of the practice sessions?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Excellent post #1 as ever, bjs!!

We will be moving the weekend of the race but I'll stop for a few hours to enjoy the show! Can't wait!

Hope the move goes smoothly, as it can be a pain in the butt.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Maggo

is there a livetiming of the practice sessions?

This is the link for live timing on the IndyCar website.


http://racecontrol.indycar.com/

[Adam43]

Thanks for the opening post - great stuff.

In the US Peacock is showing first practice live in a few minutes...

[tux]

Honestly. 3 cars for a 2 hour session. Crazy imo

[broadrun96]

Are you surprised? Who needs to go out and put miles on, and what's the weather relative the expected this weekend? MUCH hotter this weekend, 70 and overcast vs 88 and sunny? You aren't gonna learn a damn thing there, don't waste the miles. 22 vs 31 for those of you using the new math, or is it the old math? Well the sciencey temp thingy

[broadrun96]

Plus rain interrupted session with drivers coasting in, not enough to screw things up but enough you wouldn't run wide open. All eligible but Kimball and Harvey (engine change) ran in the session.

Stat line of the day: 30th 4 Kellett, Dalton 10:30.3765 14.277 9:50.0989

[joeb]

With 35 cars trying to make the field, who do y'all think are going to be on the outside looking in? I'm predicting one car will crash in practice and miss out on the race, making only one driver to get bumped. I have no clue who it will be, but lets just say Chilton.

[Greem]

Originally Posted by joeb

With 35 cars trying to make the field, who do y'all think are going to be on the outside looking in? I'm predicting one car will crash in practice and miss out on the race, making only one driver to get bumped. I have no clue who it will be, but lets just say Chilton.

It very definitely isn't going to be Scott McLaughlin. 222.8? That's pretty awesome for a "rookie".

If he keeps this up them we could be in for a surprise.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by joeb

With 35 cars trying to make the field, who do y'all think are going to be on the outside looking in? I'm predicting one car will crash in practice and miss out on the race, making only one driver to get bumped. I have no clue who it will be, but lets just say Chilton.

If it's anything to go by, Chliton was 27th in the open test in April, ahead of Ericsson, Fittipaldi, Kellett, Ware, and VeeKay. Ware subsequently withdrew from the 500.

[joeb]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

If it's anything to go by, Chliton was 27th in the open test in April, ahead of Ericsson, Fittipaldi, Kellett, Ware, and VeeKay. Ware subsequently withdrew from the 500.

you have to assume some of the part-timers will make up those final five gunning for the final three spots. But sometimes things are weird and a team doesn't quite the setup right as we have seen in the past few years big-time drivers not making the show.

[mstets]

I thought that this year's nine previous winners might be a record, but according to Wikipedia there were ten former winners who started the race in 1992, with the addition of Johnny Rutherford who failed to qualify. So even with the assumption that all of this year's previous winners will start the race, 1992 will still have more winners.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Indianapolis_500

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by mstets

I thought that this year's nine previous winners might be a record, but according to Wikipedia there were ten former winners who started the race in 1992, with the addition of Johnny Rutherford who failed to qualify. So even with the assumption that all of this year's previous winners will start the race, 1992 will still have more winners.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Indianapolis_500

Just randomly wondering that the average age of the winners running this year is probably a lot younger than that if '92.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by mstets

I thought that this year's nine previous winners might be a record, but according to Wikipedia there were ten former winners who started the race in 1992, with the addition of Johnny Rutherford who failed to qualify. So even with the assumption that all of this year's previous winners will start the race, 1992 will still have more winners.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Indianapolis_500

Thanks for that. I thought this year's nine previous winners was a record; I better amend the race intro.

[Formulahistory]

Originally Posted by chunterer

Just randomly wondering that the average age of the winners running this year is probably a lot younger than that if '92.

back at that time racing with 50 was not unnormal. Now there are 9 drivers with 40+ but no one older than 46.

[tux]

Herta is incredibly lucky, if teams want to do these photos on track why not have a 30 minute session one morning for that purpose?

[joeb]

Originally Posted by tux

Herta is incredibly lucky, if teams want to do these photos on track why not have a 30 minute session one morning for that purpose?

What happened?

[tux]

Originally Posted by joeb

What happened?

At the start of the session 3 RLL cars were going slowly for a photo shoot on the front straight, McLaughlin and Simona De Silverstro were going slow out of turn 4 and Herta was getting up to speed. Came round turn 4 and had to squeeze between McLaughlin and the wall. Made contact with McLaughlin and the wall.

Video here. - https://twitter.com/IndyCar/status/1...723909642?s=20

[joeb]

Originally Posted by tux

At the start of the session 3 RLL cars were going slowly for a photo shoot on the front straight, McLaughlin and Simona De Silverstro were going slow out of turn 4 and Herta was getting up to speed. Came round turn 4 and had to squeeze between McLaughlin and the wall. Made contact with McLaughlin and the wall.

Video here. - https://twitter.com/IndyCar/status/1...723909642?s=20

thanks, Photoshoots should have their own track time for sure. That could have been really bad.

[mstets]

Perhaps after the checkered flag would be a better time for photo ops than when the track is green.