INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, - Sunshine returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and 36 drivers took advantage of the first complete six-hour practice day since May 6 to turn 2,164 laps on the historic 2.5-mile oval. Scott Dixon, who won the pole for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 10, topped the speed chart at 223.713 mph. Team Penske teammates Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe were second and third, respectively, with Will Power fourth and Graham Rahal fifth. 1996 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Lazier turned his first laps of the month in the No. 91 Hemelgarn Johnson entry.
He will attempt to qualify for his 16th Indianapolis 500. Fridays practice was the final opportunity for 25 drivers who have not yet qualified for the 500-Mile Race to prepare for qualification attempts. Starting positions 12-33 will be determined by four-lap qualifying attempts May 17. Drivers who dont qualify will attempt to bump their way into the field on May 18. Fridays practice was marred by three incidents. E.J. Viso, Will Power and Briscoe were all uninjured in separate incidents and are cleared to drive. *** Jim Beam has awarded Ryan Cooledge of Surprise, Ariz., and three guests the exciting opportunity to do double-duty by winning the Jim Beam 1100. The promotion allowed consumers and race fans alike to carry out something that a professional driver has not attempted since 2003: participate in the Indianapolis 500 and the 600-mile NASCAR race in Charlotte, N.C., thus experiencing 1,100 miles of racing in the one day. Cooledge and his guests will receive VIP treatment from the moment they arrive in Indianapolis.
Before Race Day, Cooledge will go for a high-speed ride around the historic 2.5-mile oval, and then on Sunday he will go for a ride in the Pace Car and meet two-time Indy 500 champion, Helio Castroneves, and rookie sensation Ryan Briscoe. Upon the conclusion of the Indianapolis 500, Cooledge and his guests will fly via helicopter to Indianapolis International Airport where they will board a private plane for Charlotte. Once they arrive in Charlotte, they will be driven to the NASCAR race in the Jim Beam NASCAR street-legal two-seater. BRIAN GALLAGHER (Manager of Motorsports, Jim Beam): Experiencing the greatest day in racing is a once-in-a-lifetime event for a consumer. By offering the winner and their guests the chance to see these two races, we are able to connect our Indy Racing League and NASCAR sponsorships and reinforce our commitment to racing. *** Six of Indianas traditional open-wheel races are scheduled for next week, culminating with the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25. The action begins Wednesday, May 21 with the ninth annual Banjo Glen Niebel Classic USAC Sprint race at Anderson Speedway. Thursday night features the 38th annual Tony Hulman Classic Sprint car race at the Terre Haute Action Track. On Friday, USAC Silver Crown cars compete in the 56th Hoosier Hundred at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Saturdays action includes the 63rd Night Before the 500 USAC Midget car race at OReilly Raceway Park in Clermont and the 60th Little 500 Sprint car race at Anderson Speedway. *** Luczo Dragon Racing, which qualified 11th with driver Tomas Scheckter for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500, is partnering with 12 champion athletes to raise money and awareness for charity. This years team of champions is boxer Laila Ali, swimmer Natalie Coughlin, Hall of Fame boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, five-time Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb, four-time Indy 500 winner Rick Mears, World Champion skier Bode Miller, four-time Super Bowl winner Joe Montana, two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash, NHL MVP Joe Thornton, four-time World Series champion Joe Torre, and tennis greats Serena Williams and Venus Williams. The LDR community development program was designed to raise money, increase exposure to the sport of auto racing and encourage a philanthropic spirit that inspires others to make an impact in their communities. Each year, Luczo Dragon Racing partners with 12 champion athletes, to match their No. 12 Symantec car, and donates approximately half of its racing profits to the charities supported by the athletes. Last year, the team generated $500,000 for the charities. Marcus Allen and Baron Davis, who were celebrity team members last year, are expected to attend this years Indianapolis 500 as guests of the team. STEVE LUCZO (Co-owner, Luczo Dragon Racing): There are just not enough rich people in the world to write checks big enough that will solve the problems we are all facing with respect to hunger, at-risk children and the environment. It's just not sustainable. We wanted to build an economic engine in sports that is sustainable, gets more people involved and can make a significant impact on our communities. *** On most race weekends, Ray Leto can be found in the Firestone Indy Lights paddock, working with the rest of Sam Schmidt Motorsports team on the race car of James Davison. But the last few weeks have been tough for Leto because he's taken on a second job. Leto is the race engineer for Luczo Dragon Racing, which is fielding an Indianapolis 500 entry for Tomas Scheckter. Most of the Sam Schmidt Racing crew - including his longtime friend and fellow engineer Tim Neff and team manager Chris Griffis is working on the Indianapolis 500 entry of Rubicon Racing and driver Max Papis. Leto returns to SSM for the Firestone Freedom 100 beginning May 22 when the teams begin practice and qualifications at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He said the job will be easier than it was when he last performed double-duty at Kansas. RAY LETO: "We did a pretty good job the last few weeks sitting in the truck working on the (Firestone Indy Lights) cars. We've been able to not talk about the big cars and keep those jobs separate. It's good competition. Tim and Chris and those guys are great competitors. Sam (Schmidt) was good enough to let me do what I wanted to do for the 500.
It's been fun going up against those guys. We have a whole day on Thursday to concentrate on James. Hopefully, we have the big car we have sorted out by (Friday). If we don't have the Lights car sorted out by the end of qualifying, there's not much we can do because the race just goes." *** Firestone Indy Lights team owner Brian Stewart usually can be found on the golf course if he's not at the racetrack. Stewart spent May 15 at Quicksilver Golf Club near Pittsburgh, but not as a player.
Stewart was caddying for Canadian golf pro Dan Payton during U.S. Open local qualifying. Payton shot 74 and earned a trip to the sectional in Columbus, Ohio, on June 2 in a two-hole playoff. BRIAN STEWART: "I've done this before with Dan but walking these 7,000-yard courses that go up and down wears you out. Dan was the leader in the clubhouse after the round was over, and I joked, 'If this goes to a playoff, youre on your own.' *** Danica Patrick formally renewed a partnership with Swiss watch brand Tissot, signing a two-year contract extension during a press conference today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Patrick became Tissots first female U.S. Ambassador in 2005. Francois Thiebaud, president of Tissot Worldwide, presented Patrick with a Tissot PRC 100 Limited Edition watch that bears her name. The watch includes 27 glittering diamonds on a mother-of-pearl dial. FRANCOIS THIEBAUD: "Danica is an exceptional race car driver, athlete and a fantastic role model for both men and women around the globe. We are happy and proud to have her represent our brand in addition to being an integral part of the Tissot family. Danica's determination led to her historic first win, and she fits perfectly with the brand's values of innovation, quest for performance and stretching oneself to the limits. It is these common features that produce a truly successful collaboration between Danica and Tissot." DANICA PATRICK: "I love what I do. I'm happy and grateful to be where I am, but hard work continues. Hard work to be the best at what I do, and I'm sure you understand that. To be good at anything takes a lot of hard work. This relationship with Tissot is one that I value very much. I have a lot of fun with it, I really enjoy it, and I love the products. Tissot was the first watch that I ever had. I think I was going through Heathrow Airport when I was around 13 or something, and I needed a watch. I saw this watch, it was two-tone and it was small, very feminine, and it was the first watch I ever had. I thought it was called Tiss-aht, so, my, how far we've come. The products are amazing, and there are just so many for so many occasions. I'm not going to tell you how many I have. That would be rude. Again, I've had a lot of fun with it. I'm so glad to be continuing this relationship, and I hope that you're excited about it, as well." *** The winner of the Indianapolis 500 will travel in style to the IndyCar Series event at Texas Motor Speedway, courtesy of Bombardier Learjet, the official business aircraft solutions provider of the Indy Racing League and the title sponsor of the Bombardier Learjet 550k. Bombardier, which also sponsors the Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will fly the winner of the Indianapolis 500 to the June 7 race at Texas and back home again in a Learjet 45xr, an eight-passenger jet with a range of more than 2,000 miles. *** Fred Redmer, from Terre Haute, Ind., was the honorary starter today. Redmer, a native of Rockford, Ill., took the picture of 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchittis car that appears on the 2008 Indianapolis 500 ticket. Redmer served as the flagman at Rockford Speedway in the early 1980s. This will be the 31st consecutive Indianapolis 500 that he has attended as a fan. FRED REDMER: (About serving as honorary starter): "That's an unbelievable thrill. As many years as I have been involved in racing, to have the Indy 500 participants come zooming by you at over 200 mph, (pause), hey, I don't think I'll ever forget this moment." (Nine days from now you'll be sitting in your seats watching the race. How will today's experience change your perspective on that?): "I haven't really started thinking toward the race. I'll still be thinking, at the start of the race, 'Wow, a week ago I was there on the track with these guys.' I'm like a 5-year-old on Christmas morning. This is unbelievable." (Walking in here on Race Day, you'll hold a ticket with your graph on it. Your thoughts on that.): "I hope my head fits through the gates. It's something that I never dreamed of, and I'll want to walk down (to my seats) and say, 'This is my shot.' If I ever had a child, it's t he only thing that could rival this event." *** 2007 Indianapolis 500 Chase Rookie of the Year Phil Giebler talked today about the intense work that the American Dream Motorsports crew has performed in the last day to prepare his No. 88 Gardner Trucking Panoz/Honda/Firestone to turn practice laps today and attempt to qualify this weekend. PHIL GIEBLER: It's been a long week and a pretty stressful day yesterday trying to get things going. It was kind of a do-or-die situation if we were going to get out there for qualifying and get this done, so we're just glad to get the American Dream Motorsports car put together, and we'll get the No. 88 car on the track today. I'm just glad we had the support from J.J. Albedies Concrete Construction that helped us put this together. (About the work it took to get the car done): Basically, at about 5 o'clock last night, we finalized a deal to get us the engine and the stuff that we needed. Everybody stayed late last night, worked hard. I made sure the boys were fed. I got them dinner and energy drinks and some coffee, just to keep them going, and I went and got some rest because I knew today was going to be a big day and tomorrow is goi ng to be huge for us. (About help from other teams): Really, there wasn't too much help. I know we had to do a lot of things to get ready, and the owner here, Eric Zimmerman, has done a great job. He's had a lot of hurdles to get over to get us here, and he's put in a lot of work. Everybody just has faith, and we're all pushing hard. We're looking forward to getting the car out there and seeing what we have to do. *** Indianapolis 500 veteran Stephan Gregoire was in Gasoline Alley today, checking the prospects for a ride in the 92nd Indianapolis 500. Gregoire wants to race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Indianapolis 500 and 24 Hours of Le Mans in the same year. He was on a team that finished 28th overall in the Rolex 24 in January at Daytona and will drive a Pescarolo LMP1 prototype in the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 14-15. STEPHAN GREGOIRE: Its good to be back at Indianapolis, but it would be better with a ride. Im here, everyone knows Im here, and you never know at Indy. If someone has a problem and needs a driver, I want to make sure they know Im around and available if need be. Todays Friday, though, and its getting really late. (On possibility of taking over a current drivers ride): These teams have their drivers for the whole year, so its very hard for them not to commit to them. All those guys are rookie drivers, but they are good drivers. They havent had much time to get used to the track, so you never know. I just want to be available. *** Today is the 14th annual Bike to Work Day. Earlier this week, E.J. Viso entertained spectators and himself by riding a unicycle in the garage area. E.J. VISO: I was bored with the bad weather and bought a unicycle. Thats what I did to pass the time on the wet days. I tried it a couple of times before, but I really learned how to ride it here. Its very cool. I think its really good for your balance because in the car it gets like a unicycle. *** Bishop Steering Technologys variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering, new to the 92nd Indianapolis 500, received the 42nd annual BorgWarner Louis Schwitzer Award today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering technology developed by Bishop offers a number of driver performance benefits, including reduced fatigue through improved ease in steering, more efficient pit entry and exit, and improved maneuverability for hazard avoidance. Engineers Andrew Heathershaw, Soungjin Wou and Nick Belonogoff of Bishop Steering Technology and Andrea Toso from Dallara Automobili were honored for their work in the development and implementation of this technology for the IndyCar Series. Bishops North American facility is based in Indianapolis, while vehicle dynamics work on the system was performed in Sydney, Australia. The award, presented to engineers by engineers, honors early racing pioneer Louis Schwitzer, and acknowledges individuals with the courage and passion to explore and develop new concepts in racing technology. BorgWarner sponsors this prestigious $10,000 award, which is presented by the Indiana Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers. SAE International also supports the Louis Schwitzer Award by providing a $2,000 scholarship to the engineering school of the winners choice, which this year is Purdue University in W. Lafayette, Ind. The winners names will be added to a permanent trophy on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. The variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering system combines a range of steering rack teeth into one compact, efficient system that is manufactured with a high-tech machining process that creates gear tolerances of 1 to 2 microns. In the past, teams had to select one steering-rack tooth size for an event. Development of the variable ratio rack-and-pinion steering system for the IndyCar Series started in 2007 with Panther Racing, and Andretti Green Racing also joined in development with Panther and the Indy Racing League last year. The technology became available to all IndyCar Series teams this season. SOUNGJIN WOU (Engineer, Bishop Steering Technology): This is another great tool to tune the cars. Its very exciting. KYLE MOYER (General manager, Andretti Green Racing): With a variable rack, when drivers go into a high-speed corner, its a six-tooth rack. When they go through a chicane, its a 10-tooth rack. This system covers all of our bases. *** Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt will join President George H.W. Bush and 23 others in Houstons first global image campaign. The My Houston campaign is a project of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau. The ad featuring Houstons most famous race driver offers his unique perspective on his beloved city, including his favorite restaurants and a recounting of his 200-mph drive on the 610 Freeway. It is appearing in this months Continental In-Flight magazine as well as the May 19 edition of the Wall Street Journal and the May 23 edition of USA Today. Other participants in the campaign include singer Beyonce Knowles, CBS commentator Jim Nantz, Greys Anatomy actor Chandra Wilson, PBS TV host Bill Stubbs, rock band Blue October, Houston Dynamo soccer star Brian Ching, Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, Project Runway winner Chloe Dao, country music stars Clay Walker, Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black, Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak, heavyweight champ George Foreman, entertainers Hilary and Haylie Duff, PGA golfer K.J. Choi, All My Children actor Leven Rambin, Latin Grammy winner Oscar de la Rosa and Grammy-winning gospel star Yolanda Adams. A.J. FOYT: Houston is where I was born and raised. Its where my kids were born and raised - its home. I have traveled all over the country, to Europe, Australia and Asia, but I love coming home to Houston. Its where I belong - its where my heart is. *** An authentic six-piece mariachi band performed for fans in the Dreyer & Reinbold suite before spilling out to entertain fans below in Gasoline Alley during practice Friday afternoon. *** FASTEST SPEEDS OF THE DAY: Pos.
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