100th Anniversary INDY 500: A 95th Race For The Ages

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100th Anniversary INDY 500: A 95th Race For The Ages

One could tell through the driver introductions that this first race ofhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif the 100th year that the race track, located near the postal stop of Speedway, Indiana, was going to one for the ages.

It is not just because the 95th race since the track was established was marking a monumental milestone in time, but that this was quite possibly, the most experienced and talented group of drivers, ever, to be fielded for an INDY 500 race ... really!

Five former champions, two 48 year-olds (John Andretti and Davey Hamilton), and a hoard of drivers with multiple starts, in the Dallara that will be running in its final year of competition, at this track.

Scott Dixon took the lead from the Green Flag and the field settled down with little incident thoughout the first eight laps until Tagliani passed Dixon for the lead.

Simona De Silvestra pulled in after brushing the wall, changed tires, adjusted the front wing and rejoined the field one lap down.

At the end of 15 the top of the order which is lapping at around 221mph sees Tagliani, Dixon, Townsend Bell, Dan Weldon, Dario Franchitti, Oriol Servia, Will Power, Ed Carpenter, Bertrand Baguette, and Buddy Rice With Graham Rahal making the biggest move of 9 positions from 29 to 20

Lap 21, Paul Tracy and Takuma Sato hit the wall in separate incidents. Tracy pulls onto pit lane and Sato's off brings a Yellow Flag.

Pit Stops on Lap 23 - Will Power leaves without a left rear tire ... the tire rolls along the pit wall and ends up in another pit.

At the Gree Flag on Lap 28 its Tagliani, Dixon, Bell, Franchitti, Servia, Weldon, Carpenter, Miera, Kanaan, and Rice - EJ Viso clobbers the wall and brings out the Yellow Flag going three wide with Hinchcliff and Viso touch. Scott Dixon had passed Tagliani on the restart.

This should be "IT" for EJ Viso ... the most expensive driver in modern open-wheel history.

Lap 32 Green Flag has Dixon, Tagliani, Bell, Franchitti, Servia, Weldon, Carpenter, Miera, Kanaan, and Rice on the double file restart. Everyone makes it through with Townsend Bell dropping positions.

Oriol Servia is also dropping spots all of the way back to 9th with the top five being Dixon, Tagliani, Franchitti, Weldon, and Carpenter on Lap 37.

Lap 44, Franchitti passed Tagliani placing Target Chip Ganassi teammates at P1 and P2.

Lap 50 has Dixon, Franchitti, Weldon, Tagliani, and Bell in the top 5 positions. Kanaan is up to P6 from P22. Rahal is up to P6 from P29. The biggest surprise is that NO Penske is in the top 10!

The top Penske team driver after 50 laps is Castroneves in P13, followed by Briscoe in P21, and Power in P26.

Pit Stops were just beginning when the Yellow Flag flew with 61 laps - Jay Howard was just coming out of a pit stop and loses a wheel and smacks the wall. Danica Patrick comes in for a quick fuel stop with the pits being closed.

Can't anyone tighten a single lug nut? Can we get a NASCAR wheel guy in there?

Andretti Autosport is also having its troubles with Danica Patrick being shown in P13, Marco Andretti in P16, and John Andretti in P24.

Green Flag Double file restart on lap 71 sees the top five as Franchitti, Dixon, Tagliani, Weldon and Bell.

Some of the tires that came off in the last round of pit stops were worn down to the cord (fabric) layer.

Lap 80 has P24 Ryan Hunter-Reay as the last car on the lead lap. He brushed the wall three laps earlier. Top five cars are pulling away - Dixon, Franchitti, Tagliani, Weldon, and Bell. P6-P10 ... JR Hildebrand, Servia, Carpenter, Graham Rahal, and Tomas Scheckter.

After 98 laps, Graham Rahal is in the top 10 at P8 ... Dixon, Franchitti Weldon, Tagliani, and Bell are the top 5. Marco Andretti breaks into the top 10 at P10 and Ryan Broscoe is the top Penske at P13.

Lap 100 has pit stops by many of the leaders - CRASH, Franchitti wins again as he just entered the pits ... that is twice in one race.

Oriol Servia's Newman Haas teammate, James Hinchcliff, gets high and skids into the wall Yellow Flag pit stops begin on lap 102.

On Lap 107 Green Flag drops with the top 10 being reset with Franchitti benefitting from his good fortune followed by Oriol Servia, Marco Andretti, Ed Carpenter, Scott Dixon, Dan Weldon, Alex Tagliani, Townsend Bell, JR Hildebrand, and ...... Ryan Briscoe. Four wide down the front straight with 18 cars on the lead lap.

Helio just passed Dario Franchitti to get his lap back on Lap 109 and is now using the rosary to get a Yellow Flag called so he can go around.

Lap 112 Oriol Servia uses P2P for the first time and gets by Dario Franchitti for P1!

Servia is using Helio Castroneves to draft for speed and stay away from Franchitti. Danica Patrick breaks into the top ten while Alex Tagliani is slowing and has dropped back to P13.

Servia dispatches Castroneves on lap 120 which gives him a temporary cushion as Dixon passes Marco Andretti to secure P3.

Two of the three Penske Racing cars are one lap down. Ryan Briscoe is in the top 10 at P8.

Dario Franchitti passes Servia for the lead on lap 130 placing him in a Ganassi sandwich.

Tagliani gets placed one lap down on Lap 134 at P17 due to poor handling. Dan Weldon pits from P5.

Dario in at Lap 136, Green Flag stops are in full swing. Rookie JR Hildebrand takes the lead.

Lap 148 and the next to last pit stops have been made. Top 10 are Dario Franchitti pulling away by about 10 seconds from Scott Dixon, Servia, Weldon, M.Andretti, Bell, Kanaan, Hildebrand, Patrick and Rahal.

Yellow Flag - Alex Tagliani, the pole sitter, slams the wall and this ends the day for Sam Schmidt Racing's best hope for a win.

Helio Castroneves and the rest of the lap down cars come back in to the pits for fuel and tires.

At this point the race looks as if it is Target Chip Ganassi's to win with his cars running P1, P2, and P8 (Rahal) running in the top 10.

Danica Patrick is up to P7.

Lap 155 Green Flag Restart has three abreast, and running two aside for most of the first lap.

Lap 157 Yellow Flag - Townsend Bell and Ryan Briscoe take each other out. Helio Castroneves is running without a tire on the rim. Bell chops down on Briscoe in a corner and the tangled mess slides into the wall. Penske Racing and Sam Schmidt Racing are having a horrible 500.

Lap 164 has Franchitti ducking in for fuel.

Lap 165 Green Flag leads with Servia, Rahal, Dixon, Kanaan, Weldon, Scheckter, Hildebrand, Patrick, Carpenter, and Franchitti round out the top 10.

Graham Rahal passes Servia for the lead.

Lap 169 Dixon passes Servia for P2.

Lap 172 Dixon passes Rahal for the lead. Kanaan passes Servia for P3.

Lap 176-178 Kanaan and Rahal duel for P2 with Kanaan on top for now ... no Rahal ... no Rahal pit Stop.

Patrick takes the lead with 20 laps to go ... needs about 4 extra laps of fuel to make it to the end.

Lap 185 - 15 to go - Patrick, Baguette, Scheckter, M. Andretti, Franchitti, Hildebrand, Dixon, Weldon, Kimball and Kanaan.

Lap 187 Bertrand Baguette passes Patrick on the back straight but both cars can not make it to the end on fuel. Tomas Scheckter pits for fuel so Franchitti moves to P4.

Patrick in for fuel on Lap 190. Franchitti in P2 behind Baguette.

Three laps to go and Rookie JR Hildebrand passes Franchitti for the lead as Baguette comes in for fuel.

The Panther Racing's National Guard sponsored Dallara receives the White Flag. The rookie hits the wall coming out of turn #4 giving Dan Weldon his second win of the INDY500 ... the 9th driver to do so. JR Hildebrand crosses the line with three wheels in P2. Ganassi's Service Central Sponsored Dallara driven by Graham Rahal sneaks in at P3 to finish the podium.

Brian Herta Motorsports William Rast sponsored Dallara WINS THE INDY 500.

The final finishing top 10 places - P4-P10 - Kanaan, Servia, Dixon, Baguette, Scheckter, M. Andretti, and Patrick.

What a beginning to the Centennial Era of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

... notes from The EDJE

To Plank, Or Not To Plank? ... That Is The IndyCar Question!

Planking has just hit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This pose, which got its start in Australia became the perfect activity for a down weather day at the famed race track ready to celebrate its 100th year. Arie Luyendyk Jr. posted up this example calling it "The highest plank at IMS" ... taken at the spotter's perch. Image Credit ariejr

To Plank, Or Not To Plank? ... That Is The IndyCar Question!

Planking is a social media phenomenon that got its start in England around 2009 and most recently is catching fire in Australia. The rules for planking are simple - planking takes its name from how players mimic a wooden board by lying rigid, preferably in a public place or on an unusual spot, such as a washing machine, a sign or a railing. The person planking lays down on the place to be planked, then stretches out stiff pointing ones fingers and toes, face down with no expression. The point is to post a wacky planking photo online.

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, today, the practice was called of due to inclement weather. A lot of drivers and team support personnel were keyed up with nothing to do so Alex Lloyd decided to lay down a challenge with the following "tweets".

alex_lloyd Alex Lloyd

After seeing @scottdixon9's tweet on PLANKING, I decided to give it a go myself. http://t.co/4VCUPIu

alex_lloyd Alex Lloyd

50 bucks to any driver than 'planks' during driver intros.

Then former Vision Racing PR person Pat Caporali started keeping tabs on who was joining in on the planking mayhem!

Examples:

Scott Dixon's second ... and best attempt. Image Credit: scottdixon9


Bookended Aussies from Penske Racing - Will Power and Ryan Briscoe. Image Credit: PenskeRacing


Leading rookie, James Hinchcliff in the Newman/Haas garage. Image Credit: hinchtown


KV Racing Technologies' Tony Kanaan gives it a good stiffing. Image Credit: PCaporali


James Hinchcliff poseing plankstyle on a pole. Image Credit: Jalopnik via hinchtown


Rafa Matos planking across the buiness end of his AFS Dallara. Image Credit: PCaporali

All four drivers on the KV Racing Technologies team. L to R - EJ Viso, Takuma Sato, Tomas Scheckter, and Tony Kanaan. Image Credit: PCaporali


The "Yard Of Bricks" planking photo featuring Sam Schmidt Motorsports' Wade Cunningham. Image Credit: Jalopnik via wadecunningham

This excerpted and edited from CNN -

'Planking' death puts spotlight on bizarre Web craze
By Mark Milian, CNN - May 18, 2011 1:21 p.m. EDT

Apparently lying face down is all it takes to create an Internet phenomenon.

An obscure activity called "planking" is garnering international exposure after an Australian man fell to his death last week while attempting to take part in the online fad.
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Acton Beale, the 20-year-old Aussie who fell seven stories while planking on a high-rise balcony, upped the ante to fatal consequences, police said.
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All the recent attention has sparked a flood of fresh planking photos, as well as YouTube clips of television-news anchors face down on their desks.

Diplo, a popular electronic-music DJ, wrote on Twitter: "planking right now." A spokesperson for Honey Bunches of Oats (yes, the cereal) promoted safe planking in a message on its blog Monday.

"It's the most fun you can have being still," Sam Smith, from Australia, wrote on Facebook.
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Among the gems: a woman lying on a bar, a man planking across the humps of two live camels' backs, a group face-down on an escalator, a woman on Kmart shopping carts, and a guy prone across the shelves of a convenience-store refrigerator.

The concept has been around for at least a decade, according to an English duo which takes credit for its invention and was profiled in a 2009 column in the Toronto Star. Then, it was called the Lying Down Game. (Not exactly a catchy name.)
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Plankers say the activity is generally harmless fun -- though that idea was challenged last week. Some even refer to it, tongue-in-cheek, as a type of alternative sport.

"Planking is an extreme sport which requires years of constant training to perfect the complex technique," wrote Jake Mason on the Planking Facebook page.

The game hasn't won over everyone, and those opposed are especially vocal. A bunch of anti-planking pages have sprung up on Facebook.
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Steve Molk, a radio personality in Brisbane, Australia, declares that planking has "jumped the shark."

Hopefully that won't give anyone ideas about planking an actual shark.
[Reference Here]

Gotta add Tomas Scheckter's "Yard Of Bricks" plank. Just imagine what Tomas Scheckter and the rest of the male IndyCar field would look like if they take up the suggestion made by teammate Tony Kanaan below. Image Credit: PCaporali

One last "tweet" by Tony Kanaan puts this exercise in boredom relief in perspective:

TonyKanaan Tony Kanaan

Under control bro RT @tomasscheckter Tomorrow is every driver has to take viagra and plank naked.

... notes from The EDJE

LA Auto Show 2010 - Lotus Enters Into A New Era Agreement With The IRL

The competition language just increased with the signing of an agreement to have Group Lotus/Lotus Motorsport supply engines and body aerodynamic parts to teams competing in the IndyCar Series starting in 2012. Pictured from left to right: Famed Indianapolis driver, Parnelli Jones, Randy Bernard, CEO of the Indy Racing League, Dany Bahar, CEO of Lotus Motorsport and Group Lotus. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

LA Auto Show 2010 - Lotus Enters Into A New Era Agreement With The IRL

On Thursday, November 18, 2010, the second day of the LA Auto Show Press Days held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Group Lotus announced an agreement with Randy Bernard, CEO of the Indy Racing League, to supply engines and aero body kits for the IZOD IndyCar Series beginning with the 2012 season.

The deal that was put together by Dany Bahar, CEO of Lotus Motorsport, is for a duration of five years and has Lotus also creating a motorsport facility in Indianapolis that will give the company a base in the thick of the action for this unified, exciting, and adrenalin filled race series and make them easy to find by potential IndyCar engine and aero body kit customers.

This announcement closes out a great week for Randy Bernard, Brian Barnhart - President, Operations & Competition, and the future fortunes of the Indy Racing League for the level of competition on many levels starting in 2012. Lotus joins Chevrolet (USA), which also announced an agreement this week, and Honda (Japan) the current and exclusive engine supplier, making available a choice of three manufacturers engines to run in this new and unified era. The IndyCar Series is no longer a "Spec-Series" anymore!

Randy Bernard said: “Lotus is a renowned name in racing, with a long association with some of the greatest names of motorsports. We’re honored Lotus has chosen to serve as an engine manufacturer for the first time.” Randy shared that the number one concern of the fans after unification was that American open wheel racing did not take the easy route and become a pure specification series where every car was basically the same and all had parts and engines supplied from the same factory.

The speculation is that since Kevin Kalkhoven is the team owner of the car driven by Takuma Sato, and sponsored by Lotus, also owns Cosworth - this Lotus engine just might be produced by the Cosworth organization and have a Lotus name be placed on it which will give Lotus the instant "gravitas" and history of Cosworth ... and why not?!

The Lotus IndyCar engine will follow the agreed rules, namely 2.4 litre, up to 6 cylinders and turbo charged and producing between 550 and 700 horsepower to suit the diverse set of tracks on which the IZOD IndyCar Series competes. All engines will run on E85 with additional details on the fuel platform to be announced at a later date.

Dany Bahar, CEO of Group Lotus said: “Lotus is unique in the automotive world, no other car company has been more successful in such a wide variety of motorsports discipline, whether it is Le Mans, World Rally, Sportscars, F1 - of course, and IndyCar. This year we teamed up with KV Racing for IndyCar and we will significantly increase our participation next year. However in 2012 IndyCar competitors will have the exciting opportunity to choose an IndyCar with a Lotus engine and aero body kit, immediately become part of a legacy that is Lotus: one of the most innovative and successful sports and racing car brands in the world.” Dany also let loose during the announcement that Lotus would like to make its own chassis and offer this up to other teams as well - ummmmm, interesting.

Lotus announces an agreement to supply engines and aero body parts to the IndyCar Series beginning 2012. Pictured from left to right: Famed Indianapolis driver, Parnelli Jones, Randy Bernard, CEO of the Indy Racing League, Dany Bahar, CEO of Lotus Motorsport and Group Lotus, Claudio Berro, Director of Lotus Motorsport, and Brian Barnhart, President, Operations & Competition of the Indy Racing League. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2010)

The announcement in the booth and on the show floor of this 2010 LA Auto Show helped to lend an excitement to their proceedings. Rand Bernard, Brian Barnhart, and Dany Bahar were joined at the podium set up next to Takuma Sato's IndyCar by none other than the person who first drove and won in a Lotus at Indianapolis ... Parnelli Jones. New traditions do not get any better than when one reaches back and brings some of the original traditions forward to form the traditions of this new era.

Claudio Berro, Director of Lotus Motorsport said: “The history and DNA of Lotus is all about extracting the most performance out of a car in return for maximum efficiency and we are delighted to offer our engine and aero body kit to the 2012 IndyCar series.

Long live the IndyCar Series and its agreement with Group Lotus and Lotus Motorsport - may it spur others to step up and compete in this series at every level.

... notes from The EDJE

Tony George Ousted, Has One Less Job In Motorsports - UPDATED

Tony George, Vision Racing Team Owner/President of the IRL along pitlane during qualifications for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach last month. Tony George has one less major task in the world of Motorsports to worry about after being ousted from the management of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I wonder if he will retain his golf membership? Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2009)

Tony George Ousted, Has One Less Job In Motorsports - UPDATED (at bottom)

Probably one of the most compelling figures in all of Motorsports ... certainly, in the annuals of North America open-wheel racing, Tony George has been ousted from the management of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Robin Miller writing for SPEED TV cites that a source close to the situation confirmed that the 49-year-old grandson of Tony Hulman would no longer be CEO of the Speedway after a vote of the IMS board of directors which includes mother Mari, sisters Josie, Nancy and Kathy, attorney Jack Snyder and George.

This excerpted and edited from SPEED.tv -

INDYCAR: Tony George Ousted From IMS
Written by: Robin Miller - 05/27/2009

The controversial, ground-breaking, tumultuous 20-year reign of Tony George at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is over. SPEEDtv.com has learned George was voted out of power in a Tuesday night board meeting in Indianapolis.
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Calls to Snyder and Fred Nation, IMS vice president of communications, were not returned and George did not respond to an email.

George, who started the Indy Racing League in 1996, will continue as CEO of the IndyCar series and is expected to take more of a hands-on role after Tuesday's developments at the Speedway.

It had been rumored for several years that his sisters were concerned with the amount of money George had spent on keeping the IRL afloat and changing the look of the Speedway.

It's estimated that between paying purses, supplying cars, engines and parts for other teams, hiring high powered public relations firms and starting his own IRL team, plus remaking Indy to accomodate Formula One, the IRL founder has spent more than $600 million during the past 13 years.

And his siblings were reportedly concerned about running out of money.
Reference Here>>

Many who lived through the split ... then the merger of open-wheel racing in North America were willing to bury the hatchet, but we had no idea this was where we would find the hatchet buried ... in the end.

UPDATE:

Both Tony George & Mari Hulman-George Deny Reports ... after earlier reports that Tony George had been ousted by the board of directors of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway -

Tony George denies the reports saying:

"I am still CEO and still president of Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, Hulman and Company and CEO of the Indy Racing League" -Tony George

Mari Hulman-George denies the reports saying:

"There haven't been any changes. We just discussed things like we usually do and how to make things better." -Mari Hulman-George

Quotes courtesy of WTHR
(ht: 16thAndGeorgetown)

I guess the buried hatchet has been pulled out, wound patched, and the hatchet will be placed in an undisclosed and secure location. As for Tony and his T-Times at the golf course, he will be able to get on anytime he wants! ... stay tuned.

Final UPDATE on the Tony George "Ouster" story first broke by famed and revered Motor Press reporter Robin Miller.

Tony George is still the CEO of Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Further, he still retains ownership of the IRL team, Vision Racing, and he is still the President and CEO of the Indy Racing League (the last two positions were never in doubt).

Most everyone in this community respect Robin Miller but it appears that he was sucked into a family feud over the management of the famed racing venue, Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I guess we have to say that Tony George's one less job in motorsports is that he never has to take Robin Miller seriously (or grant him special access to any of the properties he controls) ... anymore.

IMS Statement Here>>

... notes from The EDJE