All-purpose open-wheel (F1, IRL) racing thread

Scott Dixon wins the pole at 234.046 mph. Eclipses Scott Brayton's 1996 pole record (but still second to Arie Luyendyk's 1996 second-day run). He'll be joined on the front row by Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay.

Damn, I'm so tempted to get in the car late Saturday night and drive the 499 miles to 16th and Georgetown.

 

I was watching some of the qualifications today and kind of thought the current cars look a lot bulkier than the older ones but they must have make up for it in power because holy hell, 234 miles per hour.

 

Kellett walls the Foyt No. 4 in Turn 1 when Grosjean decides he's going to win practice. Hard hit but Kellett walks away. Grosjean got loose in Turn 4 and Kellett thought he could pass on the outside, only to realize too late that Grosjean kept his foot in it. First hard smack of the "month" at the Brickyard.

Ganassi team just as racy in 500 trim as they were in time trials. Jimmie Johnson could get a top five and be the worst car in the stable.

Now, today's practice was cool and windy. Sunday's forecast right now is hot and slick. If you're not starting up front in those conditions, it's going to be very difficult to make up ground. It appears the new track sealer, which is darker than asphalt, is very finicky as track temps climb.

We'll see what Carb Day brings but right now, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou are the class of the field.

 

I went to a Harrah's casino in North Carolina today and can place a bet on the Coke 600 but not Indy. Too bad, because Palou would be a great price.

 

I have credentials – I'm not from the Indianapolis area – but have heard the same thing. The media center can seat about 300 total, 12 to a row, and there are 4 or 5 to a row this year, essentially COVID spacing that was used for last year's Brickyard weekend. The thing about national/international outlets is, they're not here. No Chicago, no Atlanta, no Miami, no Detroit, at least not for qualifying. The NYT and Washington Post might be here on Sunday, but the days of the LA Times sending a reporter (Shav Glick) and columnist (Jim Murray), and a half-dozen other California papers doing the same, is long gone.

The new management, having been in racing for more than 50 years, ought to know the majority of people still covering auto racing do so because they like the sport, and when they're gone, the outlets they represent will largely not bother to cover the 500, much less other racing.

 

There's a barbecue restaurant at the Indy airport with a vintage racecar hung on the wall.

 

They've cited nothing. Hey, nobody from the track PR hierarchy has come out of their cocoon on the fourth floor to say hello while I've been there, just the front-desk helpers we've known for years. We'll see if that changes beginning tomorrow with media day. Guessing it's just to make it look better.

 

Funny, because they literally asked us to come back, but I know that hasn’t been the case everywhere. The non-NBC TV stations in our market aren’t going.

 

I'll have "Which race on the best day in motorsports will I NOT be watching" for $1,000, Alex?

 

Wow. Couple of serious hits in Carb Day practice.

First, David Malukis makes a late move on Santino Ferrucci and slaps the Turn 1 wall. Just seconds ago, Colton Herta got twitchy in Turn 1, lost it and flipped upside down all the way through the South chute.

Neither driver was hurt, but that's a lot of work for the crews to rebuild stuff before Sunday.