By Dave Lewandowski
indy500.com
Thursday, May 7, 2009
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There wasn't a sense of urgency on Opening Day II at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after rain May 6 washed out activity and dampened the spirits of competitors.
That's not to suggest the eight-hour session lacked a pressing importance as 32 car/driver combinations totaled 2,199 laps in preparation for Pole Day Qualifications. Inclement weather again could steal track time -- six hours scheduled for Fast Friday, with two hours preceding the commencement of four-lap qualifying at noon (ET) May 9.
"Saturday will be very exciting," said two-time race winner and two-time pole sitter Helio Castroneves.
Six different teams were represented in the top 10 on the speed chart, with Andretti Green Racing's Marco Andretti recording the quickest lap of 30.9152 seconds (225.478 mph) in the No. 26 Team Venom Energy car.
"It's definitely a good start," said Andretti, who has finished second and third in three 500 Mile Race starts. "It definitely shows that we have the speed. On our own we're still not quite sure. We got a lot of tows today, which is a good thing, but a lot of times we don't know where we truly stack up.
"But I'm really happy with the car's balance. And I think that's the key - getting the balance right and being able to take a trim. That's the name of the game. We'll have to see if we can keep up with it, if not get a little better."
Castroneves again showed he's ready to challenge for the pole with a quick lap of 225.237 mph (39.9579 seconds) set with 38 minutes left in the session. Team Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe (224.837; 40.0290) was third and Scott Dixon, the 2008 pole sitter and race champion, was fourth (224.448; 40.0983) in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car. His teammate and 2007 Indy 500 champion, Dario Franchitti, was fifth-quick (224.160; 40.1499).
"The Team Penske boys did an incredible job," Castroneves said. "The car was just superb right out off the truck. We wanted to take advantage of the day; it was just awesome. It started off a little cooler then progressively started warming up, and we just decided to keep going. Right now, we feel very solid."
Panther Racing's Dan Wheldon, driving the No. 4 with the camouflage paint scheme, was easily identified at sixth on the speed chart (224.022), while Robert Doornbos of Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing (223.592) was seventh-quick to top the six rookie entrants.
Stanton Barrett, driving the No. 98 car for Team 3G, completed the Rookie Orientation Program in the morning. He recorded 78 total laps, with a best of 218.039 mph (41.2676 seconds).
The lone caution for an on-track incident involved the No. 21 Vision Racing car driven by Ryan Hunter-Reay that made contact with the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier.
"We had a bit of vibration in the tires," said Hunter-Reay, who was checked and cleared to drive. "We didn't want to go to a new set yet because we wanted to save them. I think that ended up biting us, running around with lower downforce and a bit of a vibration, which is just a weighting issue."
***
2009 IMS tickets: Established in 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has long prevailed as an icon of motorsports excellence. Beginning in 2009, the Speedway celebrates its Centennial Era, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the facility in 2009 and the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race in 2011.
Tickets for the three events in 2009 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - the Indianapolis 500, Allstate 400 at the Brickyard and Red Bull Indianapolis GP - can be purchased online at www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com at any time.
Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are on sale. Contact the IMS Group Sales Department at (866) 221-8775 for more information.
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