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Before
I get into my commentary on today’s first real practice
session for the 2005 Indy 500, let’s review the previous two
day of the IMS Rookie Orientation Program, or “ROP.” Sunday
was passably exciting, if only because after waiting over eleven
months, cars were back on the track at IMS, a track that had
been resurfaced in the Fall, and failed to pass muster in the
first tire test of the new surface. IMS officials then called
out the “grinders,” and the entire track was “diamond
ground.” The next tire test, before the IndyCars were shipped
to
Japan
for the
Motegi race, was deemed a success, with several cars running in
the 222-223 mph range. So when ROP began, although we suspected
that this year’s crop of rookies would run faster than last
year, no one thought that they would run so close to last
year’s pole speed, and in the case of Danica Patrick, exceed
it handily. Monday had to be considered a dull day at IMS in
some people’s eyes, if that is indeed possible. To me, a day
at IMS, with the IndyCars at speed, is way better than a day
almost anywhere else. Danica Patrick posted a 222.741 mph la.
Danica’s RLR teammate Buddy Rice, who won at Indy last year,
was also the 2004 fast qualifier, at 222.024 mph. Monday was
also a day of both reward and frustration for two drivers,
Sebastien Bourdais got to run his primary car and just about
breezed through his ROP effort, while Scott Mayer, so confident
and relieved after completing three phases of his test Sunday,
hit the “virtual wall” rookies often encounter at IMS, and
found the car and track to difficult to overcome. Mayer has only
to complete phase four to be given final clearance to practice,
and that can be done any time before Bump Day. Rookies Paul
Dana, Ryan Briscoe and Jeff Bucknum were no-shows Monday, a
great opportunity lost in my opinion. With a team like TCGR
supporting him, Briscoe will be in good shape, but Paul Dana and
Hemelgarn Ethanol Racing have stunk up the IndyCar season so
far, and should have been out running every time the green light
was on. Bucknum’s team is no world beater either, they too
should be hard at it every chance they get. As I suggested, Jeff
Ward did get one of the Vision Racing Dallara Toyota’s out on
the track and above 212 mph to pass his refresher test.
Playing
mind/speed-games at IMS in “pole week” practice
Last
year, while Fernandez Racing teammates Adrian Fernandez and
Kosuke Matsuura were alternating at playing King of the Mountain
every day of IMS practice, the RLR and AGR teams were playing
Hide and Seek, letting the Fernandez Racing duo bask in the
temporary limelight. Meanwhile the other two teams sandbagged
along their merry way, working on race setups and running
half-laps at pole speed, going flat into turns one and two on
one lap and working the opposite end of the speedway the next.
Even in the 2nd week of practice, Fernandez Racing
was back at the top of the chart, dazzling people and fooling
none of those that mattered. I even called them on the practice
in my 2004 Indy 500 preview. On Pole day, it was Buddy Rice/RLR
on the pole, followed by the two AGR cars of Wheldon and
Franchitti, the Newman Haas entry of Bruno Junqueira (another
sandbag job), Kanaan/AGR and finally Fernandez in 6th,
and Matsuura in 9th. All that Fernandez early speed
wasted. In their defense though, Fernandez finished the 500 in 7th,
Matsuura in 11th.
Today
I don’t expect “speed wars” to return, there is only four
short days of practice before pole day, only 6 hours of practice
a day. Weather is always an issue as well, you will see little
wasted time, and lots of track time. Teams will alternate
working on race setups and making heat of the day speed runs as
well, but none of them will show all they have.
Speaking of weather, it looks to be very warm at Indy today,
with little chance of rain, winds will be under 10 mph, Indy
weather…
The only question left is how much speed there is in this
year’s car and engine combinations, and also the improved
track surface. I expect the teams to work up to speed
cautiously, and also expect that under heavy traffic, the track
to get very dusty as the “high points” of the diamond ground
surface begin to be worn down. The track will get fasted every
day, but for today, I look for a fast speed of somewhere around
225 mph, and I have no clue who will be the pacesetter, there
are close to 20 real contenders for the 2005 Indy 500, one of
the strongest fields in a long time.
At this time I want to go on record with a couple of “dark
horse” Indy 500 predictions. If you have a Sports Book near
you with an Indy 500 “early line,” these two combo’s are
worth a wager, Mo Nunn/Adrian Fernandez and Byrd
Brothers/Panther/Buddy Lazier.
I
will also be very interested in watching the Schmidt/Hearn
effort, a Panoz/Chevy combination I have been waiting to see for
a couple of years. If only this team was a bit stronger…
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