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Danica Patrick rolling through turn two
at speed Wednesday during the IndyCar open test at IMS. Once Danica got up
to speed last year she led just about every practice session, did
everything but crash on her amazing "Q" run, qualifying 4th at
227.004, but yesterday all she could manage was a Panoz-best speed of
223.867, 4th on the chart behind Dixon, Hornish and Dan Wheldon, who
topped her speed in the last half hour of practice.
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Scott Dixon in one of the new TCGR
Dallara's on what could have been the lap he set fast speed of the
test at 226.012. Top qualifying speed for last year's race was Kenny
Brack's 227.598.
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One of the reasons former Indy 500 winner
Eddie Cheever returned to racing this year was to get another shot at
winning the race again. Cheever was 7th quick yesterday, turning a lap of
223.637.
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This is Bryan Herta in what I would call
AGR's "rainbow" car, showing the colors of a couple of sponsors
that will be seen this year in the Indy 500 on the cars of Michael and
Marco Andretti. Herta was the fastest AGR driver Wednesday at 222.986.
Marco couldn't run on Wednesday because he still must complete his Rookie
Orientation Program on May 7th and 8th, Michael has opted to take his
Refresher Test at the same time. With only rookies Andretti and PJ Chesson
set to run in the ROP so far, Michael Andretti and perhaps Al Unser Jr. in
"refresher's" could add some excitement to what I think is a
rather poor way to open the "Month of May" at Indy for the 2nd
year in a row. I expect that Arie Luyendyk Jr. will find a way to be the
3rd and final driver in ROP this year. Arie tried and failed to make
the race last year after missing ROP, and then was given a chance to make
the field anyway. Skipping ROP in a last minute attempt to make the race
put Luyendyk under undue time pressure and perhaps contributed to him
making wall contact in practice.
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This is Jeff Simmons, the replacement
driver for Paul Dana in the RLR #17. Simmons ran the Indy 500 as a rookie
for Mo Nunn Racing in 2004, starting 29th and finishing 16th, one lap
down. At times during the race Simmons was in the top ten. Simmons ran
220.333 yesterday in practice.
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2005 Indy 500 pole winning driver Tony
Kanaan (227.566) was far off that pace Wednesday, running a 13th best
speed of 220.917.
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Here's Kosuke Matsuura, 5th in the
IndyCar points standings, and 5th in practice yesterday at 223.707 mph.
Matsuura is an accomplished road racer on a track where road racers do
very well. Over the winter his team purchased a Panther Racing Dallara for
Kosuke, and he has been a contender ever since. Kosuke will have the
attention and pressure of performing before the home crowd in the next
IndyCar race in Motegi, Japan.
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Marty Roth is preparing for his 3rd Indy
500, he crashed out of the 2004 race, dropped out last year with
"handling" issues and ran the slowest speed of the session
Wednesday, a little above 215 mph.
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Sam Hornish Jr. set the pace almost all
day Wednesday, only to end up with a 2nd fastest run of 225.355.
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Scott Sharp passes by
twice, the close up is of a 2nd new to Fernandez Racing Dallara that Sharp
is now running on the IndyCar ovals, Sharp was 10 fastest Wednesday and
may have had a mechanical issue late in the session that prevented him
from posting a higher number than his best lap of 222.756. In the lower
photo, that's Brie taking the picture, one of Sharp's most avid fans.
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It wouldn't be an Amanda Grayson photo shoot
without at least one picture of Tomas Scheckter, 8th on the chart yesterday at
223.343.
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Vitor Meira in
the Panther Racing Dallara Honda was 12th fastest Wednesday at
221.715. Vitor finished 2nd in the 2005 Indy 500.
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***
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All O/IRR photos by
Amanda Grayson, commentary by Miles Nelson.
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