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Live streaming video from IMS
all month, here's the
link... Registration is required. It is in free testing
mode today and it isn't working all that well yet. Hopefully
they'll sort it all out soon, it appears that they are having
trouble keeping up with traffic demands. I expect it will be a
PPV, but as long as it is dependable, I'm in. Once it is no
longer free I expect the traffic troubles will go away...
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Please note that I have reason
to expect more pictures today, so keep checking. If not, I'm
done for the day. Monday's coverage can be seen here...
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***
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(An update, session over) We
should be just about done for the day now, practice was
scheduled to end at 5:00 PM Indy time. Michael Andretti is
fastest at 220.999, Marco has shown a little gain at 220.572,
Chesson appears to be done, and Unser is the only one
"working" now as the yellow flag comes out, signifying
the end of the session. Unser ends the day at 206 mph, and Arie
Jr. ran close to the same speed. The PDM/Medeiros car never made
pit road, but I can't recall when they haven't been late. There
were also reports that the Stephan Gregoire car would run today,
guess not.
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Pos
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Driver
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Best Time
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Best Speed
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1
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Michael Andretti (1)
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40.7241
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220.999
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2
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Marco Andretti (26)
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40.8030
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220.572
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3
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PJ Chesson (91)
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41.9969
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214.302
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4
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Arie Luyendyk Jr (61)
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43.5903
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206.468
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5
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Al Unser Jr (31)
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43.6073
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206.387
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6
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Townsend Bell (90)
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1:19.5999
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113.065
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***
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So what do I know? Michael
Andretti has run a faster lap than Marco, but not by much.
That's what I would do to my son if I was in that position, just
to remind him who is in control... Arie Jr. is above 202 mph
now, and looked like he had "a line" on the
"stream." Al Jr. was on the track in what appeared to
be an "installation" run/leak check, he ran two laps.
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***
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There is very little action, T.
Bell has run two laps in the Vision car, Chesson has run 8 more
laps since his best 214 mph lap , and even though Marco has run
60 laps now, he's run 12 since his fastest lap of the day...
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***
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Reading between the lines on PJ
Chesson's day, I suspect one of two things, since he has ran
over 45 laps either the "old vets" aren't happy with
his line or consistency,
or the car won't go any faster than the 214.3 that he is
running. Arie Jr. is yet to get above 200 mph. I've been
watching shots of Arie Jr on the "stream" when it is
working, and if I expected any extra effort, such as a new paint
job, I missed the boat. Other than required decal placement
positions and a number change, it looks just like what the car
looked like here in the TCGR shop.
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There have been a couple of
changes and amendments to the official entry list. What used to
be listed as the C&S Motorsport #38 is now the Playa Del
Racing #12, a Panoz Honda to be driven by Jon Herb, who ran in
the 2001 Indy 500. The addition is the #97 Team
Leader/Agajanian/Beck Motorsports Panoz Honda, driven by Stephan
Gregoire (this is an official warning that Robin Miller will
sling innuendo's all over this entry). Gregoire has been away
from the sport so long that this 4-year old laptop didn't even
have his name in the spell checker.
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***
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OK, I've been so busy posting
pictures I've fallen behind on the commentary. Marco Andretti
has posted a very respectable number (220.522, besting his dad,
I'm sure by design. There always seems to be a lot of interest
in comparing Marco with Danica Patrick on a daily basis, or with
Danica's results from 2005, I know I do that, perhaps too often.
here's the link to Danica and her ROP first day results...
Marco needs to crank it up a notch to best that, but there is 75
minutes left in the session.
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IMS Photo by Ron McQueeney
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In O/IRR pictures by Dennis Sylvia from top
to bottom, Tom Carnegie opens the track. 2nd picture is on the three
Andretti's, I can't think of a better contrasting choice of cars for
Mario's ride. The third picture of the three generations of Andretti's on
the track at Indy worth saving.
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Here'ssssssssss Al!!!
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***
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According to Dennis Sylvia, our man at IMS
Mario Andretti made a ceremonial opening lap in one of the Dean Van Lines
cars, along with son Michael and grandson Marco as shown above. So far on
the day Marco passed all phases of his driver's test in less than an hour,
and is now running 218-mph laps. PJ Chesson has been on the track and in
12 laps has already run a lap of 212 mph on his 12th time around. Michael
Andretti has run 12 laps with a best speed of 219.571. His refresher test
is just a formality, and I'm sure he has probably already
"passed." There are no cars on the track at the moment.
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***
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(1:40 EDT "IMS time," an
update) One of the neat things that often happen at IMS is the surprises,
yesterday we learned that Thiago Medeiros would be in a PDM crewed Panoz
Honda. Medeiros will have to do ROP, so far the car isn't ready yet, but
progress is being made. Dennis and I are having E-mail issues today with
the pictures, but I hope they're sorted out soon. Earlier today he said
"the car was in three pieces, tub. engine and gearbox/rear
suspension." The next update was that "the engine was hooked to
the tub," so progress is being made. With luck, by the end of the
day, a little over 3 hours from now, they will get the car out on the
track for a warm up and leak check.
According to Dennis, the Arie Luyendyk Jr. car "appears to be ready
to go and sitting in the garage." The other car of interest on the
day is the AL Unser Jr./D&R Dallara Honda, that too is in the garage
and carefully protected from view/pictures. It is supposed to look
like the American team entry in the A1GP series, since that team and it's
owner is the primary sponsor on the car.
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Thiago Medeiros and most of his ride.
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