INDIANAPOLIS 500 - Power Leads Practice at Indy 500

Will Power. ©RIS/Larry Clarino

INDIANAPOLIS - RIS - May 17, 2017 - It is Wednesday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where practice continues for the 101st running of the Indy 500 Mile Race.

The weather has become a major factor as it is hot, high 80’s and windy today. Predicted gusty winds are 25 to 30 mile-per-hour from the south-southwest. That with make for a slippery and hard handling day for the drivers. To top things off, rain is in the forecast for the next several days.

Thirty-two cars took to the track yesterday, only Buddy Lazer’s now numbered 44, did not make it on to the track. Word is they are still a little short in funds, but no one expects them not to make the field. Sources tell RIS that they are asking INDYCAR and IMS to kick in, to make the traditional field of 33 possible.

Pippa Mann in the number 63, Dale Coyne Racing entry did make it on track for 41 laps with a top speed of only 218 and a half. We predict she will “make the race” since, well, everyone will make the race, regardless how fast, or slow the qualify this weekend.

Team Penske’s Will Power set the pace on Tuesday with a 224.656 MPH, followed by Helio Castroneves at 224.287, a gap of only 0.06 seconds.

Zack Veach, driving a third AJ Foyt entry and Jack Harvey, driving the Michael Shank/Andretti number 50, both completed their rookie orientation program.

All the rookies have now past ROP and are free of speed limits. Going out on a very think limb, we predict F-1, two time world champ, will win the Rookie of the Year award. We must say the guy is very serious about running here. He spends every morning at the Honda simulator in nearby Brownsburg, Indiana, before coming to the Speedway. Yesterday he did get the chance to run in heave traffic completing a chart topping 117 laps of practice.

There were no on track incidents on Tuesday, with 10 yellows for debris and track inspections.

And so practice continues today for the race, a week from Sunday.

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Volume 2017, Issue 5, Posted 11:55 AM, 05.17.2017