Auto Racing Capsules: Indy celebrates 100 years, hopes for better future
IndyCar
Indianapolis 500 Lineup
Sunday
At Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis
Lap length: 2.5 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
All cars Dallara chassis, Honda engine
1. (77) Alex Tagliani, 2 minutes, 38.2613 seconds (227.472 mph).
2. (9) Scott Dixon, 2:38.3528 (227.340).
3. (2) Oriol Servia, 2:38.4727 (227.168).
4. (99) Townsend Bell, 2:38.6696 (226.887).
5. (12) Will Power, 2:38.7493 (226.773).
6. (98) Dan Wheldon, 2:38.9477 (226.171).
7. (44) Buddy Rice, 2:39.4431 (225.786).
8. (67) Ed Carpenter, 2:39.9137 (225.121).
9. (10) Dario Franchitti, 2:39.0253 (226.379).
10. (5) Takuma Sato, 2:39.4785 (225.736).
11. (14) Vitor Meira, 2:39.5814 (225.590).
12. (4) JR Hildebrand, 2:39.5895 (225.579).
13. (06) James Hinchcliffe, 2:39.5942 (225.572).
14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, 2:39.7973 (225.285).
15. (11) Davey Hamilton, 2:39.8223 (225.250).
16. (3) Helio Castroneves, 2:39.8464 (225.216).
17. (43) John Andretti, 2:40.0133 (224.981).
18. (59) EJ Viso, 2:40.1907 (224.732).
19. (22) Justin Wilson, 2:40.3488 (224.511).
20. (88) Jay Howard, 2:40.3685 (224.483).
21. (07) Tomas Scheckter, 2:40.4040 (224.433).
22. (82) Tony Kanaan, 2:40.4156 (224.417).
23. (78T) Simona de Silvestro, 2:40.4335 (224.392).
24. (23) Paul Tracy, 2:40.0433 (224.939).
25. (7) Danica Patrick, 2:40.0987 (224.861).
26. (6T) Ryan Briscoe, 2:40.2572 (224.639).
27. (26) Marco Andretti, 2:40.2648 (224.628).
28. (83) Charlie Kimball, 2:40.3574 (224.499).
29. (38) Graham Rahal, 2:40.4424 (224.380).
30. (19) Alex Lloyd, 2:40.7451 (223.957).
31. (36) Pippa Mann, 2:40.7600 (223.936).
32. (24) Ana Beatriz, 2:40.8012 (223.879).
33. (41) Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2:40.2203 (224.691)
Note: No. 41 car originally qualified 19th by Bruno Junqueira
NASCAR
Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600 lineup
After Thursday qualifying; race Sunday
At Charlotte Motor Speedway
Concord, N.C.
Lap length: 1.5 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (2) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 192.089 mph.
2. (43) A J Allmendinger, Ford, 191.693.
3. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 191.686.
4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 191.367.
5. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 191.245.
6. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 191.069.
7. (00) David Reutimann, Toyota, 190.921.
8. (6) David Ragan, Ford, 190.799.
9. (21) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 190.752.
10. (33) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 190.705.
11. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 190.604.
12. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 190.564.
13. (5) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 190.409.
14. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 190.201.
15. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 190.161.
16. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 190.067.
17. (4) Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 189.893.
18. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 189.867.
19. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 189.86.
20. (78) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 189.767.
21. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 189.44.
22. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 189.414.
23. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, 189.321.
24. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 189.288.
25. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 188.937.
26. (22) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 188.844.
27. (47) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 188.653.
28. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 188.416.
29. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 188.16.
30. (34) David Gilliland, Ford, 188.048.
31. (38) Travis Kvapil, Ford, 187.99.
32. (95) David Starr, Ford, 187.944.
33. (66) Michael McDowell, Toyota, 187.682.
34. (46) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, 187.513.
35. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 187.201.
36. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 187.169.
37. (13) Casey Mears, Toyota, 186.994.
38. (30) David Stremme, Chevrolet, 186.916.
39. (32) Mike Bliss, Ford, 186.413.
40. (09) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, Owner Points.
41. (7) Robby Gordon, Dodge, Owner Points.
42. (36) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, Owner Points.
43. (60) Mike Skinner, Toyota, 186.774.
Failed to Qualify
44. (71) Andy Lally, Ford, 186.651.
45. (50) T.J. Bell, Toyota, 186.567.
46. (77) Scott Wimmer, Dodge, 186.213.
47. (37) Tony Raines, Ford, 184.483.
48. (81) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 183.73.
Nationwide Top Gear 300 results
Saturday
At Charlotte Motor Speedway
Concord, N.C.
Lap length: 1.5 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (3) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 200 laps, 139.2 rating, 0 points, $51,800.
2. (5) Carl Edwards, Ford, 200, 133, 0, $40,850.
3. (4) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 200, 123.4, 0, $28,650.
4. (1) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 200, 112.7, 41, $38,143.
5. (6) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 200, 101.8, 39, $29,718.
6. (13) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 200, 104.1, 0, $19,075.
7. (16) Steve Wallace, Toyota, 200, 91.1, 37, $23,418.
8. (12) Brian Scott, Toyota, 200, 90, 36, $24,918.
9. (8) Aric Almirola, Chevrolet, 200, 91.7, 35, $21,768.
10. (10) Elliott Sadler, Chevrolet, 200, 85, 34, $22,243.
11. (11) Joey Logano, Toyota, 199, 90.3, 0, $13,950.
12. (7) Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 199, 93.3, 33, $13,450.
13. (15) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 199, 81.5, 32, $19,743.
14. (18) Michael Annett, Toyota, 199, 77.3, 31, $18,868.
15. (14) Cole Whitt, Toyota, 199, 81.7, 0, $19,368.
16. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 199, 107.2, 0, $12,400.
17. (20) Josh Wise, Chevrolet, 198, 69.6, 27, $18,068.
18. (25) Mike Bliss, Chevrolet, 198, 71.2, 26, $19,343.
19. (39) Danny Efland, Ford, 198, 63.2, 25, $18,718.
20. (21) Kenny Wallace, Toyota, 198, 71.5, 24, $18,343.
21. (17) Jason Leffler, Chevrolet, 197, 89.9, 23, $17,568.
22. (9) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 197, 96.6, 0, $11,075.
23. (33) Timmy Hill, Ford, 197, 55.8, 21, $18,868.
24. (41) Morgan Shepherd, Chevrolet, 197, 48.4, 20, $17,403.
25. (24) Mike Wallace, Chevrolet, 197, 55.7, 19, $17,993.
26. (23) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 196, 55.4, 18, $17,333.
27. (22) Kimi Raikkonen, Toyota, 196, 67.2, 0, $17,698.
28. (34) Eric McClure, Chevrolet, 195, 46.5, 16, $17,263.
29. (19) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, engine, 194, 59.9, 15, $10,750.
30. (32) Derrike Cope, Dodge, 193, 40.7, 14, $17,473.
31. (40) Jennifer Jo Cobb, Ford, 191, 37.9, 13, $10,670.
32. (36) Dennis Setzer, Chevrolet, power steering, 162, 42, 12, $17,093.
33. (30) Kevin Lepage, Chevrolet, engine, 112, 35.6, 11, $17,043.
34. (27) Blake Koch, Dodge, engine, 80, 49.1, 10, $17,013.
35. (29) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, rear end, 71, 52.1, 0, $10,520.
36. (42) Robert Richardson Jr., Dodge, accident, 42, 35.5, 8, $16,968.
37. (31) John Jackson, Toyota, vibration, 41, 39.7, 7, $10,475.
38. (26) Tim Andrews, Ford, ignition, 24, 41.5, 6, $10,455.
39. (37) Carl Long, Ford, overheating, 15, 35.6, 5, $10,435.
40. (38) Mike Harmon, Chevrolet, wheel bearing, 10, 33, 4, $10,330.
41. (43) David Green, Chevrolet, vibration, 6, 33.3, 3, $10,295.
42. (28) Kelly Bires, Ford, overheating, 5, 32.4, 2, $10,270.
43. (35) Jeff Green, Chevrolet, vibration, 4, 31.9, 1, $10,209.
Race Statistics
Average Speed of Race Winner: 136.640 mph.
Time of Race: 2 hours, 11 minutes, 44 seconds.
Margin of Victory: 0.763 seconds.
Caution Flags: 5 for 25 laps.
Lead Changes: 17 among 8 drivers.
Lap Leaders: R.Stenhouse Jr. 1-12; M.Kenseth 13-16; C.Edwards 17-27; K.Harvick 28-59; K.Busch 60-73; K.Harvick 74; K.Busch 75-102; M.Kenseth 103-131; C.Edwards 132-136; K.Busch 137; S.Hornish Jr. 138; J.Allgaier 139-143; M.Annett 144; M.Kenseth 145-149; C.Edwards 150-154; K.Busch 155; C.Edwards 156-197; M.Kenseth 198-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): C.Edwards, 4 times for 63 laps; K.Busch, 4 times for 44 laps; M.Kenseth, 4 times for 41 laps; K.Harvick, 2 times for 33 laps; R.Stenhouse Jr., 1 time for 12 laps; J.Allgaier, 1 time for 5 laps; S.Hornish Jr., 1 time for 1 lap; M.Annett, 1 time for 1 lap.
Top 10 in Points: 1. E.Sadler, 452; 2. R.Stenhouse Jr., 451; 3. R.Sorenson, 450; 4. J.Allgaier, 430; 5. A.Almirola, 401; 6. J.Leffler, 398; 7. K.Wallace, 379; 8. S.Wallace, 352; 9. B.Scott, 339; 10. J.Wise, 316.
NASCAR Driver Rating Formula
A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.
The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.
Formula One
Monaco Grand Prix Lineup
After Saturday qualifying; race Sunday
At Circuit de Monaco
Monaco
Lap length: 2.075 miles
Third Session
1. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Red Bull, 1 minute, 13.556 seconds.
2. Jenson Button, England, McLaren, 1:13.997.
3. Mark Webber, Australia, Red Bull, 1:14.019.
4. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Ferrari, 1:14.483.
5. Michael Schumacher, Germany, Mercedes, 1:14.682.
6. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:14.877.
7. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Mercedes, 1:15.766.
8. Pastor Maldonado, Venezuela, Williams, 1:16.528.
9. Lewis Hamilton, England, McLaren, third qualifying session time not counted after cutting a chicane.
10. Sergio Perez, Mexico, Sauber, no time.
Eliminated after second session
11. Vitaly Petrov, Russia, Renault, 1:15.815.
12. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Williams, 1:15.826.
13. Kamui Kobayashi, Japan, Sauber, 1:15.973.
14. Paul di Resta, Scotland, Force India, 1:16.118.
15. Adrian Sutil, Germany, Force India, 1:16.121.
16. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, Renault, 1:16.214.
17. Sebastien Buemi, Switzerland, Toro Rosso, 1:16.300.<
Eliminated after first session
18. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, Team Lotus, 1:17.343.
19. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Team Lotus, 1:17.381.
20. Jaime Alguersuari, Spain, Toro Rosso, 1:17.820.
21. Timo Glock, Germany, Virgin, 1:17.914.
22. Jerome d'Ambrosio, Belgium, Virgin, 1:18.736.
23. Narain Karthikeyan, India, HRT, no time.
24. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Italy, HRT, no time.
Third Session
7. Lewis Hamilton, England, McLaren, 1:15.280.
8. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Mercedes, 1:15.766.
9. Pastor Maldonado, Venezuela, Williams, 1:16.528.
10. Sergio Perez, Mexico, Sauber, no time.<
Eliminated after second session
11. Vitaly Petrov, Russia, Renault, 1:15.815.
12. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Williams, 1:15.826.
13. Kamui Kobayashi, Japan, Sauber, 1:15.973.
14. Paul di Resta, Scotland, Force India, 1:16.118.
15. Adrian Sutil, Germany, Force India, 1:16.121.
16. Nick Heidfeld, Germany, Renault, 1:16.214.
17. Sebastien Buemi, Switzerland, Toro Rosso, 1:16.300.<
Eliminated after first session
18. Heikki Kovalainen, Finland, Team Lotus, 1:17.343.
19. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Team Lotus, 1:17.381.
20. Jaime Alguersuari, Spain, Toro Rosso, 1:17.820.
21. Timo Glock, Germany, Virgin, 1:17.914.
22. Jerome d'Ambrosio, Belgium, Virgin, 1:18.736.
23. Narain Karthikeyan, India, HRT, no time.
24. Vitantonio Liuzzi, Italy, HRT, no time.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — When Alex Tagliani leads the 33-car field into the first turn of the Indianapolis 500, he’ll be tugging along a century’s worth of triumphs, thrills and tragedy.
But in this, the 100th anniversary of America’s most famous race, the focus is clearly on the future.
The IndyCar series is showing signs of emerging from 15 years of irrelevance, a period of darkness that began with an open-wheel war between two feuding series and ended with a peace agreement hardly anyone noticed. The sport that produced such giants as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Rick Mears found itself relegated to niche status. Heck, there were even empty seats at the Brickyard, a sight no one could have envisioned a couple of decades ago.
"There was almost a lost generation," Andretti moaned. "There were those 15 years where things were precarious, at best."
Now, there’s a semblance of hope. Two new manufacturers will enter the series in 2012, powering a futuristic new machine. The field for this year’s 500 is undoubtedly deeper and more talented than it has been since the glory days. Sponsorships are up, attendance is improving and an energetic new leader seems willing to try anything that might bring more attention to the sport.
In a sense, Sunday’s race can be seen as a jumping-off point to a new era (and, no, we’re not talking about the giant orange ramp set up on the infield for a Hot Wheels promotional stunt before the green flag waves).
"I’m proud of the series for what we’ve done, for all the hard work we’ve put in," said Danica Patrick, who has just one win in her career but remains the only driver widely known outside of IndyCar circles.
Of course, the fact that everyone is wondering whether Patrick will bolt to a more profitable gig in NASCAR next year shows the checkered flag remains in the distance. No matter what happens, there’s still plenty of work to be done.
A third of the field is composed of part-time drivers, most of whom are doing Indy-only deals and hope it leads to something bigger
Look at Dan Wheldon, a former race winner who should be in the prime of his career. He was squeezed out of his last job, and this is the only sure thing on his schedule in 2011. Look at Townsend Bell, who has finished as high as fifth at Indy and will start from the inside of the second row. Asked what’s on his schedule for the rest of the year, he replied, "Well, there’s Christmas. And New Year’s, I guess."
Good line, but not good for IndyCar.
"I stopped many years ago trying to rationalize or problem-solve the racing industry," Bell said. "I’m resigned to the fact that if I just go out and win the damn race, everything else will probably take care of itself."
Randy Bernard, who was brought in from the Professional Bull Riders series to bring some pizazz to IndyCar, has certainly shown he’s willing to shake thing up. One of his changes — double-file restarts, which are used in NASCAR — has drawn the ire of the drivers. They see them as impractical with the high-speed, open-wheel machines, which can’t go banging into each other like the good ol’ boys.
Tagliani, the surprising pole-winner, was one of the most outspoken critics. He fears that Sunday’s race could turn into a gruesome crashfest. He even went so far as to raise the possibility of debris flying into the stands and injuring someone in the massive crowd of more than 200,000.
"I don’t want to be responsible for that," the Canadian said. "If our wheels touch while we’re racing side-by-side, all of a sudden cars are going to be flipping."
IndyCar officials have promised extra sweeping in the corners during caution periods to provide a wider racing groove, but they appear unwilling to back off from the double-file concept. If nothing else, it has given people something to talk about, which might have been the main purpose all along.
"It’s brought a lot of new controversy and attention to the sport, in a good and positive way," Bernard said.
There are other positive signs:
— Tagliani was part-owner of a financially challenged team that appeared on the verge of folding before the season. Then it was bought by Sam Schmidt, a former racer who became a car owner after a 2000 crash left him a quadriplegic. The joyful celebration between Tags and his wheelchair-bound boss when the No. 77 car stunningly captured the pole will remain one of the most heart-warming memories of this May, no matter who wins the race.
— Helio Castroneves will make another attempt at his record-tying fourth win. He struggled in qualifying, managing only the 16th-best speed, but look for him to make a quick charge through the field. He’ll likely be joined by others starting farther back than expected, such as defending champ Dario Franchitti (ninth) and Ryan Briscoe (26th). "I think those guys will be up front pretty quickly," said Will Power, another of the favorites.
— Patrick could be making her final start at the 500 if, as most people expect, she moves full time to stock cars in 2012. While coy about her future, she denied a report that a tentative NASCAR deal was already in place and insisted she has not made a final decision.
"We’re very far from the finish line on any of that," she said.
Patrick has always run strong at Indy, most notably her fourth-place finish as a rookie in 2005, but don’t look for any DanicaMania this year. Her Andretti Autosport team has struggled all month to get up to speed. In fact, two of the team’s four regulars didn’t even qualify on bump day, leading to a deal that put Ryan Hunter-Reay in a car Bruno Junqueira actually qualified for rival A.J. Foyt Racing.
Hunter-Reay, it turns out, might have a better chance in the No. 41 car than he would’ve had slipping into the field in an underpowered Andretti machine. He was faster than any of his actual teammates in the final practice session Friday.
As for Schmidt, he’s reveled all week in the attention that goes with putting a car on the pole, especially one that beat out powerhouse organizations run by Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi. Considering the personal side to the story, the team’s qualifying run is even more inspiring.
"I do it because this is my passion," Schmidt said. "But if gets a lot of people out of bed, gets ‘em active, gets ‘em in shape, gets ‘em back to work so they can be an active part of society, that’s what it’s all about."
Although Schmidt’s team has shown it can produce a fast car, a 200-lap race is more than pure speed. There’s reliability. There’s strategy. There’s pit stops.
"It comes down to the total package," two-time winner Franchitti said. "You’ve got to be flawless. Every year, it’s the same thing: To win this thing, you’ve got to be flawless. It’s very unusual to make a mistake and come back from it."
Which is why, despite the closeness of the field and the surprising strength shown by smaller teams in qualifying, the winner likely will be wearing the Penske (Castroneves, Briscoe and Power) or Ganassi (Franchitti and Scott Dixon) colors.
"Part of me wants to say the winner will come from outside of those guys," said Tony Kanaan, who’s one of those outsiders. "But I know what they’re capable of. I know Dario. I know Scott Dixon. And Helio, you can’t count Helio out. Helio running from behind is something else. I would say it will be between those two teams, unfortunately for me."
2011 Indianapolis 500 Driver Profiles
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Profiles of the 33 drivers in Sunday's Indianapolis 500, in starting order with car number in parentheses, age, hometown, chassis, race team, four-lap qualification average and biographical information (w-former winner; r-rookie; all chassis Dallara, all engines Honda):
ROW 1
1. (77) Alex Tagliani, 38, Lachenaie, Quebec, Canada; Sam Schmidt Motorsports; 227.472 mph. Tagliani ranks seventh in the points standings and had a season-best fifth-place finish at Sao Paulo. The Indy 500 pole was the sixth pole of his career, and his first since 2003. He has one win and 85 top 10 finishes in 156 races. His last win came in 2004. He was rookie of the year at Indy in 2009 after starting 33rd and finishing 11th. That year, Bruno Junqueira qualified the car, and the team gave the spot to Tagliani.
2. (9) w-Scott Dixon, 30, Auckland, New Zealand; Target Chip Ganassi Racing; 227.340 mph. Won the pole and the Indianapolis 500 in 2008 and has finished in the top six the past four years. He has led 188 laps in the past three Indy 500s. He has won 25 races and 15 poles in his career. Finished second at Barber this season and ranks eighth in points. Won points championships in 2003 and 2008. Lost the 2007 title when he ran out of gas on the last turn of the last lap of the last race of the season.
3. (2) Oriol Servia, 36, Pals, Spain; Newman/Haas Racing; 227.168 mph. First time in front row at Indy. Missed last year's race because he couldn't get a ride. Has placed in the top 10 in all four races this season and ranks third in the point standings. Has seven consecutive top 10 finishes dating back to 2009. Has season-best finishes of fifth at Barber and Sao Paulo. Won the Indy Lights title in 1999 and finished second in Champ Car in 2005. Best finish at Indy was 11th in 2005.
ROW 2
4. (99) Townsend Bell, 36, San Luis Obispo, Calif.; Sam Schmidt Motorsports; 226.887 mph. Will be his first race of the year. Finished fourth in Indy 500 in 2009 and 16th last year. Indy Lights rookie of the year in 2000 and series champion in 2001. Drove in former CART series in 2002 and Formula 3000 in 2003 before joining IndyCar in 2004. Had three top-10 finishes in 2008.
5. (12) Will Power, 30, Toowoomba, Australia; Team Penske; 226.773 mph. Has wins at Barber and Sao Paulo this season and leads the point standings. He has 11 wins, 20 poles and 33 top-five finishes in 74 races. His best finish at Indy is fifth in 2009. He started second and finished eighth last year. Finished second in the points standings last year after winning five races. Won the pole for the first four races this season. Has led more than 1,000 laps in his career.
6. (98) w-Dan Wheldon, 32, Emberton, England; Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb/Agajanian; 226.490 mph. Won the Indy 500 in 2005 and finished second in 2009 and 2010. Won the points championship in 2005. Has 15 wins in 131 career starts with 92 top 10 finishes. Finished ninth in point standings last year. Former rookie of the year in the U.S. F2000, Toyota Atlantic, Indy Lights and IndyCar series. This will be his first race of the season. Last win was in 2008 in Iowa.
ROW 3
7. (44) w-Buddy Rice, 35, Phoenix; Panther Racing; 225.786 mph. Won the rain-shortened Indy 500 in 2004. Won three races and five poles that year; had 12 top 10s in 16 races. Hasn't won a race or a pole since. Has 43 top-10 finishes in 97 races. Rice came to IndyCar in 2002 after running in the Toyota Atlantic Championship, where he won the 2000 series title. He started and finished second in his first-ever IZOD IndyCar Series race.
8. (67) Ed Carpenter, 30, Indianapolis; Sarah Fisher Racing; 225.121 mph. Finished 12th in the points standings in 2009 but drove in just four races last year. Won the pole and finished second at Kentucky last year. This will be his first start of the season. Did not lead a lap in his first five seasons in IndyCar, but has led 52 in the past three seasons. Has 28 top-10 finishes. Graduated from Butler University in 2003. Stepson of IndyCar founder Tony George.
9. (10) w-Dario Franchitti, 38, Edinburgh, Scotland; Target Chip Ganassi Racing; 226.379 mph. Won the Indy 500 in 2007 and 2010. Has won three IndyCar championships in four years. Won at St. Petersburg and is second in the points standings behind Will Power. Has placed in the top four in all four events this season. Has 27 career wins and has placed in the top 5 in 94 of 219 races. Missed race in 2003 after breaking his back in motorcycle accident. Married to actress Ashley Judd.
ROW 4
10. (5) Takuma Sato, 34, Tokyo, KV Racing Technology-Lotus; 225.736 mph. Started the season with career-best finish of fifth at St. Petersburg. Finished eighth at Sao Paulo and led 23 laps, losing when he had to stop for fuel. Ranks 10th in points. Finished 21st after starting 31st as a rookie at last year's Indy 500. Finished third at the Indianapolis Grand Prix in 2004 as a Formula One driver.
11. (14) Vitor Meira, 34, Brasilia, Brazil; A.J. Foyt Enterprises; 225.590 mph. Finished second at Indy in 2005 and 2008. Has finished in the top 10 in five of seven starts at Indy. Was injured during 2009 Indy 500 and missed the rest of the season. Consistent driver has 65 top-10 finishes in 118 starts, but two poles and no wins. He has eight second-place finishes in his career. Best finish this season was eighth at St. Petersburg. Is 12th in points standings.
12. (4) r-JR Hildebrand, 23, Sausalito, Calif.; Panther Racing; 225.579 mph. Highest-qualifying rookie in the field. Starting position at Indy is best of the season. Best finish is 10th in his most recent race at Sao Paulo. Finished 11th after starting 24th at St. Petersburg. Ranks 16th in points. Won Indy Lights championship in 2009 with four wins and five pole positions. Won Formula Ford championship in 2006, with 12 wins in 14 races. Won SCCA Formula Russell Championship in 2004.
ROW 5
13. (06) r-James Hinchcliffe, 24, Toronto; Newman/Haas Racing; 225.572 mph. Rookie has placed in the top 10 in his second and third ever IndyCar races, including a fourth-place finish at Long Beach. Best start was eighth at Barber in his debut, where he finished 40 laps before crashing. His starting position at Indy is his lowest this season. Finished second in Indy Lights last year after earning four poles and three wins. Was fifth in Indy Lights in 2009.
14. (30) Bertrand Baguette, 25, Verviers, Belgium; Rahal Letterman Lanigan LLC; 225.285. Baguette placed 22nd in the standings last year. He started 15 races, with a season-best sixth-place start and 10th-place finish at Kentucky. Won the World Series by Renault championship in 2009 with five wins and 10 podium finishes in 17 starts. Lived in the guesthouse of Conquest Racing team owner Eric Bachelhart when he moved to the United States for the 2010 IndyCar season.
15. (11) Davey Hamilton, 48, Nampa, Idaho; Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; 225.250 mph. Finished second in points in 1996-1997 and 1998. Does not have a win in 53 starts. Started an Indy Lights team in 2009 that notched its first win in 2010. Ran as high as second in the 1997 Indy 500 before finishing sixth. Led three laps at Indy in 1998 and finished fourth. Foot and ankle injuries from crash at Texas in 2001 ended his season, and he has not been a regular since.
ROW 6
16. (3) w-Helio Castroneves, 36, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Team Penske; 225.216 mph. Won the Indy 500 in 2001, 2002 and 2009. Won the pole in 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Has never won a points championship. Is struggling this season, with just one top-10 finish (7th at Barber). He has started in the top 10 in each race this season. Ranks 17th in points standings. Set record for poles in 2007. Former "Dancing with the Stars" winner. Has 25 wins and 146 top 10 finishes in 230 races. Has led 4,433 laps in his career.
17. (43) John Andretti, 48, Indianapolis; Andretti Autosport; 224.981 mph. Has one top 10 finish in nine IndyCar starts. Andretti's godfather is A.J. Foyt; cousin of Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti. His father, Aldo, is the twin brother of 1969 Indy 500 winner Mario Andretti.
18. (59) E.J. Viso, 26, Caracas, Venezuela; KV Racing Technology-Lotus; 224.732 mph. A test driver in Formula One in 2006, he also competed in the European GP 2 Series, winning twice. No wins in 54 IndyCar starts with best finish being third at Iowa in 2010. Best finish this year was 13th at Brazil and has 51 points. Making his third career start at Indianapolis but hasn't finished better than 24th on the oval.
ROW 7
19. (22) Justin Wilson, 32, Sheffield, England, Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, 224.511 mph. Starting his fourth 500 after finishing a career-high seventh last year. Led 11 laps in 2010 race. Former ChampCar driver has two top 10s this season — 10th in season opener at St. Pete and seventh in Brazil. Tied with Marco Andretti for 13th in points. Has six career wins in open-wheel cars, including road-course wins at Belle Isle in 2008 and Watkins Glen in 2009. Has also spent time in Formula One. At 6-foot-3, he's the tallest driver on the IndyCar Series.
20. (88) r-Jay Howard, 30, Basildon, England, Sam Schmidt-RLL Racing. 224.483 mph. One of three drivers working for Sam Schmidt to make the race. Indy 500 rookie will make season debut after missing out last season when he withdrew the qualifying speed and failed to requalify. Won the 2006 Indy Lights title but ran only nine combined IndyCar races in 2008 and 2010. Did not drive an IndyCar in 2009.
21. (07) Tomas Scheckter, 30, Cape Town, South Africa; KV Racing Technology-SH Racing; 224.433 mph. Will make season-debut at Indy for second straight year. Son of 1979 F1 champion Jody Scheckter. Runner-up in British Formula 3 championship in 2000 and in Formula Nissan series in 2001. Led 85 laps and was co-rookie of year at Indianapolis in 2002. Finished fourth at Indy in 2003. Led five laps last year. Only other top 10 at Indy was seventh in 2007. Only IndyCar wins came at Michigan in 2002 and Texas in 2005.
ROW 8
22. (82) Tony Kanaan, 36, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil; KV Racing Technology-Lotus, 224.417 mph. Has 10 career starts at Indy, the last eight with Michael Andretti's team. Has led 214 laps at Indy — the most among any active non-winner. Won Indy pole in 2005 and IndyCar points title in 2004. Avoided last year's Bump Day drama by qualifying on first day and in the top 24. Crashed in 2009 race, and on both qualifying days last season. Is the only driver to lead in each of his first seven starts at Indianapolis. Has three top-10s this year, including season-best third in season-opener at St. Pete, and sixth in points.
23. (78T) Simona De Silvestro, 22, Thun, Switzerland; HVM Racing; 224.392 mph. Started 22nd and finished 14th as rookie at Indy last year. Became fan favorite this year after frightening crash in practice. Returned to the track two days later, with burns on both hands, and still managed to qualify for race. Had two top 10s in debut season in IndyCar and added two more top 10s in first two races this year. Finished career-best fourth at St. Pete. Won four times in Team Stargate Worlds in 2009. Became second woman to win an Atlantics race, and five career wins make her winningest woman in Atlantics history.
24. (23) Paul Tracy, 42, Scarborough, Quebec, Canada; Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; 224.939 mph. Fastest second-day qualifier after getting bumped out of top 24 on first day of qualifying. Tied with Sebastien Bourdais for most career IndyCar wins among active drivers with 31. Might be more famous for being 2002 Indy runner-up in a disputed finish that wasn't resolved until July. Finished ninth in 2009, only other Indy start since '02. Won 2003 Champ Car points title. Was youngest to win Canadian Formula Ford Series at age 16 and youngest to win a Cam-Am Series race at age 17. Is one of IndyCar's most outspoken drivers.
ROW 9
25. (7) Danica Patrick, 29, Roscoe, Ill. Andretti Autosport; 224.861 mph. Fortunate to make the race, given Andretti team's struggles and miscues. Almost didn't get chance to qualify Sunday when rain brought out yellow flag for second time. Has finished fourth, eighth, eighth, 22nd, third and sixth in six previous Indy starts. First woman to win major open-wheel race with victory in Japan in 2008. Indy and IRL rookie of the year in 2005, when she won three poles and started and finished fourth at Indianapolis. Is only woman to lead at Indy (2005). Has one top 10 this season, seventh at Long Beach.
26. (6) Ryan Briscoe, 29, Sydney, Australia; Team Penske, 224.639. Forced to qualify in backup car after crashing in practice before qualifying. This is Briscoe's worst starting position in six career Indy starts. Has just one top 5 finish at the Brickyard. Finished second and third at last two races after placing 18th and 21st in first two. Recent finishes have put him fifth in points, 67 behind teammate and leader Will Power.
27. (26) Marco Andretti, 24, Nazareth, Pa.; Andretti Autosport; 224.628 mph. Got himself back into race with gutsy four-lap qualifying run on last attempt of Bump Day. Had been knocked off the starting grid by Alex Lloyd with nine minutes left in qualifying. Indy runner-up and rookie of the year in 2006, when he was passed by Sam Hornish Jr. just before the checkered flag. Crashed and finished 24th at Indy in 2007, third in 2008 and 30th last year (handling problems). Only IndyCar win in 69 career starts came at Infineon in 2006. Son of car owner Michael Andretti, grandson of 1969 Indy winner Mario Andretti. Best finish this season is fourth at Alabama.
ROW 10
28. (83) r-Charlie Kimball, 26, Camarillo, Calif., Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing, 224.499. Was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2007 and will become first diabetic driver race officials have allowed to start the race. Son of former race car design engineer. Joined Ganassi's team in December. Had season-best 10th place finish at Alabama on hottest race day of season. Wears a device that monitors his blood-glucose level during races.
29. (38) Graham Rahal, 23, Columbus, Ohio; Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing, 224.380. Making fourth Indy start. Finished 12th in race last year after failing to finish in 2008 and 2009. Son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal. Is fan of hometown Buckeyes and NHL's Blue Jackets. Started fifth at Brazil and finished as runner-up, his best finish since winning his IndyCar debut at St. Pete in 2008.
30. (19) Alex Lloyd, 26, Manchester, England; Dale Coyne Racing; 223.957 mph. Made it into the starting field with dramatic qualifying run with 9 minutes left in Bump Day session. Won rookie of year award last season after having three top 10s, including fourth place at Indy. Has not started a race this season.
ROW 11
31. (36) r-Pippa Mann, 27, Ipswich, England; Conquest Racing; 223.957 mph. Making first career IndyCar start at 500. Finished fifth in Indy Lights last season after winning three poles. Is only woman to win a pole at Indy, taking it for the Freedom 100 last year. Is one of two women drivers to win an Indy Lights race, having won at Kentucky last year.
32. (24) r-Ana Beatriz, 26, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Dreyer & Reinbold Racing; 223.936 mph. Indy start will be her fourth of the season, matching last year's total. Best finish last season was 13th at Brazil. Best finish this season was 14th at St. Pete. Slowest qualifier in field. One of four women drivers in this year's field. Spent 2008 and 2009 competing on Indy Lights circuit, becoming first woman to win in series — at Nashville in 2008. Won Indy Lights Rising Star Award in 2008. Finished fifth in South American Formula 3 points in 2006 and won three times in Brazilian Formula Renault Series from 2003-05.
33. (41) Ryan Hunter-Reay, 30, Boca Raton, Fla.; A.J. Foyt Enterprises; 224.547 mph. Failed to qualify his regular No. 28 car in the top 33. Made the race only after Andretti Autosport made a deal with Foyt's team for him to run his normal colors and sponsors in the No. 41 car. IndyCar series rookie of the year in 2007 and Indy 500 rookie of the year in 2008 after finishing sixth. Only American to win an IndyCar race since April 2008, winning twice including at Long Beach last season. Has season-best 14th at Alabama.
Remarkable races mark 100 years at Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Robert Clidinst Jr. has attended every Indianapolis 500 since 1946, and he still remembers his first as if it happened yesterday.
Only seven of the 33 cars finished the race that year, and he recalled that a lack of spare parts cost many of the drivers.
"It was the first one after World War II," the 76-year-old Clidinst recalled. "It was thrilling for me."
The "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" has been creating memories for fans since 1911. In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the first race, The Associated Press spoke with drivers, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials, journalists and racing observers about their favorite races in Indy 500 history.
Some picked races won by their favorite drivers. Others picked great finishes. Some preferred races with historical significance.
The races mentioned most often were: the 1960 race in which Jim Rathmann won a showdown with Rodger Ward; A.J. Foyt's third win in 1967; Al Unser Jr. holding off Scott Goodyear to win the closest race ever in 1992 and Sam Hornish's late pass of Marco Andretti on the final straightaway in 2006.
Clidinst, who has worked at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1964 and still works there as an archivist, also remembers the 1960 race well. Rathmann and Ward passed each other 14 times in the second half of the race.
"They changed leads once or twice a lap," he said. "That was something to watch and see how it was going to end."
Four-time winner A.J. Foyt said his first win in 1961, when he battled Eddie Sachs, was his most memorable.
"We raced hard all day long," he said. "I'd be leading; he'd be leading."
Eventually, Foyt pulled it out.
"Sachs was such a hard race driver. He run so hard trying to keep up with me with a light load of fuel, he just wore his tires completely out," Foyt said. "After the race, I don't think he could have run two more laps without blowing it. There's a day I felt like I had it won, I lost it, then it come back."
Three-time winner Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan both point to fellow Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi's win in 1989 as one of the most memorable Indy 500s. Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr. made contact in the final laps, and Unser crashed while Fittipaldi hung on and won under caution.
"As a Brazilian, when Emerson touched wheels with Al Jr., sorry Al, but I'll never forget that moment," Kanaan said. "I was a little kid, and Emerson, I was pulling for him."
Two-time winner Dario Franchitti remembers Danny Sullivan's save in lap 120 and eventual victory in 1985, now known as the "Spin and Win." Teammate Scott Dixon, who won in 2008, said Hornish's pass of Marco Andretti in the final straightaway in 2006 was the best Indy 500 he's witnessed.
"It was a hell of a comeback on that last lap or two," Dixon said.
This year's race could be special, too. This year's qualifying produced the closest-matched field by time in Indianapolis 500 history. Just 2.5399 seconds separate fastest qualifier Alex Tagliani and the slowest, Ana Beatriz. It also is the fifth-closest field in terms of speed, with Tagliani and Beatriz being separated by 3.593 mph.
"The quality that was out there this year was just unmatched in the history of this Speedway, in my mind, from the drivers to the teams," Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti said. "I think this was the toughest it's ever been."
A quick look at some races to remember, listed in chronological order:
1911 — Speedway founder Carl Fisher and his partners envisioned an event that would appeal to the public by lasting between mid-morning and late afternoon and came up with the idea of a 500-mile race. Ray Harroun beat Ralph Mulford to win $14,250 of a $27,550 purse. Harroun's average speed was just under 75 mph, and it took him 6 hours, 42 minutes and 8 seconds to finish. In all, 40 cars started the race, mostly two-seater cars with riding mechanics.
1936 — Louis Meyer became the first three-time winner and started the tradition of drinking milk in Victory Circle. After the tradition briefly was stopped, it was restarted for good in 1956. It also was the first year the Borg-Warner Trophy was presented, and the first year the pace car was awarded to the winner.
1960 — Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward wage an epic battle, swapping the lead 14 times in the last half of the race. Ward led before his right front tire wore out in lap 197. Rathmann won by 12.67 seconds. The race featured 29 total lead changes.
1967 — This race was highly anticipated because Parnelli Jones was driving STP president Andy Granatelli's red STP turbine engine car. Jones rocketed out to an early lead, but the race was halted on lap 18 because of rain and completed on Wednesday. Jones averted a crash on lap 52, spun and continued. He lived up to the hype for most of the race and was a lap ahead when a $6 ball bearing in the gearbox failed and cost him the race. A.J. Foyt took the lead, then weaved his way through a massive four-car crash in turn four on the last lap. The race also is remembered for public address announcer Tom Carnegie's legendary call as Foyt drove through the smoke. "Did he get through? Did he get through? Did he get through? There he is! There he is!"
1982 — Rick Mears relentlessly chopped down Gordon Johncock's large lead late as Johncock struggled with handling. Mears looked ready to take the lead early in the final lap, but Johncock expertly cut him off. Mears finally moved to Johncock's side in the final straightaway and made a desperate push, but he fell short by .16 seconds. The race also was famous for a crash before the start. Kevin Cogan, starting in the middle of row 1, swerved right into A.J. Foyt, then veered left and crashed into Mario Andretti. The crash knocked Cogan, Andretti, Dale Whittington and Roger Mears out of the race. An angry Andretti told the ABC television crew, "This is what happens when you have children doing a man's job up front."
1985 — This is known in racing lore as the "Spin and Win," for Danny Sullivan's dramatic save in lap 120 while he was battling for the lead with Mario Andretti. Andretti and Sullivan were side by side before Sullivan took the lead with an inside pass. Just as Sullivan completed the move, he swerved and spun 360 degrees. Amidst smoke, he somehow avoided the outside wall, straightened out, regained control and found himself in second place. He eventually took a large lead, but it vanished with a late yellow. His car still was too much for the field, and he beat Andretti by 2.477 seconds.
1989 — Brazil's Emerson Fittipaldi comes back to win. Al Unser Jr. led Fittipaldi in the late laps and appeared to have enough juice to close the deal, but he couldn't pull away because of traffic. Fittipaldi seized the opportunity as the field tightened and made an inside move with two laps to go. The two drove side-by-side for the lead when their cars touched wheels. The contact sent Unser into the wall while Fittipaldi remained in control and won under caution, with Unser finishing second.
1992 — Closest finish ever at Indy as Al Unser Jr. edged a hard-charging Scott Goodyear by .043 seconds in a drag race to the yard of bricks. Michael Andretti led 160 laps and had a 30-second lead before a fuel pump failure in lap 189 ended his day. Pole winner Roberto Guerrero's car violently jerked left during a parade lap, and he crashed out of the race before it officially began.
1995 — Scott Goodyear led late, but he was black flagged on a restart after passing the pace car in lap 190. He refused to acknowledge the penalty and remained on the track. Jacques Villeneuve, who had been assessed a two-lap penalty for passing the pace car earlier in the race, led the rest of the way and beat Christian Fittipaldi by 2.481 seconds. Goodyear finished 14th.
2006 — Sam Hornish Jr. chased down 19-year-old Marco Andretti on the final straightaway to win by .0635 seconds, the second-closest Indy 500 in history. Late in the race, Hornish left his pit with the fuel hose still connected, and the ensuing penalty put him down a lap. Still, he trailed only Marco Andretti, Michael Andretti and Scott Dixon when the green flew with four laps to go. Marco brought the crowd to its feet by passing his father, Michael, for the lead with three laps to go, but Hornish caught him at the bricks. Michael Andretti, who came out of retirement at age 43 to race with his son, finished third.
-- Cliff Brunt
Ganassi charging toward history by chasing Penske
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Chip Ganassi is still chasing Roger Penske.
Even after winning two of the last three Indianapolis 500s and last year's remarkable triple crown — the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 — Ganassi isn't satisfied.
"I've been working for 20 years to get these guys where I have them," he said, referring to Team Penske.
Trying to keep up with Penske — 155 IndyCar wins and 12 points title — is no easy task.
"I think the important thing to keep in mind today is that whatever the sport is, it should be about higher performance, excellence, perseverance and hard work," said Ganassi, who has 81 wins and seven points titles. "For a guy like Roger to set the bar high like that, that's something for our team to shoot for."
Though Penske remains the standard, Ganassi seems to have the upper hand — for now.
Dario Franchitti rallied with a dramatic second-half comeback to take last year's points title away from Team Penske driver Will Power, the most dominant driver early in 2010. It was Franchitti's second straight IndyCar crown and the third in a row for Target Chip Ganassi.
Although Power takes the points lead into the Indy 500, Franchitti lurks just 14 points back in second. A win Sunday would make Franchitti the second foreign-born driver with three wins, joining Penske's Helio Castroneves, and would give Ganassi his third win in four years on the track that turned Penske into a household name in racing and business.
It's not that Ganassi dislikes Penske; he just wants to break all his records.
With expectations so high, Ganassi isn't afraid to confront those who make mistakes or cheer them when they are successful.
"He's very good at putting confidence in people," driver Scott Dixon said. "He's stern, and he knows what he wants."
Pole Day was a perfect example.
When Franchitti and Dixon both ran out of fuel on the fourth lap of their Pole Day shootout, Ganassi didn't have to say a word. Franchitti stomped back to the garage without talking to reporters. Ganassi flung his arms in the air. Mike Hull, the team's managing director, didn't say what was discussed in the meeting, and he didn't have to.
"I can imagine it's a pretty exciting in the team truck car at the minute, and I haven't seen Chip yet," Dixon said after his run, drawing laughter.
Franchitti believes it's that fiery passion that has allowed Ganassi to create a dominant team.
"He is one of the most competitive people I have ever met," Franchitti said. "Scott told me the other day that he had mellowed. If that's the case, I'd hate to have seen him before."
Ganassi added a NASCAR team to his stable in 2000 and last year won both at Daytona and the Brickyard, a feat not even Penske had achieved.
In IndyCar, he has signed two young American prospects, Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball, as he looks toward the future. The hope is they'll be ready to replace the 38-year-old Franchitti and 30-year-old Dixon whenever they retire.
"These guys probably represent the next generation of drivers, and they'll be around IndyCar racing for a long time," Ganassi said last December.
Ganassi has a long history of hiring the right driver at the right time. He hired Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmy Vasser and Alex Zanardi to drive in the CART Series. And he's won at Indy with New Zealand's Scott Dixon and Scotland's Franchitti.
And he remains ever eager for more victories.
With Dixon starting from the middle of Row 1, Franchitti on the outside of Row 3 and Kimball and Rahal side-by-side in Row 10, Ganassi expects to quench his thirst and sip the milk in Victory Lane.
-- Michael Marot
Notebook: Double-file restarts for Indy 500 adjusted
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — IndyCar has compromised with drivers who were worried that double-file restarts would be particularly unsafe at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
After considering marking the restart zone for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 about 900 feet from the start/finish line, officials decided instead to move it back to the entrance to turn four. The change will give drivers more room to adjust to traffic.
"The owners, along with the IndyCar series, decided to make a compromise and move it into the north chute starting so they can be more single file as they enter turn one," said two-time Indy winner Al Unser Jr., an IndyCar driving coach and consultant. "Indianapolis is very unique as far as single groove. It’s not a banked track like, say, Texas, where they run two abreast comfortably."
Race officials also will add two sweepers at each end of the track. Before the race restarts, one set of sweepers will drive through the first two turns at the north end of the track, while the other two will clean up the two turns at the south end. The intent of staggering the sweepers side-by-side is to create a clean track.
Double-file restarts debuted in IndyCar this season, and Sunday will be the first time they’re used at an oval. The drivers have spoken out against the move all month, calling it a terrible idea. But when Unser Jr. mentioned the double-file restarts during the public driver’s meeting on Saturday morning, a cheer went up from the crowd.
DE SILVESTRO POPULAR: Even with her heavily bandaged burned hands, Simona De Silvestro gladly signed autographs on Saturday morning.
The Swiss driver burned both hands last week when she crashed during an Indianapolis 500 practice session. She returned to the track two days later and qualified her car for Sunday’s race.
That gritty performance has impressed fellow drivers and fans. On Saturday, she received some of the loudest cheers when the 33 drivers were introduced.
De Silvestro appreciates the outpouring of support.
"I think it’s amazing that people are following me like that," she said.
Sitting at a table between more established drivers Tony Kanaan and Paul Tracy, the 22-year-old garnered more than her share of attention — and lots of questions about her hands — during an autograph session.
"How’s your hands doing?" one fan asked.
"Doing better," De Silvestro replied.
BARNHART ILL: IndyCar director of competition Brian Barnhart missed Saturday’s driver’s meeting with flu-like symptoms, but IndyCar spokeswoman Amy Konrath said he should be ready for Sunday.
Barnhart normally reads the instructions to the drivers. Instead two-time Indy winner Al Unser Jr. stepped in.
"This is harder than driving a race car, believe me," he said.
LOVE FOR FOYT: Four-time Indy 500 winner A.J. Foyt got a standing ovation Saturday when he was introduced as the pace car driver. He’ll lead the 33-car field around the 2.5-mile oval Sunday, and just behind him, in the two-seater, will be 1969 race winner Mario Andretti.
Foyt found himself at the center of a firestorm earlier this week when Andretti Autosport owner Michael Andretti made a deal with him to have Ryan Hunter-Reay replace Bruno Junqueira in the No. 41 car after Marco Andretti bumped Hunter-Reay from the field.
Foyt, who won the 500 in 1961, 1964, 1967 and 1977, has two cars in the race. Vitor Meira in the No. 14 will start 11th.
NOTES: This year’s Indy 500 marks the 10-year anniversary of the installation of the soft wall, called a SAFER barrier, at the speedway. The Steel and Foam Energy Reduction barrier, designed by engineers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was first installed in 2002 in time for that year’s race. ... Dario Franchitti and team owner Chip Ganassi received replica Borg-Warner trophies for Franchitti’s win in last year’s 2010 Indianapolis 500.
-- Cliff Brunt
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Penske’s two-car team is an enigma
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — To hear Kurt Busch talk, his race team is struggling mightily and maybe some behind-the-scenes changes will save the season.
Then there’s Brad Keselowski, excited about three weeks of progress that have him enjoying his best stretch yet in NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup Series.
That’s the enigma that is Penske Racing right now. Keselowski will start the Coca-Cola 600 from the pole, while defending race winner Busch will go off 26th in Sunday’s race.
Keselowski doesn’t sugarcoat things, and readily admits the NASCAR side of Penske’s motorsports operation has areas that need improvement. But he does it thoughtfully and with an eagerness that good things are coming.
Busch is quite the opposite. He’s beyond being hopeful, and his assessments and outlook both seem dreary. He’s also angry with the media for harping on his in-race radio communications, which have gone from maniacal rants to near despondency over the last month.
It’s created the good cop-bad cop perception, even though both drivers want the same thing.
"He definitely has a different approach," Keselowski said. "To be honest, if he didn’t have that approach, I probably would adopt it because you keep trying different things until you get what you want. I spent all last year being quiet and not saying, ‘Hey, this car is really, really bad’ to the media. But they were really, really bad.
"At the same time, Kurt was running well and I didn’t have a leg to stand on with that. This year, obviously my cars have gotten better. Kurt has had his struggles. But it’s somewhat refreshing to have someone that can speak up have a voice, have the credibility of being a past champion and past winner and those around him perhaps listen more intently."
Busch apparently does make things happen behind the scenes.
His radio tirade at Richmond earlier this month was epic, and the fallout led to some serious organizational meetings that Busch believed would spur some changes. Less than two weeks later, technical director Tom German left the organization in what the team said was a long-planned opportunity to attend an elite graduate program at MIT.
"There were people that had good things to say about him and people that had bad things to say about him," Keselowski said of German. "Either way, the change there has opened doors that would have never opened before. The jury is still out whether that’s good or bad."
It’s such a far cry from Roger Penske’s esteemed IndyCar operation, which will attempt to win its 16th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Will Power, who will start from the second row, has two wins this season and leads the points standings.
Teammates Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe have struggled at times this season and this month at Indy, and Briscoe will race in a backup Sunday.
Back in NASCAR, the two Penske teams have been all over the map.
Busch opened the season as the driver to beat at Daytona, winning two exhibition races leading into the season-opener. Top-10 finishes in the first four races made him the points leader for two weeks, but he hasn’t had a top-10 since and has dropped to eighth in the standings.
Despite the drop-off, which has left Busch clearly frustrated, he begins each weekend with optimism only to learn shortly after the green flag that his car is not capable of contending for a win.
"I feel like we have to go into each race optimistic and positive so that you can find good results," Busch said. "At the end of the day, Roger Penske and I agree that as long as you put yourself in position to do well, no matter what the outcome is, those are good days. But when you’re running 15th just clawing to hang onto the lead lap, those aren’t days that we need.
"We need to be up there leading laps and having good results. Sometimes, it’s a surprise in practice that we hit on something and then you get into the race and our car reacts a little different in that dirty air compared to the competition."
That’s been the struggle for Busch dating back to last July at Chicagoland, where he said his Dodge was "a car that we couldn’t describe and figure out."
His team made chassis changes as the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship began, and Busch said overall speed dropped off over the final two months of the season. He finished 11th in the final standings after grabbing just two top-10 finishes in the 10 Chase races.
Now, Busch’s team has almost no resemblance to the group that swept both May races at Charlotte Motor Speedway — including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 — just one year ago.
"Twelve months later, we just find ourselves a bit behind in the mile-and-a-half department," he said.
Keselowski, meanwhile, seems to be finding a groove. He’s had a miserable start to the season, but has honed in on something since running 33rd and 36th at Talladega and Richmond. He responded to some critical comments Busch made about not having teammates who can outrun him with a third at Darlington, a 13th at Dover, and then he raced his way into the All-Star race last week by finishing second in the Sprint Showdown.
"You go through spikes and then you have your plateaus, some are high and some are low. It’s really hard," Keselowski said. "You get out of the car and say, ‘What am I doing? We’re terrible. I’d rather work at McDonald’s than run 40th in Cup.’ I hate it.
"It’s that drive that keeps you going. You need moments of inspiration or motivation for no other reason to kind of shut up that devil on your shoulder that’s saying, ‘I need to do something else.’
-- Jenna Fryer
Notebook: McMurray has tornado-ravaged Joplin on his mind
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Jamie McMurray was confused, then stunned, when a friend in his hometown of Joplin, Mo., sent him a picture early in the week.
"I didn’t even know what he had sent me," the Sprint Cup driver said Saturday. "Then I did figure it out because one part left of my house was actually the address left on the front wall."
Though McMurray and the rest of his family moved from Joplin to North Carolina more than a decade ago, he is taking an active role in raising money for the tornado-ravaged city. McMurray has partnered with primary sponsor Bass Pro Shops and Springfield, Mo.-based Convoy of Hope to help the victims of the monster tornado that packed 200 mph winds.
"Joplin, Mo." will appear in large letters across the side of his No. 1 Chevrolet during Sunday night’s Coca-Cola 600.
"I think it’s really hard for me to explain to you guys when you see the pictures to know what it used to look like," said McMurray, who indicated he last visited Joplin four or five years ago. "It makes it more real for somebody when you know what the school used to look like or the hospital or that area and see how destroyed it is. It’s incredible the damage the tornado did."
McMurray said not only was the house he grew up leveled on May 22, the tornado "took the whole neighborhood out." Also destroyed much of the high school McMurray attended. The death toll reached 132 on Friday.
"Everyone that I know, or at least friends talking to friends, I haven’t known anyone that’s lost their life," McMurray said. "I have a lot of friends that have lost their homes."
McMurray said crew members and sponsors have offered to assist in the relief efforts. McMurray and Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris will fly to Morris’ hometown of Springfield, Mo., on Thursday to collect food and supplies from Convoy of Hope. They’re then scheduled to go to Joplin and will join the mayor and chief of police on a tour of McMurray’s old neighborhood.
"I had a friend that lives there and has witnessed everything tell me that Joplin would recover. He just didn’t know if it would recover in our lifetimes," McMurray said. "I know there will be a big effort on my part over the next years to come to help with the hospital, the schools and the families."
STENHOUSE DEBUT: It took less than a week for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. to rise above the logjam of NASCAR drivers looking to make an impression
Last weekend, the 23-year-old Stenhouse become the first non-Sprint Cup regular to win a Nationwide Series race. Stenhouse won the pole for Nationwide race at Charlotte on Saturday morning and on Sunday will make his Sprint Cup debut, driving the No. 21 Ford in place of Trevor Bayne.
"It’s been crazy," Stenhouse said. "To go out and win and then get your first Cup start is big."
Stenhouse had to do some work on Thursday to make sure he’d be racing in NASCAR’s longest race. Needing to qualify on speed for the part-time team and going last among 48 cars, Stenhouse turned in an eye-popping lap of 190.752 mph to give him the ninth starting position.
"I don’t ever really get nervous in anything, but I really got nervous there," Stenhouse said of his qualifying lap.
Stenhouse’s spot in Sprint Cup is expected to be short-lived. Bayne, the Daytona 500 winner, is scheduled to return next month at Michigan after being sidelined with an inflammatory condition.
Bayne said Stenhouse has been sensitive to the situation and believes Stenhouse will "do a great job."
"It’s definitely not the way I wanted to get my first Cup start, but you’ve got to take what God lays out for you," Stenhouse said. "(Bayne) is going to be here supporting it, so that makes it a little bit easier."
LEFT IN STITCHES: Paul Menard may have trouble walking, but it didn’t prevent him from driving the fastest car in practice Saturday.
Menard, on crutches after needing 22 stitches to close a gash on his right foot, had both the fastest individual lap (188.745 mph) and the best average over 10 consecutive laps (185.732 mph).
"I think everything is good with the foot," Menard said. "I’m just trying to keep off it. The car is really fast."
Menard said he’s not in pain from the cut he received on the dock at his house. But he’s been forced to wear a larger shoe and there is some concern that sweating during NASCAR’s longest race could loosen his stitches.
"The only thing is if it rips open and starts bleeding," Menard said.
Elliott Sadler will be on standby in case Menard can’t finish Sunday, but Sadler didn’t take laps in the car Saturday.
Kurt Busch had the second fastest car during the faster first practice session. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (187.162 mph) turned in the third-fastest lap.
Regan Smith’s team had to change the transmission in the first practice Saturday, which will force the No. 78 to start from the rear of the field on Sunday.
Speeds slowed in the second practice as the track warmed. David Reutimann (184.483 mph) turned in the fastest lap.
LUG NUTS: Carl Edwards seeks to become the eighth driver to sweep the All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 races. The others were Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010). ... While Kyle Busch has won 97 races in NASCAR’s top three circuits, he’s yet to win a Sprint Cup race at Charlotte. Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin are also winless in Charlotte points races. ... Nationwide Insurance will again sponsor the Dash 4 Cash promotion that would pay a driver $1 million by winning all four Nationwide races at Daytona, Iowa, Richmond and Charlotte later this season. ... Blake Koch, whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, was to drive a pink car in the Nationwide race Saturday. Also, the fall Nationwide race at Charlotte will have a pink theme and raise money for breast cancer research.
-- Mike Cranston
NASCAR Nationwide
Kenseth passes Edwards to win at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Matt Kenseth had never driven the new Nationwide Series car and was in unfamiliar territory as a one-time, fill-in driver. It didn’t matter on a hot, steamy Saturday afternoon. Not with Roush Fenway Racing dominating like it is.
As former Formula One champion Kimi Raikkonen struggled through a miserable day in his Nationwide debut, Kenseth passed teammate Carl Edwards with two laps to go and hung on to win the 300-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Edwards, who won last week’s All-Star race at the same track, held on to finish second and Roush Fenway’s Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was fourth to move within one point of series leader Elliott Sadler.
Only Kyle Busch, who failed to match Mark Martin’s Nationwide Series record of 49 career wins, could come close to Jack Roush’s team with a third-place finish.
"That was fun," Kenseth said.
There’s been a lot of fun lately around the team. Roush Fenway drivers have won the last six Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, counting two non-points events, in a resurgence for the team and Ford’s NASCAR’s program.
"I’m thinking what a difference a year makes," Roush said. "Last year it didn’t seem for a long time we couldn’t buy a victory."
Kenseth was filling in for Trevor Bayne, who has been sidelined with an inflammatory condition, in the No. 16 Ford. The Sprint Cup regular came in with 25 Nationwide wins, but none since the series shifted to the new car. Kenseth said he felt comfortable after a few laps.
"You have to drive them a little different because of the horsepower difference, but they’re really a lot like the Cup car," Kenseth said.
Kenseth was far more comfortable than Raikkonen, who finished four laps down in 27th amid uncertainty about his stock-car racing future.
"It really turned out to be a really bad day," Raikkonen said.
A week after finishing 15th in his NASCAR debut in the Truck Series, Raikkonen started 22nd and soon ran into trouble.
The Finland native complained early over his radio of his No. 87 Toyota being too tight. He also wasn’t wearing heat shields on his shoes and said his feet were "burning."
He was having trouble turning his car and used colorful language to express his frustrations as he tried to keep his feet cool while repeatedly asking for larger water bottles. About halfway through he radioed in that he scraped the wall, and even after climbing to 15th he complained his car wasn’t responding.
Raikkonen’s first green-flag pit stop in NASCAR competition ended with him getting caught speeding. The pass-through penalty with 58 laps to go dropped him to 27th and two laps down. Raikkonen then ran over some debris and damaged his splitter, forcing another green-flag stop.
The next step is uncertain. Car owner Kyle Busch said Raikkonen has not paid for any future races with his team.
"I have to go back to Europe and do some Rallies and then we’ll see what happens," Raikkonen said.
Kenseth, Busch and Kevin Harvick shared the lead for much of the first two-thirds of the 200-lap race. Edwards had the lead on a restart with 46 laps to go, and Harvick blew a tire shortly thereafter to fall a lap down.
Kenseth and Edwards traded the lead with five laps to go, but Edwards had nothing left after Kenseth’s late pass.
"That was hard racing," Edwards said. "Matt there at the end, he was better and he had the kid gloves on with me there."
Reed Sorenson was fifth, while Sadler recovered from early handling problems to finish 10th and maintain a slim lead over Stenhouse.
Cole Whitt, the 19-year-old Truck Series points leader finished 15th in his Nationwide Series season debut.
Stenhouse, who became the first non-Sprint Cup regular to win a Nationwide Series race a week ago, will make his Sprint Cup debut Sunday filling in for Bayne. But Bayne, the Daytona 500 champion, is expected to return to his Nationwide Series car next week at Chicago.
He’ll be rejoining NASCAR’s hottest race team.
"One of the things I worried about when he had his problem was that the team would go stale," Roush said. "We managed to keep the team going."
-- Mike Cranston
Formula One
Vettel secures pole position at Monaco GP
MONACO (AP) — Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel secured his fifth pole of the season after posting the fastest time in Saturday's crash-marred qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Vettel is already threatening to run away with the championship after earning four wins five races to build a commanding lead over Lewis Hamilton. The German can add to his advantage with his first victory in Monaco.
"It's a bit of a casino, a lot of things going on," Vettel said. "It's a long race, 78 laps. Pole position here is very important so we can be very happy with that, although there's no guarantees for tomorrow."
Vettel's lap of 1 minute, 13.556 seconds gave Red Bull its sixth straight pole, ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button and Vettel's teammate Mark Webber.
"If you'd asked me before qualifying if I would have taken third, I probably would have," Webber said. "Absolutely it is possible to win (from third on the grid). Qualifying here is crucial, no question about that.
"Pole is certainly nice to have. Seb did a great lap again today and deserves the pole, JB did a great run as well."
Webber took the pole at last week's Spanish Grand Prix and Vettel captured the previous four poles. The 23-year-old German leads McLaren's Hamilton by 41 points in the standings.
"I had to wait a long time to get the pole, but I'm very pleased," said Vettel, F1's youngest ever champion.
It was a disappointing session for Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who was quickest in the final practice on Saturday morning, but dropped to fourth in qualifying.
Mexico's Sergio Perez was likely to miss Sunday's race after sustaining a concussion and thigh injury during a violent crash near the end of qualifying. Perez was taken to Princess Grace hospital and was expected to be kept overnight.
"It's difficult to keep the focus and it's difficult to keep the concentration when you don't know what's going on," Vettel said. "We all wish him the best."
Perez was the third driver to crash Saturday, racing out of the tunnel and skidding across the track. The accident severely hampered Hamilton, as he had yet to set a lapped time and the heat went out of his tires as he waited nearly 40 minutes for qualifying to resume.
Motor sport's governing body, the FIA, said the 2008 F1 champion will start Sunday's race in from ninth on the grid rather than seventh, because his time from the third qualifying session was nullified for cutting a chicane.
That moves Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg up to seventh in his Mercedes.
The English driver was clearly disappointed after being fastest in the two opening qualifying sessions.
"I felt I'd been driving well all weekend and I had the pace to be on pole. I'm certain of that," Hamilton said. "I'll do my best from my grid slot and, while it'll be tough to win from there, I won't give up."
Perez, racing in the third session for the first time this season, lost control of his car as he was about to come out of the tunnel. The front slid to the right and slammed into the tunnel barrier, spinning the car round and sending it into a tire wall on the circuit.
Button had a similar tunnel crash in 2003.
"I know how much it hurts, so hopefully he'll be OK," Button said.
A medical crew rushed to the car, and a giant blanket was immediately draped over it. After a few minutes Perez was taken away for treatment and the battered car was lifted off the track.
"It is with great relief that the Sauber F1 team received the news that Sergio Perez has no serious injuries," the team said in a statement. "The doctors said Perez had suffered concussion and a sprained thigh, but no broken bones and, following a scan, they could find no further injuries."
Alonso had the fastest time in the third and final practice session in the morning, after posting the quickest time in Thursday's second practice and raising hopes Ferrari could get its first win of the season in Monaco.
Ferrari has been lagging behind Red Bull, but this weekend was the first time it has been faster in practice.
Alonso, last year's F1 runner-up, already trails Vettel by 67 points and needs a good performance from the second row Sunday to put any kind of pressure on Vettel. Alonso's best place this season was third in Turkey.
"Fernando looked competitive (in practice), I don't know what happened to them (Ferrari) in qualifying," Vettel said.
In a disappointing afternoon for Renault, both Vitaly Petrov and Nick Heidfeld missed out on making the third qualifying stint, suggesting a problem with downforce as their cars were bumping around the track.
Practice was interrupted twice in the morning as drivers raced around the sinewy, barrier-lined circuit under perfect blue skies. Rosberg and Hispania's Vitantonio Liuzzi were both unhurt after crashes.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Mexico's Perez to miss Monaco GP after qualifying crash
MONACO (AP) — Mexico's Sergio Perez will miss the Monaco Grand Prix after sustaining a concussion and a thigh injury in the most violent of three crashes during qualifying Saturday.
The Sauber driver lost control of his car as he was about to come out of the tunnel. The front slid right and slammed into the tunnel barrier, spinning the car around and into a tire wall.
Perez was taken to the Princess Grace hospital in Monaco and was to be kept overnight. His team said he will miss Sunday's race.
"It is with great relief that the Sauber F1 team received the news that Sergio Perez has no serious injuries," the team said in a statement. "The doctors said Perez had suffered concussion and a sprained thigh, but no broken bones and, following a scan, they could find no further injuries."
A medical crew rushed to Perez's car, and a giant blanket was immediately draped over it. After a few minutes the battered car was lifted off the track.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg and Hispania's Vitantonio Liuzzi were both unharmed after crashing in practice earlier Saturday.
-- Jerome Pugmire
Rally Car
Ogier takes lead after Day 2 of Rally of Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Sebastien Ogier took the lead on the second day of the Rally of Argentina after overnight leader Jari-Matti Latvala retired with broken suspension.
Latvala was leading Ogier by 10.6 seconds after Saturday's 12th stage, but had the suspension problem on the next stage. After attempts to fix the damage, his Ford team decided to drop out. Mikko Hirvonen was in second place, 43.7 seconds behind going into the final day. Seven-time defending series champion Sebastien Loeb was in third, four seconds behind Hirvonen despite receiving a one-minute penalty on the first day.
