James GordonThe first Indy 500 of the season is almost here! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is hosting this year’s Indy 500 for the first time since 1996, and this is the best opportunity to watch the teams and drivers that will be racing in the biggest and most prestigious race of the season.
The Indianapolis 500 is this weekend and I’ve been keeping up with the race via my weekly IndyCar Live blog, which I’m posting from the track. I’ll be writing about all the action, but before you start tuning in, here are some tidbits you might enjoy.
It’s been a long and hard journey to get to this point. Sage Karam has spent the past decade in the B-class, driving a Gresini F1 car, and fighting for his Formula 1 dream. In 2010, Karam drove one of the best Indy 500s ever, finishing third in his debut season driving for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Today, Karam has found a new team, a new dream, and he is back in the IZOD IndyCar Series. The 25-year-old Karam will drive the No. 7 entry for Schmidt Peterson Motorsport. His teammate this season will be 18-year-old rookie Simona de Silvestro.. Read more about indianapolis 500 and let us know what you think.INDIANAPOLIS – Will Power was wide open at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and didn’t let off his gas, even though he drove his car into the wall.
His place in the Indianapolis 500 was on the line, and Power, one of the best qualifiers in IndyCar history, didn’t want to miss the show.
The winner of the 2018 Indianapolis 500 was one of five drivers vying for a place on the last row during the race on the 30th. Can be fought. The Team Penske car was not scheduled to start, but on Sunday Power was determined to avoid becoming the first Roger Penske driver to be eliminated from the Indy 500 since 1995.
It commands respect, Power said. Anyway, I’m a little sleep deprived because of this, because I just know what to do.
Sage Karam was fastest in the shootout, followed by Power and Simone de Silvestro, who drove the Penske Alliance car for the Paretta Autosport women’s team. Next Sunday, all three will start at the back of a 33-strong field.
This will be the third year in a row that Karam celebrates his 31st birthday.
Charlie Kimball was dropped from the race, ending 10 consecutive starts of the greatest show in motorsports. RC Enerson, a rookie on the new Top Gun Racing team, failed to qualify for his first Indy 500 after battling a week of late-race delays.
So, what do you want to do next weekend? Kimball asked his wife as he stood up from his A.J. Foyt Racing.
Will Power, Sage Karam and Simone de Silvestro had enough speed to qualify for the final row of the Indianapolis 500, ahead of rookie RC Enerson (75) and Charlie Kimball. AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Power’s 62 pole positions are the second most in series history after Mario Andretti’s 67. He was the best of his generation in qualifying, but the Team Penske cars have been struggling since Friday, when the engines received a power boost.
It seems that the problem is not with the Chevrolet drivetrain, as Ed Carpenter and Rinus VK placed a pair of Chevrolets in the qualifying group of the Fast Nine. Penske’s problem seems to be the mechanical setup, as none of the four cars shone in qualifying.
New IndyCar team owner Paretta has formed a close alliance with Penske as part of his push for diversity, and the problems with the Penske cars have affected de Silvestro. The Swiss driver returned to Indy for the first time since 2015, and theoretically in the best car of her career.
But she and Power sat motionless in their box in the hot Indiana sun, waiting to see if Kimball and Enerson would take them out. Only when the clock struck zero for the 75-minute session did Power and de Silvestro step out of their cars and briefly hug each other to celebrate.
Beth Paretta and de Silvestro will be the team’s first female owners and drivers at the Indy 500, and the team has a strong women’s team that could be used during pit stops next Sunday.
Many drivers who were already in the race saw the collision happen in the pit lane with sympathy for their colleagues.
People will never understand with how much intensity these five drivers and teams are involved, Graham Rahal said. It’s the most stressful time of your life, amplified on national television, under pressure from sponsors and made worse by the terrible conditions on the track. Indy 500 qualifying at its worst.
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James Gordon
