Daly Tops Fast Friday

Photo credit: John Cote/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

INDIANAPOLIS – Conor Daly, an Indianapolis 500-only participant, had the fastest lap during Fast Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at 231.704 mph. The second-generation driver’s No. 25 U.S. Air Force Dallara/Honda benefited greatly from a tow from Andretti Autosport teammate Zach Veach on his lap, which came just before 6 p.m.

Daly’s hot lap nudged Marco Andretti off the top spot. The third-generation driver had a lap of 230.851 mph in his No. 98 U.S. Concrete/Curb Dallara/Honda, as 12 drivers cleared 230 mph.

As expected because of additional turbocharger “boost” allocated to the V6 Honda and Chevrolet engines ahead of qualifying, speeds Friday were the best of the week.

2017 Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was third-fastest at 230.755 mph in the No. 30 Mi-Jack/Panasonic Dallara/Honda. Next up were Ed Carpenter Racing’s Spencer Pigot at 230.415 mph in the No. 21 machine and another Andretti Autosport driver, 2014 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay who worked up to 230.466 mph by day’s end.

The rest of the drivers with laps over 230 mph were:

·         Carpenter, 230.358 mph

·         Simon Pagenaud, Menard Team Penske Chevrolet, 230.326 mph

·         Charlie Kimball, Fiasp Carlin Chevrolet, 230.290 mph

·         Josef Newgarden, Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, 230.281 mph

·         Ed Jones, Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa Chevrolet, 230.106 mph

·         Will Power, Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet, 230.061 mph

·         Tony Kanaan, ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet, 230.011

Carpenter’s pole speed last year was 229.618 mph for the four-lap average. Jones had the fastest no-tow speed at 230.106 mph.

Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso, unhurt in a damaging crash on Wednesday, returned to the 2 ½-mile oval and had a lap at 229.328 mph in the McLaren Racing Chevrolet.

Second-year driver Kyle Kaiser was not injured in the week’s fourth crash.

Qualifying begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, with spots 1-30 and the Fast Nine to be contested.

Sunday’s qualifying will see shootouts to determine the front and back of the field. In each shootout, each car will receive one attempt. Spots 10-30 will not requalify on Sunday.

One of the hotly debated topics this month has been the idea of guaranteed spots in the field for full-season teams. This idea, of course, flies in the face of the traditional 33 fastest starting the race. On the other hand, the new qualifying procedure could result in the fastest 33 NOT starting.

Team owner Roger Penske, winner of a record 17 Indianapolis 500s, is in favor of a guaranteed spot, something he could have used in 1995 when both Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi – the last two Indianapolis 500 winners – failed to qualify. He believes tradition shouldn’t trump what he believes are today’s business realities.

“Well, there’s a lot of traditions that change here, right?,” Penske said Friday. “They have a road race here, a Formula 1 race, a NASCAR race here. To me, it’s a sign of the times.”

Fellow owner Chip Ganassi, also a multi-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, prefers the fastest 33 start with no guarantees.

“My position is it should be the fastest 33,” he said Friday. “There is a scenario where it won’t be the fastest 33. I just thing that’s not right.”

Ganassi elaborated further.

“I think it’s one or the other. If you don’t have the fastest 33, then I think you should have guaranteed spots. If you do the fastest 33, you don’t need that.

“If it’s not the fastest 33, then the full-season participants should have some guarantee. If it’s the fastest 33, then I’m fine with that.”

Lightning in the area created a delay of 1 hour and 19 minutes during the afternoon.

30 Days in May

Photo credit: 1991 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook published by Carl Hungness

No. 17, Willy T. Ribbs, 1991 Cosby/McDonald’s Lola/Buick. Ribbs had a devil of a time qualifying for his first Indianapolis 500 because the ever-temperamental Buick engine would fail after only a handful of laps. In the last hour of qualifying, Ribbs shoved aside the frustration, shelved any jinxes and put it in the show, bumping Ton Sneva in the process. The mechanical gremlins returned on race day, however, and Ribbs lasted only five laps and finished 32^nd.  #ThisIsMay #Indy500

30 Days in May Bonus

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

 No. 73, David Hobbs, 1973 Carling Black Label Eagle/Offy. In 1973, in addition to trying to memorize the car numbers, drivers, chassis and engine, I tried to memorize the hometowns of all the drivers. Some were more easily remembered than others. Take David Hobbs, for instance. He was from Upper Boddington, England. Tough to forget that one. Hobbs was one of the few international competitors during this era, with four starts spanning 1971-76. In 1973, he was still running when the race was red-flagged and finished 11^th. A versatile and successful driver, Hobbs competed in several disciplines, including Formula One, Indycar, Can-Am, Trans-Am and even NASCAR Winston Cup. He also was an insightful and witty commentator on broadcasts, and he still pops up occasionally on TV. #ThisIsMay #Indy500

30 Days in May

No. 16, Lee Kunzman, 1973 Ayr-Way/Lloyd’s Eagle/Offy. Kunzman was considered a rising star in the USAC ranks before his career was derailed by some serious crashes. In 1973, he joined the Lindsey Hopkins team and moved up from 25^th to finish seventh in the rain-shortened race. After his driving career, Kunzman was part of Ron Hemelgarn’s operation for many years.  #ThisIsMay #Indy500

30 Days in May

No. 15, Peter Revson, 1973 Gulf McLaren/Offy. A front-row starter the previous two 500s, Revson was the first qualifier for the 1973 race. He wound up starting 10^th and finished 31^st after crashing coming out of Turn 4 after only three laps. That year, I remember my mom taking me to a drug store in the Speedway Shopping Center to meet Revson, who was promoting Rev-Up vitamins, and get an autographed picture, which I still have.  #ThisIsMay #Indy500

Foyt's 1974 Pole Run a Rare Achievement

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

A.J. Foyt after his qualifying run in 1974 with sponsors Jim and Diane

Gilmore. A.J.'s father, Tony, is at right.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the Indianapolis 500 records that A.J. Foyt set and still holds. The first four-time winner, Foyt’s string of 35 consecutive starts from 1958-92 is one that’s unlikely to be broken. Here are few more of his key numbers:

·         4,845 total laps

·         555 laps led

·         17 top 10s

·         13 races led

·         10 top 5s

·         4 poles

Here’s another record I think Foyt owns: Longest time on the pole, achieved in 1974.

Let me explain. On the first day of qualifications, if the first driver in line finishes the four laps to complete the attempt, he or she has the pole for at least for a few minutes or even longer, depending on how long it takes for another driver to post a faster speed. In recent years, gimmicks like the Fast 9 Shootout have been added, which, while perhaps good for TV, have soiled the traditional Indianapolis 500 qualifying procedure.

Anyway, back to Foyt in 1974. That year, he drew the No. 1 pellet and averaged 191.632 mph. No one topped it. In fact, no one came within 1 mph of his speed.

So Foyt clinched the pole about as early as possible on the first qualifying day.

The time trials for the 1974 race were a bit convoluted and a departure from the four days over two weekends. Instead, the four days were split into four “periods” over two Saturdays. Because of several rain delays on both days, it ended up that the pole, first row and last row all were decided on the same day – the first time that had happened.

As was often the case, if there was a new achievement at Indianapolis, Foyt was in the middle of it.

I wonder if anyone else has done this – won the pole right off the bat AND remained the fastest qualifier. (Remaining the fastest qualifier is the key distinction. First qualifier Jerry Hoyt, for example, won the pole under rather unusual circumstances in 1955, but was not the fastest qualifier by a wide margin.)

How about it, Donald Davidson @IMSMuseum?

30 Days in May

No. 14, A.J. Foyt, 1973 Gilmore Racing Coyote/Foyt. Amazingly, Foyt was close to the bubble for the 1973 500, as his speed average of 188.927 mph was 32^nd-fastest (or second-slowest). Not surprisingly, the 1973 race was one to forget for Foyt. His Coyote dropped out after 37 laps, then Foyt took over teammate George Snider’s car, which wound up 11^th.

Why Foyt had so much trouble in time trials in 1973 is hard to fathom because Super Tex usually was an excellent qualifier. Consider this: In 1991, 33 years after his 500 debut plus coming off devastating lower-leg injuries suffered in a gruesome crash at Road America and at age 56 (!) no less, the amazing Foyt earned a front-row stating position – between Rick Mears and Mario Andretti. Many consider this the greatest front row in Indianapolis 500 history.   #ThisIsMay #Indy500