Welcome to a very sunny and warm Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I checked the forecast just before we left the hotel and it calls for a zero percent chance of rain and a high of 87°. That means there should be a good turnout of fans today, but it does not bode well for fast speeds.
Archive for May, 2019
Welcome to Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Day
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 18, 2019 by OilpressureFast Friday Recap
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 17, 2019 by Oilpressure
Fast Friday was like two days in one. When the green flag flew this morning, it was obvious that the boost had been turned up. 228-229 mph was the norm right out of the gate. Then Marco Andretti set the bar higher when he turned a lap of 230.851. It stayed that way through lunch. Then around 2:30, the skies were darkening and it looked like we may be looking at a replay of yesterday when heavy thunderstorms ended the day early.
Indianapolis 500 Qualifying Preview
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 17, 2019 by Oilpressure
Today is Fast Friday – the last day before qualifying. A few years ago, someone got the bright idea to increase the turbocharger boost for Fast Friday and carry it through the qualifying weekend. Then they dial it back down for Carb Day and the race. How much is the boost increased? I don’t really know. Once they stopped quoting the measurement in inches, the numbers never really meant anything to me.
Practice Day-Three Recap
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 16, 2019 by Oilpressure
Mother Nature ended today’s practice early. The day started sunny and warm and it looked to be another full day of fun at the track. I snapped this photo from the terrace of the Media Center around 9:30 about an hour and a half before practice started at 11:00. They had just opened the gates to the public, so the Pagoda Plaza was still fairly empty and calm.
Mrs. Oilpressure Trivia Answers
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 16, 2019 by Oilpressure
By Susan Phillips
Congratulations to Patti Nolan from the Chicago area, who got 29 of the 50 questions correct. I have heard from many it was harder than I thought it was. Thanks to everyone who entered and at least tried. Next time I’ll make it shorter and easier. Here are the correct answers:
Practice Day-Two Recap
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 15, 2019 by Oilpressure
The weather that was supposed to go through last night never did. So far, I’ve not seen a drop of rain since I’ve been here (knock on wood). Today was warmer than yesterday and it showed on track. Josef Newgarden ran the quickest lap of the day at 228.856, which was almost a mile an hour slower than yesterdays fast speed set by his Penske teammate Will Power.
What Should NBC Expect in Year One?
Posted in Indianapolis 500 on May 15, 2019 by Oilpressure
After one day of more or less hanging around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during practice, I’ve found one of the more enjoyable aspects is that it’s more laid back than it will be this weekend. That doesn’t just go for the teams and drivers, but for those of us in the IMS Media Center as well. That allows for a lot of time to do some serious “bench racing”; which is a term similar to “hangar flying” used by some pilots I know. If you are unfamiliar with either of these terms, it means spending a lot of time just sitting around with others and swapping racing (or flying) stories and opinions.
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