2014 DAILY TRACKSIDE REPORT 98TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 INAUGURAL GRAND PRIX OF INDIANAPOLIS 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 1 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 2 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 3 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 4 Busch Begins Busy Month With '500' Refresher Program April 29, 2014 "Go out and have fun," Andretti Autosport engineer Craig Hampson relayed to Kurt Busch late on a sunny morning at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Indeed, the Nevada native heeded the advice on the 2.5‐mile oval during a special refresher program arranged in conjunction with his schedule that will get more hectic during May. Jacques Villeneuve, the 1995 Indianapolis 500 winner, was the other driver on the track progressing through a refresher course. Busch, 35, will attempt to become the fourth driver to attempt the "double" ‐‐ competing in the 98th Indianapolis 500 and the evening stock car race in Concord, N.C., on May 25. He won the latter in 2010. John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart have each done it, with Stewart ‐‐ co‐owner of Busch's No. 41 Sprint Cup car at Stewart Haas Racing ‐‐ becoming the first in 2001 to complete all 1,000 miles. Kurt Busch "This attempt is something serious," said Busch, who is scheduled to join other Indy 500 rookies May 5 at the Speedway for additional laps. "It's an amazing challenge." Busch was off to a quick start learning the Honda‐powered No. 26 Suretone car, with a stiff headwind entering Turn 1 of the iconic oval, recording a best of 220.844 mph on 66 total laps before rain moved across Central Indiana late in the afternoon. ABC analyst and former Indy car driver Scott Goodyear said such wind direction was more beneficial than the alternative, which makes the car "feel like it's floating." "(Drivers) can handle a tailwind in Turn 3 better," he added. Because he tested last May on the oval last year in an Andretti Autosport car, Busch was required to complete the formal refresher program. In addition to demonstrating car control, placement and consistent driving pattern, the program consists of 25 laps that constitute the second and third phases of the Rookie Orientation Program at speed intervals based on track and weather conditions. “I think we’re going to be strong in the race and I think we’ve showed that the past couple of years,” said Andretti Autosport's James Hinchcliffe, who joined multiple other Verizon IndyCar Series drivers watching the first cars on the oval in 2014. “He has more professional races under his belt than the rest of the field combined with as many races as NASCAR runs and I’m sure he’s going to adapt pretty quickly.” Busch's May itinerary: May 11 ‐‐ Opening of practice for Indianapolis 500 (day after the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway) May 12‐16 ‐‐ Practice at the Speedway, fly to North Carolina for practice May 16 May 17 ‐‐ First day of Indianapolis 500 qualifications, fly to North Carolina to qualify for All‐Star race and compete in non‐points race 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 5 May 18 ‐‐ Second day of Indianapolis 500 qualifications May 19 ‐‐ Race set‐up practice at the Speedway May 20 ‐‐ In New York for media May 23 ‐‐ Miller Lite Carb Day practice (11 a.m.‐noon) at the Speedway May 24 ‐‐ Public drivers meeting, autograph session at the Speedway; IPL 500 Festival Parade May 25 ‐‐ Indianapolis 500 (11 a.m. ET on ABC) , fly to North Carolina for second race 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 6 Dixon On Top As Grand Prix of Indianapolis Test Concludes April 30, 2014 Reigning Indianapolis 500 champion Tony Kanaan was accorded the ceremonial first lap of the new 2.439‐mile, 14‐turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, and quickly was joined by 24 other eager Verizon IndyCar Series drivers during an Open Test. It didn’t faze Kanaan that the lap in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car was unconventional – crossing the Yard of Bricks on the front straight in a clockwise direction. In fact, he said it was a thrill, and that observation reverberated throughout Gasoline Alley. "Driving the car it doesn't feel strange because you're focused on hitting your marks. But every time I'm on pit lane and looking at the cars going out it just doesn't look right," said Ryan Briscoe, who was second quickest overall at 1 minute, 9.6558 seconds in the No. 8 NTT Data car for Ganassi Racing. "It's just a lot of fun to drive and fun to be learning a new track." Five hours of track time provided drivers and teams an opportunity to get a baseline for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis practice sessions May 8, when lap times will be considerably more crucial. The three rounds of qualifications are May 9 and the standing start for the 82‐lap race is at 3:43 p.m. (ET) May 10. Less than 24 hours later is the initial practice for the 98th Indianapolis 500 – in a counter‐clockwise direction on the 2.5‐mile oval. Reigning series champion Scott Dixon jumped to the top of the time chart on the last of his 46 laps in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car at 1:09.5969, while Simon Pagenaud was third (1:09.7544) in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports car and posted the most laps (57). Three‐time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves (1:10.0209) was fourth in the No. 3 Verizon Team Penske car, and Ryan Hunter‐Reay (1:10.0237) was fifth in the No. 28 DHL car for Andretti Autosport. The top 19 cars were separated by less than a second. Will Power, the pole sitter three days earlier for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama at Barber Motorsports Park in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, topped the morning session time chart at 1:11.2128 seconds as teams and drivers made multiple car adjustments to pair with the hardest compound of Firestone primary tires (also to be used at Mid‐Ohio in August). The alternate red tires, which trade more grip for quicker degradation, will be available for race weekend. The new track received high marks for its flow and racability, which will be enhanced when more tire rubber is laid in the turns. Section times included 196 mph down the front straight into the sharp right‐ hand Turn 1 and 184 mph on the Hulman Boulevard straight entering the left‐hand Turn 7. "Passing is going to be really good because the brake zones are so big and heavy," Briscoe said. "Turn 1 and down the Hulman Boulevard straight into Turn 7 will be big passing zones. You come out of Turn 4, sort of a medium‐speed corner, and then flat out through a chicane going up through the gears almost 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 7 as fast as the front straight into another big brake zone. You have those two corners and overall it's really fast and flowing and lots of changes of direction." Originally laid out for the Formula One race from 2000‐07, the road course underwent a $5 million reconfiguration and infrastructure upgrade that includes new viewing mounds for spectators looking over the oval Turn 2. Hundreds utilized the vantage spots during the test day under mostly cloudy skies. The test marked the first time that Justin Wilson made clockwise laps at the facility since his 2003 Formula One appearance when he finished eighth for Jaguar Grand Prix. “It’s a challenging track, trying to get the power down and get the entries just right," said Wilson, driving the No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing entry. "I think this new track is going to be a lot better. The corners leading into the back straight give you a lot of options and so does the corner leading into the front straight, so you can definitely try and set something up and the straights are long enough that you can definitely make something happen.” Added Hunter‐Reay, the race winner at Barber Motorsports Park: "I'm really excited about the course; it's a lot of fun in the race car. Big, long straights leading to tight corners will lead to plenty of passing. I think it's going to make for a great show.” 2014 Grand Prix of Indianapolis / 2014 Indianapolis 500 Daily Trackside Report Page 8 Bourdais tops the initial session on Indy course Published: May 8, 2014 Sebastien Bourdais added his name to the lists of "firsts" at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by topping the lap time chart in the initial practice session for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis. One second separated the top 16 Verizon IndyCar Series cars on the 2.439‐mile, 14‐turn road course. Bourdais, driving the No. 11 Mistic KVSH Racing car,posted a lap of 1 minute, 10.5150 seconds. Ryan Hunter‐Reay, who won the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 27, was second quick (1:10.9053) in the No. 27 DHL car for Andretti Autosport. Simon Pagenaud was third, followed by Josef Newgarden and Scott Dixon ‐‐ representing five different teams in the top five.