Friday, August 6, 2004
Welcome to the 11 th annual Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Brickyard 400 is the 21 st race of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series.
Notes, quotes, trivia, historical information and other items will appear on these pages through Sunday, Aug. 8. Our Media Center staff, headed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway Public Relations Director Ron Green and MCI Media Center Manager Bill York, is here to assist you and answer your questions during this event. Fred J. Nation, executive vice president of communications for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will also be in the media center throughout the weekend.
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TODAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
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9 a.m. |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway public gates open |
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10 a.m. |
Brickyard 400 Golf Challenge, Brickyard Crossing Golf Course |
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Noon-1 p.m. |
Champions' Chat, Plaza Stage, Pagoda Plaza |
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2-4 p.m. |
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice |
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Timing and scoring monitors are located throughout the Media Center with up-to-the-minute times and speeds.
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Brickyard 400 information is available on the World Wide Web this week on the official Indianapolis Motor Speedway site, http://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com, and the official NASCAR site, http://www.nascar.com. Included in the information will be practice summaries and performance histories, qualifying results, Daily Trackside Reports, driver quotes, race lineups and results.
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Jay Drake led all 100 laps to win the J.D. Byrider 100 Weld Racing USAC Silver Crown event Thursday night at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series regular Dave Blaney finished fifth. 2004 Indianapolis 500 starter PJ Jones finished 17 th .
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Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip will attempt to compete in all three NASCAR events this weekend in the Indianapolis area: the Brickyard 400, and the Power Stroke Diesel 200 Craftsman Truck Series race tonight and the Kroger 200 presented by Tom Raper RVs Saturday night, both at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
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Jason Leffler is also pulling "double duty" by attempting to compete in both the NASCAR Busch Series race at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Aug. 7 and the Brickyard 400 for team owner Gene Haas.
Also attempting a NEXTEL Cup-Busch Series double this weekend are Hermie Sadler, Kenny Wallace, Robby Gordon, Greg Biffle and Kevin Lepage. Ken Schrader will attempt to race in the Brickyard 400 and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at IRP.
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Scott Pruett, who drives full-time for NASCAR and Indy Racing League team owner Chip Ganassi in the Grand American Sports Car Series, will attempt to qualify the No. 09 entry owned by James Finch. He is also scheduled to complete in a Grand American race at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Pruett will take part in Brickyard qualifications Saturday then fly to Ohio for the sports car race that afternoon, then fly back to Indy for the Brickyard 400 on Sunday.
The Champions' Chat will take place from noon-1 p.m. today on the Main Stage in the Speedway's Pagoda Plaza.
Three-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon and defending winner Kevin Harvick will join IMS Radio Network announcers Mike King and Doug Rice and IMS Public Address announcer Bob Jenkins at noon.
Two-time Brickyard 400 winner Jarrett and 1997 Brickyard 400 champion Ricky Rudd will take to the stage at 12:20 p.m., and 2002 winner Bill Elliott and 2000 winner Bobby Labonte will take part in the discussion from 12:40-1 p.m. Both events are free with the price of admission to the grounds for the day.
A media bullpen will be available adjacent to the stage for TV and radio media, and print media interviews will take place in Plaza Pavilion 1B from noon-1 p.m.
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Chevrolet will pay tribute to one of NASCAR's recent champions with the introduction of the 2005 Tony Stewart Signature Series Monte Carlo. The limited-edition vehicle is the 10 th NASCAR-inspired Monte Carlo that Chevrolet has created over the last five years.
The Tony Stewart Signature Series will be a black supercharged Monte Carlo built with many elements of Stewart's No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet subtly incorporated into the vehicle.
The exterior of the vehicle is modeled closely after Stewart's night-race paint scheme with an all-black body complimented by Stewart's signature displayed on the sail panel and No. 20 graphics and Home Depot orange accents prominently lining the bottom trim of the vehicle. A Joe Gibbs Racing signature badge is also displayed on the rear deck lid. The attention to custom detailing is also prevalent within the interior of the Monte Carlo with Stewart's signature embroidered on the head restraints, displayed on the door sill plates and positioned within the gauge cluster. The gauge cluster also contains orange-outlined white numerals in the same typeface as exterior graphics and Stewart's signature while both front seats are accented with orange French seams.
Chevrolet will make a donation from the sale of the Tony Stewart Signature Series Monte Carlo to The Tony Stewart Foundation, a private, non-profit corporation which focuses on raising and donating funds to help care for chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsport activities and to help other charitable organizations.
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Facts about food and beverages that IMS Food and Beverage will sell or provide to Brickyard 400 fans and guests inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend during the Brickyard 400:
•Coca-Cola: More than 15,000 gallons
•Ice: More than 475,000 lbs
•Indy Dogs: Enough to circle the 2.5-mile oval two times
•Brickyard Burgers: Nearly 10,000 pounds of hamburger
•Fries: More than 10 tons
•Ketchup: More than 700 gallons
Inside the track, there are 69 concession stands, 35 specialty stands, 50 ice cream/lemonade, pretzel locations. There are more than 1,200 workers and 60 beer and water vendors working for IMS Food and Beverage this weekend.
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Acclaimed artist Carlo Beninati will sign autographs at the Plaza Gift Shop at the track at 1 p.m. today and Saturday, and 10 a.m. Sunday. Beninati is the Official Artist of the Brickyard 400, as he created the artwork that adorns the cover of the Official Program.
FROM THE NASCAR NEXTEL CUP MEDIA UPDATE FOR THE BRICKYARD 400:
•The first and only time in the modern era that three brothers led at least one lap in the same race occurred in the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 with Geoffrey, Brett and Todd Bodine.
•None of the 14 drivers who have competed in all 10 Brickyard 400s to date have completed all 1,600 race laps run at the Speedway.
•Although he has not competed in the Brickyard 400 since 1998, Morgan Shepherd has an average finish of 10th in his four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts at the Speedway. Shepherd finished 10 th in the first two Brickyard 400s, fifth in 1996 and 15 th in 1998. He is entered in the No. 89 Red Line Oil Dodge for 2004.
•Of the 14 drivers who have competed in all 10 Brickyard 400s, only Joe Nemechek has yet to post a top-10 finish.
•Although he has competed in only five Brickyard 400s, Tony Stewart has a successful history at the Speedway. He has posted two top-10 finishes in the Brickyard 400. He started on the pole and finished 24 th in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 en route to winning the Bank One Rookie of the Year Award for the race. He has finished in the top 10 in three of his five Indianapolis 500 starts, including a sixth-place finish in 2001 while doing "double duty" in Charlotte. Stewart won the Bud Pole for the 2002 Brickyard 400.
•Posted awards for the Brickyard 400 are $8,771,458. Last place in this year's race is set at a minimum of $116,109.
•Six of the 10 Brickyard 400s have been won from a top-four starting position, and the last two have been won from the front row (Bill Elliott, second in 2002, and Kevin Harvick from the pole last year).
•The Brickyard 400 has been won from a top-seven starting position seven of 10 times.
•The furthest back a race winner has started in the nine races at the Speedway was 27 th by Jeff Gordon in 2001.
•John Andretti, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart are the only drivers to compete in an Indianapolis 500 and a Brickyard 400 in the same year: Andretti (1994), Gordon (1997, 2002, 2003, 2004) and Stewart (1999, 2001). Gordon started this year's Indianapolis 500, but a rain delay forced him to head for Charlotte early and he turned the car over to Jaques Lazier.
•A.J. Foyt, Danny Sullivan, Geoff Brabham, Scott Pruett, Jason Leffler and Larry Foyt are the only other drivers to compete in an Indianapolis 500 and a Brickyard 400. Andy Hillenburg could be the 10 th this year, having run the Indianapolis 500 in 2000 and entered for this year's Brickyard 400.
•A provisional starter has posted a top-10 finish only three times in 10 Brickyard 400s: Rusty Wallace (37 th to fourth in 2001, best-ever finish for a provisional starter at Indy); Morgan Shepherd (38 th to sixth in 1996); and Jimmie Johnson (37 th to ninth in 2002).
•Rusty Wallace has scored nine top-10 Brickyard 400 finishes in 10 races.
•Bill Elliott has a 9.10 average start in nine races at Indianapolis, best among active drivers with more than five starts.
•Jeff Gordon has led 309 of 1,600 laps raced at Indianapolis. Dale Jarrett is second with 186.
•Ryan Newman has started fifth or better in all three of his races at Indianapolis, one of just two drivers to do so. Bill Elliott is the only other driver to post top-five starts in the last three Brickyard 400s. Elliott's last three starts were third or better.
•There have been six different Bud Pole winners in the six races at Indianapolis since 1998. There have been five different race winners in the five races at Indianapolis since 1999.
•Tony Stewart has completed all Brickyard 400 laps raced at Indy in his five races here.
•Bill Elliott (7.7), Rusty Wallace (8.5) and Jeff Gordon (9.6) are the only three drivers that have competed in all 10 races at Indianapolis with an average finish better than 10 th . Elliott has a 9.1 starting average at Indy and is the only driver to compete in all 10 Brickyard 400s with both starting and finishing averages of better than 10 th .
•All drivers in the current top 10 in NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points have had one or more top-15 finishes in their last three races at Indianapolis. Sadler has finished 21 st or worse in all five of his Brickyard 400 starts.
•Drivers who have competed in all 10 Brickyard 400s to date: John Andretti, Jeff Burton, Ward Burton, Bill Elliott, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett. Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, Mark Martin, Joe Nemechek, Ricky Rudd, Jimmy Spencer, Rusty Wallace, Michael Waltrip.
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Tickets are available for the 11 th Brickyard 400. Fans can get tickets by calling (800) 822-INDY or logging on to www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com .
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NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers Dale Jarrett, Kurt Busch, Elliott Sadler and Jeff Burton, Indy Racing League drivers Darren Manning, Townsend Bell and P.J. Chesson and 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner Eddie Cheever Jr. joined members of the media, including NBC NASCAR analyst Benny Parsons, in the Brickyard 400 Golf Challenge this morning at Brickyard Crossing Golf Course.
The winning foursome consisted of Sadler, Manning, WRTV (Indianapolis) sports director Dave Furst and ESPN 950 AM (Indianapolis) radio personality Greg Rakestraw. Their combined score was 2-under-par. No one made a hole-in-one on Hole No. 7, which would have earned that golfer $1 million.
KURT BUSCH: "It's just a great opportunity to come out. The nice four holes that are inside the track. We had a great time. This is my first opportunity to play on this course. It is just wonderful. It is a whole different atmosphere. You hear the speakers going on behind the scenes. You hear the racetrack, but it's a lot of fun and an excellent golf course. There was more pressure standing on that first tee box than there will be tomorrow or any other time I have ever qualified. I was able to get the ball out of the tee box and not shuck it.
P.J. CHESSON: (About Kurt Busch's golf game): "He's pretty good. He hit some pretty solid shots that got us home and put us one under on the first tee. It was real cool. I don't know how he was relaxed. Maybe he's not, I don't know. The shades are pretty dark."
DARREN MANNING: "I'm totally addicted to golf, unfortunately. It's take over my life. But don't put money on me. Elliot (Sadler) is the real 'ringer' on our team." (What is your golf handicap?): "Well, I don't want to say anything too good. Oh, about 34. No, but I play to about 11. I'm very excited to be back here."
ELLIOTT SADLER: (What is your golf handicap?): "I can pull off about an 8. Been playing pretty good actually lately the last few months, probably the best I've been playing golf in a long time. Been having fun with it."
TOWNSEND BELL: "I'm a horrible golfer. In fact, if I make contact, I'm happy. As long as everyone stays clear to the last and the right of me, I'll be all right. I've never played this course before."
JEFF BURTON: "I enjoy playing golf, but I don't play a lot. The last time I played was over a year ago. I do enjoy it. I just don't have enough time to play it. I don't play it very much." (Have you played in front of a crowd before?) "Yes, I have. That doesn't bother me much. If I was worried about what I looked like, I wouldn't play golf. I have played this course before. I have played it a couple of times. It's a really nice course. I really like the course. This is a really, really nice course."
Jeff Green was the fastest driver during six days of Brickyard 400 testing in July at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Green posted a top speed of 181.641 mph in the No. 43 Cheerios Dodge on July 7, while rookie Brian Vickers was second overall at 181.554 in the No. 25 GMAC Financial Services Chevrolet, on July 13. Jason Leffler rounded out the top three at 180.787 in the No. 60 Haas CNC Racing Chevrolet, on July 13.
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Six former champions of the Brickyard 400 participated in the Champions' Chat this afternoon at the Pagoda Plaza. The six drivers: Jeff Gordon (1994, 1998, 2001), Dale Jarrett (1996, 1999), Ricky Rudd (1997), Bobby Labonte (2000), Bill Elliott (2002) and Kevin Harvick (2003).
BOBBY LABONTE: (About race strategy): "You are not going to have side-by-side racing for 500 miles like you do at Talladega. Here, if it comes down to the last lap, you might have two cars running side by side on last lap across the start-finish line, and that will take away all the single-file racing throughout the day possibly, and it would be a great race. You can just look at it from different ways and how differently people categorize a great race. It was a great race because it had a great finish. Everybody says it is still a great race. It might not have greatness in the middle of it, but it might be great at the end." (About significance of Brickyard 400): "They are all key. This is a big race. Obviously, it is huge, one of the biggest races we are going to have all year. Same amount of points that we are going to have next week at Watkins Glen. Points-wise, next week at Watkins Glen, probably be more important in a lot of ways. There will be 34 cars on the lead lap, because it's stretched out and hard to get a lap down type of deal. You have something break on the last lap at Watkins Glen; you wouldn't be suffering more there than you probably would here because there will be less cars here at the end. Points-wise, that might be more of a critical race than here, but it depends on how you look at it. But, obviously, if you can run good here, that will get you going for the next few races, too." (About the diversity of personalities currently in NASCAR compared to years ago): "It is no different than it used to be, just that there's more people to talk about it. There was the villains, there was the good guys, there was the hard charger, there was the guy who would win at the end and not say a word. It was all the same, just now it's like a big mushroom cloud. That was the first explosion, and it just gets bigger and bigger. It is really no different."
KEVIN HARVICK: (About being one of the first 'younger guys' to win the Brickyard 400): "I think Jeff (Gordon) would get mad if you're saying he's one of the older guys at 33. To put your name in the history book with the very few people that have won this race in a stock car is really cool for me. Just to be a part of it is something I will always remember and always be at the top of what I accomplished in the sport."
JEFF GORDON: (About winning inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994): "It was a surreal moment. It's unbelievable. It's still unbelievable when I look back at it. You dream about getting to a certain level. It's almost like that is too much to ask for. It's too much to dream of. To me, just being able to come here and race was it for me. That did it. Just to be able to drive a race car around this track and compete was it. To pull into victory lane, honestly that whole moment was a blur. I have no idea what went on or how it happened. Thank God it was on television because I can look back on it. It was just absolutely crazy. I couldn't believe I was living that moment. And I've had a lot of moments like that in my life where I couldn't believe that I was the one living it because I always thought that happened to other people. It happened to me, and then it continued to happen."
DALE JARRETT: (About race strategy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway) : "With the lack of banking that (this track) has, you carry speed and make more speed to the corner, which we do, and which we have done. With the aerodynamics of getting the cars as soft as they are in the front, you're traveling faster down the straightaways, so it's going to be harder to keep the car, with the flat surface, in the corner and to keep it on the bottom. As we've gone to a different tire here, it's a little bit softer compound but more, the softness of the sidewall, the flexibility of it. I think that's when we see as the cars get probably 15 or 20 laps on them, you're going to see the car slide around a lot as they get in the corners. But that's what makes this place what it is. You have to get that balance. You have to decide if you are going to go fast for 10 or 15 laps or are you going to try to go at a good hard pace for the 35 or so laps that you can run on fuel."
BILL ELLIOTT: "I feel like we have a great chance. We have a great car and a great group of guys behind us. With what Ray (Evernham) is trying to do with building a third team into the establishment. I think right now if we can just keep things going into a good direction and have a few things go our way, we have as good of a shot as anybody. Not having any baggage for the last two weeks, as far as I'm concerned, coming in here with an open plate, I feel like I have as good of a chance as anybody." (About significance of Brickyard 400): "I think it is ranked among the top, in my opinion. Daytona, of course, always comes first, but it seems like once the second half of the season starts, Indy is the next place everybody wants to go and run well at. You know, I have been fortunate enough throughout my career to run well numerous times here. And, of course, winning here. I think everybody wants to win here. When Earnhardt Sr. was still around, and how hard he tried to win here, and it finally came together. You look at Jeff Gordon, and some of the guys that have won here numerous times. They look at Indy as being that special place. If you can't win Daytona, then you want to win at Indy." (About strong season by rookie teammate Kasey Kahne): "Since Kasey has come along, it has brought a new generation of fans over to Ray Evernham. You look at what that has brought along. I have got a group of fans, a fan base, and now he has brought in a new evolution of fans. It continues to change. It is healthy for the sport to change."
RICKY RUDD: (Should NASCAR allow relief drivers to score points for the driver, in lieu of Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s injuries suffered in a sports-car race?): "Over my career, that's one reason I've been fortunate to keep that consecutive streak. I never did do very well outside racing. My main focus has always been Cup racing. I always did think about getting in things like that. Getting in equipment always bothered me. What he got in was very good equipment. But over the years, the early years in my career, I got in some equipment like some Saturday-night-type places that you say once I've made it I'll never get back in that again, seatbelts dry-rotted and things of that nature. But that's not what happened to Earnhardt Jr. So you want to limit your risk as much as you can. But as far as looking at substitute drivers, I've always learned how to drive with pain and deal with it. It's not a good thing that you had to do, but that was just how the system was set up. What really made me take a second look at it a couple of years ago, Sterling Marlin should have been the Winston Cup champion and ended up breaking his neck. I thought at that point that is a really tough way to lose a championship. I hated it for his team and him." (Richard Childress said maybe if a guy could miss two races to let him heal up, but after two he would have used up his time?): "I think it needs to be looked and addressed and needs to be some consensus by some little give and take on that situation. I'm not saying now is the time to do that. I would not do it now but start the new season with new rules implemented, and that would take care of the situation. I am not a big fan of making rules as you go along. But over the winter it ought to be looked at. What Richard said does make sense. It's not a bad way to go." (Has the appreciation for winning the Brickyard 400 changed over the years?): "I would say it has probably grown a little bit. When you win it is a big deal, don't get me wrong. But then you don't get a chance to enjoy it. We were testing that next day somewhere else. You don't get a chance to really get in and enjoy the win. As time goes on, I think the win here will always mean a lot to me as a driver. The thing that I have never really considered is that there is not a whole lot of owners in this garage area that has won this race before (as a driver). I think as time goes on this (winning the Brickyard 400) will be something that I will be even more proud of." (Where is your brick for winning?) "I'm not sure where the brick is, but I know where the trophy is. We had a flood in our basement the other week, and our trophy is pretty much destroyed right now. So I'm going to have to have it rebuilt. The check is long gone and has been spent. The check bought the house that destroyed the trophy. The flood was really hard to deal with. I lost some stuff that's hard to replace. Some old photos, trophies, and the Brickyard 400 trophy. I'm sure that it can be rebuilt, but it's pretty sorry looking now. It's kind of crumbled into a few pieces. So hopefully we need to get a replacement or get that one rebuilt. The thing is, it shouldn't have been in the basement in a closet to begin with. It should have been on display as it was. But didn't have a chance to find a place and figure out what we want to do with it. The life we live is so fast paced that it stayed there, and we were going to find a place to sit it some day and never did. It's really a shame. But maybe we can win another Brickyard 400 here soon to sit next to the repaired one once that is restored." (As you get closer to the end of your career, and there are fewer and fewer chances to win sort of the big races. If you never get a Daytona and get one of these?): "Well I think my career is definitely on the winding-down process. When you do retire, well, then you look back and see some races carry more importance than others. I would say this race definitely carries a lot of importance. I would say this race is one of the biggest races I've ever won. But things are weird how they work. In my mind, 1971 I won the national championship go-kart race right down the street. That rates up there pretty close to this. Again, there obviously wasn't a check that day back then, but just a trophy. My early career in go-kart racing was to win the big one, and we were able to do that. The biggest race obviously in Cup racing that I've won up to this point is the Brickyard (400), and that will always mean something special." (What does the Brickyard mean to you and your career?): "You know the pay is awfully good, but that thought process doesn't even enter in to it until a Monday or Tuesday. To me, it's all about the prestige and history of this place. It means a lot. For a driver, racing here at Indy is special in different ways for everybody. To me, Indy is special because I came here as a kid racing go-karts down the street at Raceway Park. Our registration was right here at the Brickyard Crossing Motel. We got a chance to enjoy the race rack at that time. I think I first started racing at Indy in the National Championship when I was 11 years old. I finally won the championship when I was 13 years old. But going to the Brickyard Crossing Motel and looking over and seeing the big speedway, I had never seen anything like it. I never was exposed to the Daytona facility. This was the biggest racetrack I had ever seen in my life and thinking the way we race go-karts generally led you down the path to race at Indy one day. I knew at that time I wanted to come back and race here. Didn't really make the career choice, it just sort of worked out that stock cars was the right thing for me to do. No regrets, but it looked like I would never have a chance to race here. So the reason is special for me. Being a small kid here seeing the history, museum and knew that I wanted to be a part of the history of this place someday. At that time we came in here the garages looked like horse stables. I had taken the tour through here and seen where A.J. Foyt had parked his race car and all the famous race guys that had raced here over the years. Seeing the names on the walls in the garages. Everything was kept up nice and perfect like today. Back then very few tracks were kept up. Most in very unpresentable conditions."
Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and CEO Tony George presented 2003 Brickyard 400 winner Kevin Harvick with one of the bricks from the former surface of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Champions' Chat in honor of his victory.
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NASCAR GARAGE AREA QUOTES:
Quotes from selected Brickyard 400 competitors about this weekend's event:
BILL ELLIOTT: (Why have you run so well here, with a victory in 2002 and eight top-10 finishes?): "I can't answer that. I've been very fortunate. I've had a good crew here in the past. Just from that side, it's been good and I've had good equipment and I think that's the special part of it. Indy's always been a special place. I ran good the first time I showed up here. Hopefully, we can run good here again this weekend."
MORGAN SHEPHERD: (You've finished three times in the top 10 at this track but haven't raced here since 1998. What are your chances of making the field?): "First of all, we have to see what goes on in practice, but we're in the best shape we've been in car-wise. Joey Arrington has given us a great engine to run here, and I have a new crew chief on board, Terry Allen, so our chances of qualifying for this field should be better than any of the races I've been in this year." (Was it special for you to come to the Speedway and run so well in the early years of this race?): "I was hoping my career wouldn't have gone 'in' because I'd heard talk for many years before we came here that NASCAR was going to be able to be at the Brickyard. I was hoping I wouldn't be out of racing before that happened. It was such a great honor to come here and run with all the history this track has from way back when it started. For NASCAR to be here, it's a great honor." (Do you still roller skate in the garage area?): "I still roller skate anywhere. I'm 62 years old, I'll be 63 Oct. 12, so I'm the oldest active driver here. That's what my life is about, is encouraging people life's not over after 50 years old. You need to get up off the couch, need to do something with your life and take care of your health and just better yourself. I know everybody can't roller skate and drive 200 miles an hour at 62 years old, but you can get up and do something with your life and go about improving it."
JOE NEMECHEK: " We've had some great qualifying runs here in the past, and hopefully we'll have another one, too. For the race, the goal is to get the Army Chevrolet up there in the front. We've been running so strong here in the last dozen races, and we should have had some top-fives. We're just trying to be consistent right now. We had a great car last week at Pocono. We led the first 31 laps, and we ended up having a transmission or a gear failure about 50 laps into the race. We don't have to shift here, so that's not a problem for us. I had a great car there, and there are a lot of similarities between the tracks. We'll try to use what we learned there and try to apply it here. We had a great test. All we did was run race stuff. We didn't do any qualifying runs and thought we ran well. I've always excelled at qualifying here at Indy, especially since going to Saturday-morning qualifying and no laps on the track before you go. I think that kind of plays into my hands. I've always been able to step up to the plate and get the job done. As long as the car handles halfway close, I can go pretty good. Hopefully we'll have a shot.
ANDY HILLENBURG: "It's going to be a tough challenge tomorrow. We just put this deal together in the last week, and I sure hope we're able to pull it off. We got a good piece of equipment. We just have to make our car perfect for a couple of laps. For tomorrow's qualifying, I would be just one of the happiest persons being one of those guys. I've been doing a few NEXTEL Cup races this year and ran a couple of ARCA races. I' would like to keep racing. You know someday even giving the (Indy) 500 another shot, but the times are changing. A far as the youthfulness of the drivers, the marketability, it seems like there are fewer sponsors in different series."
RUSTY WALLACE: " I hope we have a great run this week. We had a good test here. I left and wanted to get a little more speed out of the car. We went back. We got more horsepower. We really worked on the car hard. As we're doing this interview on Friday, we have two hours of practice before qualifying, and we're going to try to get all we can out of the car today. A lot of changes are going to be made. Everybody has brought their best stuff. Everybody brings their best stuff to Charlotte, and they bring their best stuff to Indy. It's going to be interesting to see how everybody runs with their equipment they brought. But we brought all we got. Having three second-place finishes here and being passed three times with 10 to go, it's a tough one to take. I thought I had it won the year Earnhardt won the race (1995). I had a huge lead and had a big pit problem and couldn't get out. The rest of them, I just got outrun at the very end. At least I can say that with 10 starts and nine top-10's, that's pretty strong."
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Supermodel Niki Taylor will serve as an honorary grand marshal of the Brickyard 400 on Sunday.
Taylor will attend the event with her 9-year-old twin sons, Jake and Hunter. Jake is a Jeff Gordon fan, while Hunter is a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan.
Niki Taylor will attend the drivers' meeting and will introduce country music superstar Vince Gill during the "Buckle Up Bash starring Vince Gill" pre-race concert at 11 a.m. Sunday in the infield, free to all Race Day ticket holders.
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NASCAR NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE:
At 2 p.m., the beginning of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice, the ambient temperature was 71 degrees with a relative humidity of 42 percent and northeast winds at 13 mph. Skies were sunny.
2 p.m. - GREEN. #12 Newman first on track, followed by #48 Johnson, #6 Martin.
2:30 p.m. - RED . #09 Scott Pruett did a half-spin in Turn 1 and hit the SAFER Barrier between Turns 1 and 2 with the left side of the car. The car then spun across the track and stopped along the retaining wall on the inside of the track. Pruett climbed from the car without assistance.
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Top Five Drivers of First Practice, 2:30 p.m.
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No. |
Driver |
Car |
Speed |
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1. |
38 |
Elliott Sadler |
M&M's Ford |
182.741 mph |
|
|
2. |
9 |
Kasey Kahne |
Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge |
182.157 |
|
|
3. |
77 |
Brendan Gaughan |
Kodak/Jasper Engines & Transmissions Dodge |
181.774 |
|
|
4. |
42 |
Jamie McMurray |
Texaco/Havoline Dodge |
181.756 |
|
|
5. |
19 |
Jeremy Mayfield |
Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge |
181.507 |
|
***
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP PRACTICE (cont.):
2:47 p.m. - GREEN .
2:49 p.m. - RED . #02 Hermie Sadler crashed in Turn 2. The car skidded up the track and hit the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 with the right side of the car. Sadler climbed from the car without assistance.
HERMIE SADLER: "The throttle hung up on me going into Turn 2. We tested this SAFER Barrier. It is unfortunate for us. We had a good car. It's our best car that we got. We put a lot of work and effort into getting here. Not sure what happened. Not sure if a rock got up in there. I don't know. We've never had trouble with this car. It worked fine in the garage, but didn't work when I needed it to."
2:58 p.m. - GREEN .
3:15 p.m. -- #38 E. Sadler remains fastest at 182.741 mph.
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director: #09 Scott Pruett was transported to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis via ground for further evaluation and X-rays. #02 Hermie Sadler was released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center without injury and cleared to drive.
Practice has been extended to 4:15 p.m., NASCAR officials announced.
3:40 p.m. -- #41 Casey Mears fastest at 184.222.
3:50 p.m. - Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Casey Mears and Sterling Marlin are 1-2 on the speed charts, with Mears at 184.222, Marlin at 183.217.
3:51 p.m. - RED. #16 Greg Biffle crashed in Turn 4. Car spun between 90 and 180 degrees, hitting the SAFER Barrier in Turn 4 with the left-rear side of the car. The car continued to slide through Turn 4 and onto the front straightaway, stopping on inside of track near entrance to pit road. Biffle climbed from car without assistance.
4:03 p.m. - GREEN .
4:11 p.m. -- #60 Jason Leffler fastest at 184.460 mph. That's the fastest unofficial lap by a stock car in Indianapolis Motor Speedway history, surpassing the pole lap of 184.343 last year by Kevin Harvick.
4:15 p.m. - CHECKERED . #60 Jason Leffler fastest at 184.460. Mears uncle Rick Mears won the Indianapolis 500 four times.
All 50 cars entered in the event were on track during practice.
***
Top 10 Drivers of First Practice, Final
|
No. |
Driver |
Car |
Speed |
||
|
1 |
60 |
Jason Leffler |
Haas Automation Chevrolet |
184.460 mph |
|
|
2. |
41 |
Casey Mears |
Target Dodge |
184.222 |
|
|
3. |
40 |
Sterling Marlin |
Coors Light Dodge |
183.337 |
|
|
4. |
48 |
Jimmie Johnson |
Lowe's Chevrolet |
183.158 |
|
|
5. |
42 |
Jamie McMurray |
Texaco/Havoline Dodge |
183.042 |
|
|
6. |
19 |
Jeremy Mayfield |
Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge |
182.938 |
|
|
7. |
01 |
Joe Nemechek |
U.S. Army Chevrolet |
182.919 |
|
|
8. |
9 |
Kasey Kahne |
Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge |
182.808 |
|
|
9. |
38 |
Elliott Sadler |
M&M's Ford |
182.741 |
|
|
10. |
6 |
Mark Martin |
Viagra Ford |
182.567 |
|
The track temperature during practice today was 130 degrees.
***
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director: #16 Greg Biffle was released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center without injury and cleared to drive.
GREG BIFFLE: "It just got away from me. I was just way too loose. That was our first qualifying run of the day, and even though that was a good car, they've got another good one in the truck so we'll be all right." (Is the track slick?): "This place gets slick in the afternoon, but I don't know. Like I said, that was my first qualifying run, and it just got away from me. Well, we're still going to start in the back because they don't want to use that motor. If we used that engine, we'd be OK but the drive shaft shoved into the back of the transmission, and it broke the tail housing and stuff, so it could hurt the flywheel or the crankshaft. So instead of taking any chances, we'll just put a spare engine in it and start from the back." (Were you down on the white line when the car spun?): "No, I was clear up by the wall. I just lifted on the gas and started to turn in and spun out. Mine got away in the worst possible spot - way early. Way early is worse than being down on the line already because in the middle of the corner, that's your slowest speed."
***
Republican candidate for Indiana governor Mitch Daniels proposed the "Indiana MotorForce Initiative" to encourage development and growth of motor sports in Indiana.
Due to a family emergency, Daniels' campaign manager, Bill Oesterle, announced the "Indiana MotorForce Initiative" today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway surrounded by motorsports industry leaders such as NASCAR driver and Indianapolis 500 veteran John Andretti; 1998 Indianapolis 500 winner and IRL IndyCar® Series team owner Eddie Cheever Jr., IndyCar Series driver Sarah Fisher, representatives of Hoosier Tire and Rollie Helmling, president of the United States Auto Club (USAC).
Daniels' "Indiana MotorForce Initiative" proposals include creating a state director of motorsports development, extending Indiana's venture capital tax credit to motorsports teams, modernizing Indiana's sales tax exemption for motorsports industries and establishment of a motorsports tech park and training programs.
***
Dale Earnhardt Jr. plans to drive the entire 400 miles of the Brickyard 400 on Sunday despite burns suffered on his legs and neck in an accident in a sports-car race July 18 at Sonoma, Calif., team spokesman Mike Davis said. Earnhardt started the last two NEXTEL Cup races since his accident but was relieved during both events.
John Andretti, who relieved Earnhardt last Sunday at Pocono, is at the Speedway this weekend, but Davis said the Dale Earnhardt Inc. team doesn't plan to use him as a relief driver for Earnhardt.
***
Medical update from Dr. Henry Bock, Speedway medical director: #09 Scott Pruett has been released from Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE (Sirius Satellite Radio and H.H. Gregg Qualifying Day):
|
7 a.m. |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway public gates open |
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10:10 a.m. |
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup qualifying (two laps, all positions) |
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2:10-2:55 p.m. |
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup practice |
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3:45-4:30 p.m. |
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup final practice |
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