Bump Day at Indy Sees Thirty-Two Cars Already Qualified
Written by George Katinger · May 20, 2007
An Andretti, an Unser and the IndyCar Series’ first Latina were among 10 drivers who qualified for the 91st Running of the Indianapolis 500.
From Indy Racing League Media Reports:
Sunday is the final day of qualifications with at least three drivers expected to compete for the final starting position in the 33-car field.
Roger Yasukawa was the quickest qualifier of the day with a four-lap average of 222.654 mph on the famed 2.5-mile oval. He will start 22nd in the 500-Mile race on May 27.
John Andretti, who has not started an Indianapolis 500 since 1994, will start 24th while Al Unser Jr., who will start his 19th 500, qualified 25th.
Milka Duno became the first rookie to join the field with a qualifying average of 219.228. The Venezuelan, who will start 29th, joins Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher in the first field to feature three female drivers.
Other drivers to qualify included Alex Barron, Jon Herb, Jaques Lazier, Marty Roth, Roberto Moreno and Jimmy Kite.
Rookie Phil Giebler was three laps into his qualifying run when his No. 31 Playa Del Racing car crashed into the SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 2. The car then spun and made contact with the inside retaining wall. Giebler was checked and released from the Clarian Emergency Medical Center. The team hopes to repair the car overnight and make another qualifying attempt Sunday.
PJ Jones and Richie Hearn also expect to vie for the final starting position.
POST-QUALIFYING NOTES:
The Chastain Motorsports crew has placed decals with the name “Bobby More” and the Brazilian flag under the decals of “Roberto Moreno” and the Brazilian flag on the chassis of the No. 77 Chastain Motorsports entry that Moreno will drive.
A.J. Foyt Racing Team Director Larry Foyt underwent a driver’s physical this week at Clarian Emergency Medical Center at IMS. Foyt drove in the last three Indianapolis 500’s before stepping out of the cockpit this year to manage his father’s team.
But does the physical indicate that Foyt is considering a return to the cockpit this weekend in a third A.J. Foyt entry, as a teammate to Darren Manning and Al Unser Jr.?
LARRY FOYT (Team director, A.J. Foyt Racing): “Well, you never know what’s going to happen here. We’ve got the cars to where if my dad wanted to throw one in, I think that we could do it. I just wanted to be ready in case that happens, but I don’t know. I probably won’t because I don’t want to do anything to take away from our 14 and 50 operations, but at the same time, if it looks like we can easily get in the field, it might be fun to do.” (About factors into any decision to run a third car with Larry Foyt): “Well, we’re probably just going to see what happens today and how fast people are going. I feel really confident that I could jump in and get up to 220 pretty quickly, but at the same time, our car is not quite ready so it would take a lot of work. It probably won’t happen, but I just want to be ready just in case.”
Racing Professionals and Hemelgarn Racing have combined efforts to field a car for Richie Hearn. The six-time Indianapolis 500 starter will drive the #91 Hemelgarn/Racing Professionals Dallara/Honda/Firestone.
RICHIE HEARN (No. 91 Hemelgarn/Racing Professionals Dallara/Honda/ Firestone): “We’re going to get out. Probably not until after the first round of qualifying. We’ve got to go through tech and stuff, but we’ll be out there today. It depends on how good it goes and how everyone else qualifies it may be better just to get it in (today) and get it done with, then we can do a little bit of full-tank stuff tomorrow so we don’t have to worry about it. It’s been two years, but it’s not any different than normal. I just have to focus on just safely getting up to speed quickly because we don’t have a lot of time. I’ve been in this situation before, so I kind of know what to expect. The biggest factor is the weather and it’s a good day today, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Danielle Sylvester of Indianapolis was selected as the 2007 500 Festival Queen this morning at the annual Breakfast at the Brickyard presented by ProLiance Energy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Sylvester, 21, is a senior at Ball State University majoring in marketing with a minor in sales. She is a 2004 graduate of Southport High School and is the daughter of Paul and Teresa Sylvester. She will receive a $2,500 educational scholarship from the 500 Festival and WTHR Channel 13. She also will wear a jeweled crown provided by G. Thrapp Jewelers at 500 Festival events and the Indianapolis 500.
Sylvester is one of 33 young ladies selected for the 2007 500 Festival Princess Program, serving as ambassadors for the 500 Festival and Indianapolis 500.
Princess Danielle Frazier, from New Palestine, Ind., and Princess Brittany Landwerlen, from Greenwood, Ind., were chosen as 2007 Princess Court members.
Parnelli Jones says he could have kept driving and driving.
The 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner got behind the wheel of the No. 40 fluorescent orange Honda-powered Dallara for a few ceremonial laps on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His son, PJ, will attempt to qualify the car for the 91st Indianapolis 500. The Team Leader Motorsports car entered by Kent Baker pays homage to “Silent Sam,” the 1967 STP Pratt & Whitney Turbine car entered by Andy Granatelli that Parnelli drove to sixth place at Indianapolis.
“It was a lot of fun doing it,” he said. “I just would hate to think about going into that corner at over 200 miles an hour. I obviously would’ve liked to run a little bit more. The more you run, the more relaxed you get, the more you get the feel for the track and the car, whatever you’re driving.”
A.J. Foyt won the 1967 race, with Al Unser the runner-up. A $6 bearing ended the day for the No. 40 car, which was leading until Lap 196 of 200. Jones, who broke the 150 mph barrier in qualifications in 1962 (when he won the pole and finished seventh), competed in the 500-Mile Race seven times. The ‘67 race in the “Whooshmobile” was his last.
“It’s like a reunion to come back here every May,” he said. “I’ve never retired. I always say, ‘I’m not done yet.’ ”
Parnelli drives in the occasional celebrity and vintage car race.
“I think it’s probably the first modern race car he’s driven since the 1970s,” PJ said. “He drives antique stuff and vintage stuff, and last year he went to Goodwood (England) to drive the ‘Johnny Lightning Special’ Lotus. It’s got to be a thrill for him. It’s neat to see him in there. He’s not going that fast, but it gives him an idea of what it’s like to drive one of these cars.”
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Gordon Johncock joined members of his 1982 Indianapolis 500-winning crew
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