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[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Njugarden je imao udes slican Kastronevesovom, bolid se okrenuo unazad i poleteo...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Josef Newgarden walked away from a vicious crash during the final hour of practice Thursday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

 

Motoring through Turn 1 on his first hot lap, Newgarden's car snapped sideways, nearly hit the wall head-on and then got upside down as it slid on its side all the way to Turn 2. It was the second straight day an Indy car has been airborne – three-time winner Helio Castroneves flipped in almost the same spot on Wednesday and was not injured.

 

"I was pretty impressed with the hit – it was a hard one, but I'm fine," said Newgarden, who won his first IndyCar race at Alabama's Barber Motorsports Park last month. "I bruised my hand but I'm not hurt at all.

 

"Obviously things can go bad at these speeds but IndyCar and Dallara make them as safe as possible and I feel safe in them."

Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 14 May 2015 - 23:21.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

 

The big news during today’s Indy 500 practice session – other than the Chevy chassis wicker removal – has been the testing conducted by Honda teams with a single rear wing element. Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay said it would be a major test item after the test day earlier this month, and with teams set to begin running in qualifying trim tomorrow, a few drivers – most notably from A.J. Foyt Racing and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – have given the single-element configuration a try.

 

Sato managed a 226.290mph lap without a tow, currently P7 on the no tow list, but he told RACER the lack of additional elements – and the subsequent lack of rear downforce – made for a busier time in the cockpit.

 

“You lose a significant amount of downforce as well as small amount of drag so it’s really qualifying preparation trim,” he said. “You feel a lot lighter as you go through the corner, not necessarily super stable but that’s what you’re aiming for – the speed – in qualifying. I felt it was positive but we need to work on it a little bit more.”

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

- zvanicno potvrdjeno, LED displeji se NECE koristiti na Indiju, iako je to bilo najavljeno.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Verizon IndyCar Series driver Josef Newgarden was checked at the IU Health Emergency Medical Center and cleared to drive after his No. 21 Century 21 CFH Racing Chevrolet made heavy contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier and flipped on its top with 40 minutes left in practice for the Indianapolis 500.

 

Newgarden, who in mid-April won the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama for his first Verizon IndyCar Series victory, had just turned a lap of 204.928 mph on the 2.5-mile oval as drivers geared up for their final stints during "Happy Hour" at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He totaled 56 laps for the day.

 

“Not where we wanted to be with the Century 21 car," he said. "I got around pretty quick in Turn 1. It definitely surprised me. I knew it happened when it did, so I’m just lucky that everything’s good. The Dallara tub held up well. I just want to get back to my guys and see what the damage is. I’m sure it’s bad, but we’ll see what we can do going forward."

 

It was the third single-car incident of the month in practice. On May 13, Helio Castroneves' car made hard contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier and later in the session Pippa Mann's car made contact with the inside pit lane retaining wall and pit lane attenuator.

 

"I hit my hand a little bit and I think I have a bruise, but other than that I’m fine," Newgarden said. "I think Dallara and INDYCAR do a great job and so does everyone else involved to make the safest race cars possible. I feel safe in them. We’re always looking for more, but they’re as safe as we can make them right now.” 

 

Newgarden has a best lap of 225.652 mph on May 13 and has recorded 287 total laps.

 

The boost level will be increased from 130 kPa to 140 kPa for “Fast Friday” practice May 15 and qualifications May 16-17. The change in pressure adds about 40 horsepower to the Chevrolet and Honda 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines. The boost level will return to 130 kPa for final practice on Coors Light Carb Day on May 22 and the 500 Mile Race.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Vremena od danas: http://www.imscdn.co...lts-p4 5-14.pdf

 

Kombinovana vremena: http://www.imscdn.co...-pcomb 5-14.pdf

 

Sutra je Brzi Petak, podize se bust, rade se setapi za kvalifikacije, brzine rastu, verovatno cemo videti najvece brzine celog Meseca Maja.

 

Simon Pagenaud has watched his teammates grab the headlines since he joined Team Penske at the beginning of this season, but the Frenchman stole the spotlight in the fifth practice session leading up to the 99^th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race.

 

Driving the No. 22 Avaya Team Penske Chevrolet, Pagenaud logged the best of nearly 2,000 laps turned on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 2.5-mile oval, at 228.793 mph. Carlos Munoz, who eclipsed 230 mph in practice Wednesday, was second fastest today in the No. 26 AndrettiTV Cinsay Honda, at 228.126.

 

“Today was a really good day for the Avaya car,” Pagenaud said. “We’ve been focusing on understanding what the car does in qualifying runs. Very happy to see the preparation from Penske and how fast the 22 car is. So far, so good.”

 

Pagenaud is teamed with a pair of Indianapolis 500 winners – Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya – and reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power in the Penske armada. Montoya and Power have each won a race this season, while Castroneves has won two Verizon P1 Awards for taking the pole position.

 

It hasn’t deterred Pagenaud, a four-time career race winner in the Verizon IndyCar Series who also topped the chart of laps run today without benefit of a tow from cars leading it, at 227.628.

 

“We’re happy but we can be happier,” he said. “At the end of the day we did some pack running and once again we’re very happy so far. What’s difficult is it’s really cold right now, so you get more downforce because the air is so thick. We know it’s going to be warmer in the race, that’s what makes it tricky. You’re trying to understand what the car’s going to do in the race. It’s definitely going to be warmer.”

 

Following Pagenaud and Munoz on the speed chart were Chip Ganassi Racing teammates Sage Karam (227.683), Scott Dixon (227.634) and Tony Kanaan (227.527). Friday marks the final day of practice prior to two days of qualifications that will set the lineup for the 500-mile race on May 24.

 

The lone incident of the day came in the last of the six-hour practice session. Josef Newgarden was uninjured when his No. 21 Century 21 CFH Racing Chevrolet spun and hit the SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 1 in nearly the same spot where Castroneves’ car hit a day earlier. Newgarden’s car slid on its top before coming to rest in the short chute between Turns 1 and 2.

 

“I got around pretty quick in Turn 1; it definitely surprised me,” Newgarden said. “I knew it happened when it did, so I’m just lucky that everything’s good. The Dallara tub held up pretty well. I just want to get back to my guys and see what the damage is. I’m sure it’s bad but we’ll see what we can do going forward. It was a hard bit, (but) I feel fine.”

 

 

 

The RACER Channel speaks with Tony Kanaan on his day and questions over the safety of Chevy's aero kit, then speaks with Josef Newgarden who became the second Chevy driver in two days to flip in Turn 1 at Indy, and closed with RACER's Robin Miller and Marshall Pruett discussing the flips, the removal of the Chevy chassis wickers, and other events during a busy Thursday at IMS.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbW93hGgMY

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbW93hGgMY

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Castroneves, Newgarden crashes leave only questions
Curt Cavin, curt.cavin@indystar.com
8:56 p.m. EDT May 14, 2015


A coincidence or a trend? No one has an answer yet

IndyCar can't explain it. Chevrolet can't explain it.

HelioCastroneves and Josef Newgarden certainly can't explain it.

The issue at the fore of Indianapolis 500 practice is a lifting of cars in similar Turn 1 accidents at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Crashes involving Castroneves on Wednesday and Newgarden on Thursday happened to hit with the left side before turning backward and flipping upside down. Both happened to be Chevrolets.

A coincidence or a trend? Maybe answers will come in the days ahead.

"It's definitely concerning; we haven't had cars doing that ever in my career," said Ed Carpenter, a driver who made his 500 debut in 2004 and is also the team owner of CFH Racing, a Chevrolet-powered outfit employing Newgarden. "There's a lot differences (with the cars) this year.

"There's aero kits, there's a giant hole in our underwing, there's a lot of things that are different. I don't know that we understand why it's going on at this point."

Carpenter stressed that it might just be a coincidence.

"There's certainly a lot of unanswered questions and hopefully we'll get answers to them in time," he said.

Chevrolet driver Townsend Bell said "no part of wind tunnel testing" involves cars traveling backward.

"I wouldn't want to rush to judgment," Bell said.

Josef Newgarden (21) of CHF Racing slides with his car inverted after he hit the wall and flipped coming out of turn one during practice for the Indianapolis 500 Thursday, May 14, afternoon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo: John Chilton / For the Star)
A coincidence or a trend? No one has an answer yet
635672264561161809-23-Indy14-JCBuy Photo

(Photo: John Chilton / For the Star)
3 CONNECT 58 TWEET 1 LINKEDIN 1 COMMENTEMAILMORE

IndyCar can't explain it. Chevrolet can't explain it.

HelioCastroneves and Josef Newgarden certainly can't explain it.

The issue at the fore of Indianapolis 500 practice is a lifting of cars in similar Turn 1 accidents at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Crashes involving Castroneves on Wednesday and Newgarden on Thursday happened to hit with the left side before turning backward and flipping upside down. Both happened to be Chevrolets.

A coincidence or a trend? Maybe answers will come in the days ahead.

"It's definitely concerning; we haven't had cars doing that ever in my career," said Ed Carpenter, a driver who made his 500 debut in 2004 and is also the team owner of CFH Racing, a Chevrolet-powered outfit employing Newgarden. "There's a lot differences (with the cars) this year.

"There's aero kits, there's a giant hole in our underwing, there's a lot of things that are different. I don't know that we understand why it's going on at this point."

Carpenter stressed that it might just be a coincidence.

"There's certainly a lot of unanswered questions and hopefully we'll get answers to them in time," he said.

Chevrolet driver Townsend Bell said "no part of wind tunnel testing" involves cars traveling backward.

"I wouldn't want to rush to judgment," Bell said.

Chevrolet teams started the day with instruction to remove the narrow aerodynamic strip on the nose, a piece recently added as a step toward stabilizing these cars in cornering. After Castroneves' crash, his team owner suggested the piece was "pinning" the nose in rearward incidents.

"We think the wicker that's on the front of the car pinned the front of the car down as it was sliding; you could see it in the pictures," Roger Penske said. "When the rear end got a little air under it ... it caught the air and then went up."

IndyCar agreed to make it an optional piece for action this month, although a Honda spokesman said that applied only to Chevrolet. Honda teams left the strip on their cars because "they certainly don't hurt and they might help," the spokesman said.

IndyCar president Derrick Walker declined to stop for questions after Newgarden's crash. Chevrolet's leadership could not be reached for comment.

There were different aspects to these crashes. Both drivers lost control at about the same point, but Castroneves was able to chase the steering of his car a bit longer, which reduced the amount of travel to the wall. Thus, his car hit more flush with the left side.

Newgarden's car snapped quicker, making the spin more pronounced and the impact with the left front corner fierce. He certainly got his money's worth.

"We were just going out there for a run," said Newgarden, who ran 204.928 mph on the prior lap. "It was a pretty crazy hit.

"I was pretty impressed with the hit; it was a hard hit."

Newgarden reported a bruise on his left wrist, but he didn't spend much time in the track's infield care center.

"Just lucky that everything's good (with me)," he said. "The Dallara tub held up pretty well. Just want to get back with my guys; I'm sure it's bad."

It was. The left front corner showed the signs of a massive impact. The flight created a situation where the left-side sidepod folded under the car, something that doesn't usually happen with Indy cars.

MAIL CALL:

Newgarden's car didn't flip back over on its wheels as Castroneves' did, making extrication interesting. Like Castroneves, Newgarden walked to the rescue vehicle, but he, too, stopped to put his hands on his knees and regain his thoughts, senses and probably his air.

At least publicly, other Chevrolet drivers expressed no concern for their safety. Simon Pagenaud posted the day's fastest lap speed at 228.793 mph — he also ran 227.628 mph without aid of the draft — and pronounced the cars safe.

"Yeah, these cars are safe," he said. "At the end of the day we're going fast — 230 mph at the entry of the corner. If you have a crash, it's going to be a big crash."

Pagenaud said he couldn't comment on Newgarden's crash any more than he could comment on Castroneves'.

That was the story of the day: No firm explanation but plenty of questions.

Follow Star reporter Curt Cavin on Twitter: @curtcavin.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

4 Andreti bolida u jednom kadru:

 

 

Fali samo Marko za kompletnu sliku.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Danas je po protokolu zakazan Brzi Petak, kada se radi setap za kvalifikacije, no sva je prilika da ce biti nekog pomeranja jer je u Indijanapolisu kisa...

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

http://www.f1fanatic...-for-99th-race/

Crashes a concern as speeds rise at Indianapolis
2015 Indianapolis 500 preview
May 15, 2015 at 11:45 am by Keith Collantine


IndyCar’s new aero kits had been a divisive subject long before the championship arrived at Indianapolis for its sixth round and most famous race.

 

But a pair of crashes in practice have raised urgent questions about the safety of the cars. Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden were fortunate to escape injury in separate, solo accidents in which their cars took off and flipped after making contact with the barrier.

 

In practice speeds were already approaching the level seen last year, when Ed Carpenter took pole position at an average of 371.866kph (231.067mph). Greater performance was expected this year as teams are allowed to run new aerodynamic kits produced for engine manufacturers Chevrolet and Honda.

 

After five races using the road and street course versions the jury was still out over whether they represented an improvement. The first race in St. Petersburg saw a spate of debris-related caution period after parts broke off the new wings. Since then some components have been strengthened, others removed, and the on-track action as generally improved – especially at Barber Motorsport Park, where Newgarden scored his breakthrough victory in a cracker of a race.

 

Indianapolis is the first test for the superspeedway versions of the aero kits. As one of the three great races of motor racing along with the Monaco Grand Prix (held earlier on the same day) and Le Mans 24 Hours, the Indy 500 had for too long been a race contested by identical cars.

 

The return of aerodynamic competition this years follows the revival of engine development three years ago. IndyCar had set a target of seeing Arie Luyendyk’s 19-year-old record qualifying lap speed fall by next year, the 100th running of the race. Luyendyk set a single-lap record of 382.216kph (237.498mph) and record qualifying four-lap qualifying run of 381.398kph (236.986mph).

 

But the pursuit of performance has always come with a safety risk and the first sign IndyCar might have a problem on its hands came when Helio Castroneves spun his Penske into the wall on Wednesday and the car took off.

 

The solo crash for the number three Penske showed that despite changes to the floor of the cars enforced by IndyCar, aerial accidents are still possible. A second crash involving Josef Newgarden on Thursday in which his car also flipped will surely increase calls for this to be examined again.

 

Front runners

Having emerged unscathed from his crash, three-times winner Castroneves and the other three members of Penske’s stellar line-up are strong contenders for victory in the first oval race of the year. On the road and street courses which held the first five rounds of the championship, Chevrolet’s engine and aerodynamics was the package to beat. Honda only managed to inflict a defeat on its rival once, in the rain-hit race at NOLA Motorsport Park in Louisiana.

 

At Indianapolis teams are using the superspeedway versions of their aerodynamic kits for the first time. While Chevrolet appear to still have an edge on one-lap performance, that is a small part of the game in a race which lasts 200 laps. If Honda can eke out better fuel mileage their drivers will be very much in contention.

 

Since Chevrolet’s entry in 2012 their Japanese rivals have taken two wins to the Bowtie’s one in the Indianapolis 500. Chevrolet may have enjoyed more championship success, but it’s this race which really grabs the interest of the American public.

 

Nonetheless, arriving at the sixth round of the championship it is Chevrolet drivers who occupy the top four positions. Juan Pablo Montoya leads reigning champion Will Power by five points. Ganassi’s Scott Dixon and Graham Rahal are well up in the points as well and also part of the Chevrolet vanguard.

 

But the one to watch could be a man who hasn’t started a single race so far this year. Ed Carpenter is only starting the oval races in his own car, Luca Filippi has been on duty for the road and street courses. But Carpenter has put his Chevrolet-powered car on pole for the last two years at the circuit which is just a few blocks from Butler University, where he studied.

 

Honda’s line-up includes a quintet of Andretti cars for defending Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay alongside fellow regulars Marco Andretti and Carlos Munoz, and occasional drivers Justin Wilson and Simona de Silvestro. Schmidt racer James Hinchcliffe – Honda’s only race-winner so far this year – and the still-rapid-but-wild Takuma Sato.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Indianapolis 500 Mile Race qualifications

 

• What: Two days of qualifications for the 99th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. ... Qualification attempt consists of four consecutive timed laps. ... There are bonus points presented to all qualifiers (in other events, one point is awarded to the Verizon P1 Award winner).

 

• Entry list: 34 cars entered

 

• Tickets and event information: Click Here

 

• Twitter: @IMS, #Indy500; @IndyCar, #IndyCar

 

• On-track schedule (all times Eastern):

 

May 16 – 8-8:30 a.m. Group 1 practice
              8:30-9 a.m. Group 2 practice
              9-10 a.m. all cars practice
             10:45 a.m.-5:50 p.m. Qualifications

 

May 17 – 8:30-9:30 a.m. all cars practice
              10 a.m.-12:15 p.m. qualifying for positions 10-30
              12:45-1:30 p.m. qualifying for positions 31-33
              2-2:45 p.m. Fast Nine Shootout to determine Verizon P1 Award winner and first three rows

 

• TV: Live on ABC and ESPN3, ESPN’s live, multi-screen sports network, May 16-17. Allen Bestwick is the chief announcer, with former Indianapolis 500 drivers Eddie Cheever Jr. and Scott Goodyear the analysts. Dr. Jerry Punch, Jon Beekhuis and Rick DeBruhl are the pit reporters. The schedule (all times Eastern):

 

May 16 – 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on ESPN3, WatchESPN
                 4-6 p.m. on ABC

May 17 – 10 a.m.-noon on ESPN3, WatchESPN
                1-3 p.m. on ABC

 

• Web: Live streaming video of Verizon IndyCar Series practice, in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network broadcasts is available on RaceControl.IndyCar.com. Streaming video is unavailable during ABC telecasts.

 

• Radio: Paul Page is the chief announcer alongside analyst Davey Hamilton, Indianapolis Motor Speedway historian Donald Davidson and commentary by Dave Wilson on the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network. Broadcasts also on RaceControl.indycar.com, indycarradio.com, the INDYCAR 15 app, Sirius 212 and XM 209.

 

• INDYCAR 15 app: Verizon Wireless puts fans in the driver's seat with its INDYCAR 15 app, which has been enhanced with features such as an interactive 3D live view with real-time leaderboard and car telemetry to see where a fan's favorite driver is positioned, in-car camera video streaming from cameras that move 360 degrees and driver to pit crew conversation. Download it today.

 

2014 qualifications: Ed Carpenter earned the Verizon P1 Award in the Fast Nine Shootout with a four-lap average speed of 231.076 mph. It was the second consecutive year that Carpenter started from the pole (11^th time it’s happened). He’ll be seeking to become the first to earn the pole in three consecutive years. Twenty drivers have won from the pole – most recently Helio Castroneves in 2009.

 

Of note: The boost level is increased from 130 kPa to 140 kPa for “Fast Friday” practice May 15 and qualifications May 16-17. The change in pressure adds about 40 horsepower to the Chevrolet and Honda 2.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 engines. The boost level will return to 130 kPa for final practice on Coors Light Carb Day on May 22 and the 500 Mile Race. … Team Penske has 15 wins in the Indy 500, the most of any team. … There have been five different winners in five races this season. … With the new aerodynamic bodywork packages from Chevrolet and Honda, three track qualifying lap records have been reset this season. … There are six former Indy 500 winners entered for qualifying. … Carlos Munoz and Juan Pablo Montoya have finished in the top five in their two previous Indy 500 starts. … Gabby Chaves, the 2014 Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires champion, and Stefano Coletti will attempt to make their first Indy 500 start. Chaves won the 2014 Freedom 100 on the oval. … Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indy 500 winner, will seek to make his 300^th Indy car start on May 24. He will be the eighth driver to reach that milestone, most recently by Castroneves in the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 9. … Ten lemonade stands will be set up May 16 in Pagoda Plaza for national Lemonade Day -- a program “geared toward teaching today’s youth to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs through helping them start, own and operate their very own business.” Ten groups are matched with a Verizon IndyCar Series driver and their charity. A portion of each stand’s proceeds will go to the drivers’ nonprofits.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Krenuo je Brzi Petak, bolidi su u trimu za kvalifikacije, motori bustovani sa dodatnih 40 - 50 KS, najbrzi dan citavog Meseca Maja. Nece biti neocekivano, s obzirom na sve dosad vidjeno, da danas padne krug brzi od Lajendajkovog rekorda, ali da bi rekord bio vazeci on mora da se desi ili u kvalifikacijama ili u trci.

 

Trenutno je najbrzi Dikson sa 230.6 mph.

 

U medjuvremenu, evo vesti u vezu udesa sa prevrtanjem koje smo videli zadnja dva dana:

 

We spoke with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Tony Kanaan last night about the need for IndyCar to examine the causes for the pair of airborne adventures from Chevy’s Helio Castroneves and Josef Newgarden. The long, uninterrupted low-drag sidepods was one of the main items being reviewed, and we’ve learned that the series – at least initially – was leaning toward banning the uninterrupted sidepod aero kit option.

 

Thanks to quick and intensive work by Chevy, and its findings being delivered to the series, banning the low-drag sidepod configuration was averted, and it has been made an option for Chevy teams to use. Without the low-drag sidepods, earning pole position would have been challenging, but with them in place, it’s looking like the Bowtie will have more than a fair shot when time trials begin this weekend.

 

Carpenter Fisher Hartman Racing also confirmed Newgarden’s car suffered a puncture, which led to his spin and crash. That fact should shift the conversation from the crash being triggered from aerodynamic instability to something far more routine.

 

 

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Ulazimo u Hepi Aur, jos uvek Dikson prvi, vremenski uslovi danas bas i ne saradjuju, duva jak promenljiv vetar, ali barem kise nije bilo. 33 bolida na stazi do sada, jos uvek nema Pipe Man.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Evo i Pipa Man, 10 minuta pre kraja treninga!

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

Montoja i Pauer vozili sa asimetricnom konfiguracijom sajdpoda - na jednoj strani standardni Sevi "zaseceni" sajdpod, na drugoj alternativni "produzeni"!

Edited by Rad-oh-yeah?, 15 May 2015 - 22:54.

[Rad-oh-yeah?]

The RACER Channel speaks with Graham Rahal, who was one of the first Honda drivers to try the low-drag rear wing qualifying setup. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing drivers shares his thoughts on the car's stability, and Honda's chances in qualifying.