Practices building toward exciting Pole Day
By Jack Arute, Special to ABC Sports Online INDIANAPOLIS -- Whenever you look at a sporting event that is classified as an "icon," you try to measure the electricity that surrounds it. Thus far, in and around the Brickyard, practice days for the Indy 500 have produced enough electricity to power the lights in downtown Indianapolis.
Each practice day has seen a faster speed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. First, it was Al Unser Jr., on Saturday after a five-year absence from the site of his two most important racing victories. Sunday saw Eddie Cheever take the lone Infiniti-powered IRNLS car and set the fastest time with less than 20 minutes to go in practice. Then it was Robby Gordon's time to shine on Monday with a lap at 223.122 mph.
CART teammates Juan Montoya, left, and Jimmy Vasser are enjoying their week so far at the Speedway.
On Tuesday, Juan Montoya served notice that rookies can go blindingly fast as well. The defending CART champion held the fastest time of the day -- and month - for all of a few minutes, however, as Scott Sharp unleashed a lap at over 223 mph with less than five minutes to go in practice.
How much is left before some 48 drivers take a run at the pole position on Saturday during time trials (ABC, 12 p.m. ET)?
In a very unscientific poll, most of the drivers I have spoken with think that at least one of the four laps required will be in the high 225-mph range. Unlike all other motor sports events, qualifying at Indy requires a driver to put together four laps for a 10-mile qualifying run.
The remaining days before Pole Day leave teams with assorted sets of tactics. Some teams have worked on their race setups and now get serious about the run for the pole. Running for the front row at Indy requires several things. First, the cars are trimmed out so that they slip through the air with as little friction as possible. In order to make them go quick, however, you do away with a comfort zone that drivers like for the race. The cars are twitchy and right on the edge, and veterans joke that the key is being able to hold your breath for the two-plus minutes that it takes to complete your 10-mile qualifying run.
It would be virtually impossible to run the entire Indy 500 with cars configured the way they are for their qualifying attempts. Some teams like to get their race trim work out of the way early in the week and then build to a qualifying crescendo trimming out on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. That's the case for Scott Sharp. Others have already done their qualifying homework and will spend the rest of the week getting their cars in race-ready trim.
Teams that choose this technique bank on the fact that come qualifying day, application of the last couple of tricks -- closing off the air intakes, reducing the down force and getting rid of as much drag as possible -- will put them at the top of the speed charts.
Looking at practice speeds can be misleading because of these two disparate techniques. From what I've seen so far this week, there are a legitimate dozen drivers with a solid shot at the front row.
Indy is unique in another aspect. Unlike other tracks, where it is all about the pole position, starting on the front row is the goal of every driver here in Gasoline Alley. Why? Because this is the only race in America that starts 11 rows, three abreast. That means three drivers will have a lot to celebrate on Saturday.
For the first time in Indy history, there are two women trying to qualify for the Indy 500 -- Lyn St. James and Sarah Fisher.
St. James, a 53-year-old veteran, surprised many on Tuesday when she broke into the 220-mph classification. In years past, most of the practice time leading up to Indy has found Lyn working the phones for sponsorship. This year, she has a solid operation under the tutelage of Dick Simon and has been able to concentrate solely on getting her car dialed in.
Then, of course, there is 19-year-old phenom Sarah Fisher. She continues to amaze veterans here at the Speedway. She has quietly gone about her business, and on Tuesday joined St. James in the 220 club. Thus far, she trails only Montoya's speed among rookies in practice behind Montoya.
Wednesday is called "Hump Day" in the business world. Here at the Speedway, Wednesday is really the beginning of a serious countdown to the 84th run for the pole position in the "greatest spectacle in racing." If what we have seen early in the week is replicated the rest of the week, Pole Day could be the most exciting day of the season outside of the running of the Indy 500 itself.
Jack Arute mans the pits for ABC Sports' auto racing coverage. He contributes a regular column throughout the 2000 season.
