NTT INDYCAR SERIES | RD. 7
PREVIEW: INDY 500, INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (USA)
Felix Rosenqvist is set for the 2020 edition of the Indianapolis 500, the 104th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, with practice for the blue-riband event of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES beginning on Wednesday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
This year’s running of the Indy 500 takes place in unprecedented times, literally, with the prestigious oval race moved away from its traditional slot in the Month of May for the first time in history to instead play out in August – with no fans allowed on site.
The reason, of course, is spelled COVID-19, which has continued to upstage the world and now pushes the largest one-day sporting event on the planet into some drastic changes.
Rosenqvist is preparing to feature in a star-studded field of 33 drivers, including eight previous Indy 500 winners and the high-profile addition of Fernando Alonso, as he takes on the tradition-steeped race in the most unusual of ways.
“The Indy 500 is an exceptional race even in normal circumstances – and this year is anything but normal,” says Felix Rosenqvist. “It will be a peculiar feeling to show up at IMS with no fans in sight, and in August instead of May. It will probably be one of the most surreal experiences of my career, doing the Indy 500 in front of empty grandstands.”
Rosenqvist scored his first-ever INDYCAR win earlier this year at Road America, bringing Chip Ganassi Racing’s #10 crew back to victory lane for the first time since 2014. That success, along with the proficiency that has come with an extra year of racing in America’s top-tier single-seater series, leaves Rosenqvist in a much better place than when he first contested the Indy 500 back in 2019.
Rosenqvist’s debut in the fabled race ended early when he was caught up in an accident on lap 176 of 200, but the experience gained last year could well prove crucial as he returns in 2020.
“I crashed early on in practice last year, and I learned how much something like that can actually set you back,” the Swede explains. “The Indy 500 is all about trimming in the car session on session, slowly building up to it and getting yourself to a point where you feel comfortable running close to the limit. Crashing at 200 mph is never going to help that process, mentally nor mechanically. I learned it the hard way last year and I came out a stronger driver. I feel a lot more complete this year and I can’t wait to hit the track in the NTT DATA Honda.”
Practice for the Indy 500 begins on Wednesday and continues through Thursday and Friday. Qualifying weekend follows next, with positions 10-33 sealed on Saturday and the top nine progressing into the Fast Nine shootout on Sunday to lock in the top three rows of the grid.
Following a few days of rest, on-track running then resumes with a final practice session on Friday August 21, giving the teams and drivers one last opportunity to fine-tune their cars.
The 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 starts at 2:30 pm local time (U.S. Eastern), Sunday August 23. It runs for a total of 200 laps, equaling a race distance of 500 miles.
Time table Indy 500
Swedish time
Wednesday 12 August
Practice 1 – veterans: 17.00-19.00
Practice 1 – rookies/refreshers: 19.00-21.00
Practice 1 – all drivers: 21.00-23.30
Thursday 13 August
Practice 2: 17.00-23.30
Friday 14 August (Fast Friday)
Practice 3: 17.00-23.30
Saturday 15 August
Practice 4: 14.30-15.30
Qualifying: 17.00-22.50
Sunday 16 August
Practice 5 (Fast Nine only): 17.00-17.30
Qualifying – Fast Nine: 19.15-20.15
Practice 6: 21.30-00.00
Friday 21 August (Carb Day)
Practice 7: 17.00-19.00
Sunday 23 August
Race – Indianapolis 500: 20.30
Qualy+race LIVE @ V Sport Motor/Viaplay
Local time (US Eastern)
Wednesday 12 August
Practice 1 – veterans: 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Practice 1 – rookies/refreshers: 1:00-3:00 pm
Practice 1 – all drivers: 3:00-5:30 pm
Thursday 13 August
Practice 2: 11:00 am-5:30 pm
Friday 14 August (Fast Friday)
Practice 3: 11:00 am-5:30 pm
Saturday 15 August
Practice 4: 8:30-9:30 am
Qualifying: 11:00 am-4:50 pm
Sunday 16 August
Practice 5 (Fast Nine only): 11:00-11:30 am
Qualifying – Fast Nine: 1:15-2:15 pm
Practice 6: 3:30-6:00 pm
Friday 21 August (Carb Day)
Practice 7: 11:00 am-1:00 pm
Sunday 23 August
Race – Indianapolis 500: 2:30 pm
Championship Standings after 6/14 races
1: S.Dixon (NZL), Ganassi, 244 p.
2: S.Pagenaud (FRA), Penske, 195 p.
3: J.Newgarden (USA), Penske, 191 p.
4: P.O’Ward (MEX), McLaren SP, 162 p.
5: W.Power (AUS), Penske, 142 p.
—
9: F.Rosenqvist (SWE), Ganassi, 120 p.
Event info Indianapolis Motor Speedway
TYPE: Oval
LENGTH: 2.5 miles / 4.0 km
2019 POLE: S. Pagenaud
2019 WINNER: S. Pagenaud
FRO 2019: DNF (28th)
TIMING: The IndyCar App and racecontrol.indycar.com
ENTRY LIST: view here