THE start of a new week - and the lastest in a sports briefings on local race ace Justin Wilson, driving for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing, who qualified 16th on the provisional starting grid for the 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 25.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 18 – Justin Wilson and teammate Graham Rahal took advantage of the final full day of practice for the May 25 Indianapolis 500 Sunday. Wilson, from Woodall, and Rahal combined for 101 laps under race trim.
Rahal turned a lap at 220.627 miles an hour, the third quickest of the day and Wilson had a fast lap of 219.215, which was 12th fastest. Rahal drove 57 laps, Wilson 44.
"Sunday was interesting," Wilson said. "We learned a couple of little things, so the car is on schedule for the race. We have a week to think about it and that seems extremely long. Again, it tests your patience. We'd rather get on with it now, but we've got a lot more work left off the track than we have on."
Sunday marked the final day of qualifications and four cars were bumped from the 33-car field. The final field includes four former winners, including 1996 champion Buddy Lazier, who qualified Sunday in the last row. Wilson and the 19-year-old Rahal are among 11 rookies in the field.
Wilson, a 29-year-old veteran of the now defunct Champ Car series, cited only one deficiency in his car going into race day: "I'd like to have slightly less understeer in traffic, but other than that I think it's pretty good," he said.
Rahal, who last month became the youngest driver to win an IndyCar Series race, said improved weather over the weekend was a blessing.
"It's been windy and that's been very difficult, but at least it's been dry," he said. "I think that's the biggest thing. We basically tried to make a good race car and I think that's what we've done. This afternoon we did one long run. We were planning on doing more but after the first went so well it was like we might as well park it. There really wasn't much of a reason to stay out there."
Wilson will start from the inside of the sixth row, exactly behind his teammate.
At the end of the final day of qualifications, there were four bumps with three drivers surviving to make the 33-car field for the 92nd Indianapolis 500. A.J. Foyt IV, 1996 winner Buddy Lazier and Canadian Marty Roth complete the 11th and final row for Race
Day and Roger Yasukawa and Mario Dominguez of Mexico were left on the sidelines in a wild final half-hour of qualifying.
The Speedway will be closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday is American Family Insurance 500 Festival Community Day. Firestone Freedom 100 practice and qualifying (for the Firestone Indy Lights Series) is Thursday with the race on Friday. Other Friday Carb Day activities include Indy 500 final practice for the 33 qualifiers and the McDonald's Pit Stop Competition. The 92nd Indianapolis 500 will be Sunday.
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