Denny Hamlin Takes Pole for 19th Brickyard 400

Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin looked a little nervous yesterday as qualifying wound down and numerous drivers took shots at his speed but he needn't have worried as his time was more than adequate to stand up to all challengers. Reed Sorenson, Joe Nemechek and Michael McDowell were the only three drivers who failed to qualify. Carl Edwards joins Hamlin on the front row for today's 160 lap race. It's hard to believe that this is the 19th running  of the Brickyard but I've been to them all and I hope they put on a good race. Until then, here's a slide show of driver shots from the qualifying line yesterday afternoon. Back with more later!

Keselowski Gets First Stock Car Win for Penske at Indy

Brad Keselowski performs a victory burnout at Indy

Penske Racing pulled off a one-two finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today as Brad Keselowski was handed the win after Nationwide Series Points leader Elliott Sadler was blackflagged for jumping a later race restart. Sam Hornish Jr., finished second and rookie Ty Dillon took third in the inaugural Indiana 250 at the Brickyard. Sprint Cup regular Denny Hamlin, who will start on the pole for tomorrow's Brickyard 400, took fourth ahead of Nationwide regular Austin Dillon.

The 100 lap race was relatively incident free except those that were involved in incidents were big names:  Danica Patrick was an innocent victim of a Reed Sorensen spin early in the race which ended her day. In the race's closing stages, Kyle Busch got into the side of Hornish and spun in Turn 1 on a restart which put his otherwise dominant race car out of the show. For the Series' first race at Indy, the drivers were relatively well behaved all day long, and a respectable crowd was on hand. Race fans are race fans and they cheered a full day of racing which started early with two Sprint Cup practice sessions, Nationwide and Sprint Cup qualifying and finally the Nationwide race. I started the race outside of Turn 3 and will have more pix to share once I finish editing. Until then, for now I am featuring today's happy winner Brad Keselowski. Much more to follow. And tomorrow is the big day when the Sprint Cup stars take on the Brickyard for the 19th time.

Superweekend at Indy is Underway!

Kyle Busch led Nationwide practice at IMS Thursday

The Superweekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is well and truly underway today, and I am in the media center this morning getting ready to shoot the Rolex Series action this morning. Later today, I am off to Lucas Oil Raceway to work for ARCA and shoot their 200 lap feature which should be a lot of fun. Kyle Busch was quickest in Thursday's half day of practice at IMS for the NASCAR Nationwide Series in the first foray on the big oval for the series. There was lots of track action yesterday and today will be more of the same, something this weekend has sorely needed for years. It was great to see Ty Dillon run well in his first attempt to run a Nationwide car, but it was the Sprint Cup drivers who led the way on speed with Sam Hornish Jr. the first Nationwide regular in fourth. Series points leader Elliot Sadler was quick out of the box but Kyle's brother Kurt was second quick, followed by Kasey Kahne, Hornish and Denny Hamlin.

Hornish is doing double duty this weekend as AJ Allmendinger's replacement, and he probably has more laps on this track than anyone else in the Nationwide Series, including a 2006 win in the Indy 500. Tomorrow's track schedule is really jammed with Nationwide and Sprint Cup qualifying plus the Indy 250 race for the Nationwide competitors. Today may be a big surprise for a lot of race fans at Indy who have never seen the Grand Am series run, but they will put on a helluva show and race hard in both the Continental Tire series and Rolex Series, so while I am enjoying the short track action at Lucas Oil Raceway later today, I hope everyone gets the chance to come to IMS today and watch the sports car crowd have at it. Until then here's a quick slideshow from yesterday's Nationwide Series action. 

SuperWeekend at Indy On Tap

Rolex GrandAm will race Indy for the first time

It's a great week for racing in Indianapolis so I hope you get out to see some of it. While the IZOD Indycar Series has the weekend off, just about everyone else is racing around here, although you won't get to see the Camping World Truck Series here this year. The annual NASCAR pilgrimage to Indy is already underway for this year's Brickyard 400 but there have been some (much needed) changes so keep your eyes on the weekend schedule. For the first time ever, the Rolex GrandAm and Continental Tire Challenge series will bring sports car racing to the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The recent open test was eye opening for many in the sports car world, and these series will put on great races this Friday, when they have the track to themselves for the whole day.

Nationwide drivers take on the big track Thursday & Saturday

The action at IMS starts on Thursday with the Nationwide Series running the oval for afternoon practice sessions before the track gets converted to road course configuration overnight for GrandAm. Unfortunately for some, this weekend will not include NASCAR racing on one of the best short tracks around:  the paved 5/8 mile at Lucas Oil Raceway (LOR) in Clermont a couple of miles west of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The truck series run at LOR is over for the time being and when this schedule change (and the move of the Nationwide race to IMS) was announced last year, there were some hard feelings after both series races had been such a huge part of the Brickyard weekend for years.

GrandAm tested the IMS road course 

It will be very interesting to see if the shift of Nationwide racing to IMS will help bolster the weekend crowd as I'm sure IMS and NASCAR are hoping, but my money is on the GrandAm race drawing a bigger crowd than the Nationwide race, even though NASCAR has Danica Patrick returning this year for her first chance to drive a stock car at Indy after numerous starts in the Indy 500. The biggest problem with the Brickyard weekend in years past has been lack of track activity ever since the IROC support race went away, so no one will be able to complain about that this year, as the track will be full from Thursday through Sunday.

Lucas Oil Raceway will still have its share of action this week even without the trucks and Nationwide events, so when the day is over at IMS, hop on US 136 West to Clermont and check it out if you haven't gotten your fill of racing exhaust and the smell of hot tires after running concludes at the Speedway. This year, both the USAC Silver Crown and National Midget series have the LOR track to themselves on Thursday July 26th for open wheel racing under the lights. 

ARCA racing returned to Lucas Oil Raceway in 2011

The next night, Friday July 27th, the ARCA stock car racers will take to LOR for 200 laps; I have the privilege of shooting that event for ARCA following a similar assignment at Winchester recently, so check the ARCA website for photos late Friday night and early Saturday. The bad news with this assignment is I will miss the inaugural GrandAm races at IMS and I know they will put on a helluva show for sports car fans like they always do. The good news is I love ARCA racing for its bevy of future stars like Alex Bowman, Chris Buescher and numerous others who race for their futures at all kinds of tracks. Last year the ARCA darling was Ty Dillon who is doing quite well in the truck series this year. If you're a fan of short track stock car racing, you won't want to miss this ARCA event to see these young guns battle on LOR's flat track. You can tell your kids "you saw them when..."!

Paul Menard got his only Sprint Cup win at Indy in 2011

I will be covering the rest of the weekend for American Motor Journal again this year. I expect the Nationwide race on Saturday to be quite interesting with so many drivers tackling Indy's big flat corners and long straightaways for the first time. Saturday's schedule at IMS is jammed with Nationwide and Sprint Cup qualifying along with the Nationwide race, and starting up front is always a key at Indy as "clean air" and "aero push" are terms you will likely hear a million times Saturday and Sunday. The weekend wraps up with the big show on Sunday with the 18th running of the Brickyard 400. Who will kiss the bricks this year? And can the schedule changes overcome the last few years of controversy (tiregate, the Montoya penalty, etc.,) and shrinking attendance at IMS for this signature event? The weather forecast continues to be hotter than blazes in Indy but that's nothing new for this event weekend. I'll be spending a lot of time on the westside this weekend, so I hope you make it out too. See you at the track!

The ARCA series raced well at Lucas Oil Raceway last year; expect more of the same this year.

Can Paul Menard defend his 2011 Brickyard title?

Will Scott Pruett (Telmex Ganassi 01) get his first win at Indy?

Rolex Series Tests at Indy: Prelude to Super Weekend

The GrandAm Rolex Series tested at IMS July 6, 2012

The Rolex Grand Am and Continental Tire Challenge series competitors rolled onto Indianapolis Motor Speedway today for a two-day test session amidst the hottest weather seen in Indy in 75 years. The heat did not appear to slow anyone down who needed track time as preparation for the inaugural sports car races at IMS which are scheduled for July 27th as part of the Brickyard 400 "Super Weekend". I don't know if today was the hottest day ever that cars have been on the famed oval at IMS, but it certainly was the hottest day I can recall since I began shooting at Indy in 1984. And I wasn't even wearing a triple layer Nomex firesuit like the drivers! I can't imagine what that must have felt like.

One time along the entrance to pit lane from the Grand Am paddock area, I knelt down to take a low angle photo as the cars were coming out for the afternoon practice session, and I thought I was going to leave some skin on the IMS concrete. Although I didn't blister or melt out there today, I felt like I was going to at times, and scouting for photos took equal priority with finding shade whenever the opportunity presented itself. Thankfully the media center was open and I was able to replenish my water supply and take advantage of the air conditioning during lunch.

The Rolex competitors earned their keep today and I hope the data they compile will be useful for the race at the end of the month. I will not likely be able to shoot it however, as I have a commitment to ARCA at Lucas Oil Raceway that day, so unless it rains I will be in Clermont that day rather than Speedway. Lord knows we need the rain but race weekend is still three weeks away so I was glad to be able to get out there today and work the track's road course to shoot from areas not normally used during the Indy 500 or the Brickyard 400. After all, the Rolex guys are going the "wrong way", running the Speedway's infield road course in clockwise fashion and going north on the front straightaway. It does take some getting used to.

Alex Bowman Snares ARCA Win at Winchester

Alex Bowman  takes the checkers at Winchester to snag his 4th career ARCA Series win

Sunday's ARCA Series Herr's Chase the Taste 200 race at Winchester Speedway was another day for the young guns as Alex Bowman grabbed his second win of the season and fourth overall in the series. The summer heat didn't appear to slow any of the competitors down on this track which bills itself as the "World's Fastest Half Mile." Unlike the Salem race earlier this season on the circuit's other high banked half mile, this race was clean and fast with very few on track incidents. The Winchester surface is less bumpy than Salem and lends itself to two and three wide racing all around the track, whereas racers at Salem must negotiate Turns 3 & 4 in single file up against the wall. This was my first opportunity to work as a contributor to ARCA's race coverage and I look forward to my next chance to do that at Lucas Oil Raceway near the end of July.

Winchester ARCA Pole winner Chris Buescher

Bowman had a spirited duel with second place finisher Brennan Poole over the last 25 laps or so but a tire problem by Poole on the last lap doused any chance he had of knocking Bowman out of the win. Erik Jones took third ahead of pole winner Chris Buescher. Buescher was fast early but faded as he couldn't come to grips with the hot race track after starting the weekend from P1 nearly setting a lap record in qualifying. Matt Lofton brought his Strut Masters machine home fifth as eight cars finished on the lead lap in a race that seemed to be over almost as soon as it started, taking only an hour and 13 minutes to complete. The biggest challenge for the frontrunners all day was dealing with lapped traffic as a number of cars couldn't match the leaders' pace from the drop of the green flag but trundled around on the low line in a race of their own for best in class. Such is life in ARCA these days as the top third of the field is usually comprised of up and comers who you will see in a couple of years in the higher levels of stock car racing. ARCA continues to be the top series for stock car racing's future stars and is the only series to include dirt tracks, road courses and paved ovals of all sizes on its season schedule. These guys put on some of the best races you'd ever want to see at any level and the drivers are always approachable, and most events include a fan friendly autograph session. One fan told me her daughter is already signing autographs as Miss ARCA, so keep an eye out for the future trophy queens here too!

I've put in a great deal of effort the last three years to expanding my options for racing photography and I'm grateful to have the chance to work directly with the ARCA Series this weekend. It's a very family oriented organization and you can't question the love of racing those involved share once you get to know them. I've been covering ARCA on a regular basis now for almost six years and I love the fact that their races are chances to get up close and personal with the future stars of stock car racing. I know that my ARCA work for American Motor Journal, through this blog and through my alleygroup.net website have only been small contributions to the promotion of this exciting series, but I wouldn't trade my days at an ARCA race for most any other series. You should get out soon and experience it for yourself. Until next time, here's more pix from yesterday's race at Winchester Speedway.

Richard Westbrook Leads Spirit of Daytona to Rolex Grand Am Win at Mid Ohio

Michael Valiente and Richard Westbrook Celebrate their win at  at Mid Ohio

For the second time today in races at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course, a late caution flag set up a shootout finish but Richard Westbrook was up to the challenge from Scott Pruett to hold on for the Rolex Grand Am Series win in the EMCO Gears Classic. Also for the second time today, Michale Valiente was on the top step of the podium, this time as Westbrook's teammate, after also winning in the Continental Tire Challenge race earlier in the day. The EMCO Classic finish was set up by a late spin from Max Angelelli which thwarted his bid to win and opened the door for Pruett's final challenge. The Gainsco team dropped from the pole early in the race and was never really a threat today, but until Angelelli's late off, he looked like he might have something for Westbrook, but it was not to be. The GT class was also highly competitive as Turner Motorsports took the win with Paul Della Lana and Bill Auberlen doing the thrashing at the wheel. The BMW people must be happy today with a second in the DP category and the GT win.

It was an entertaining 2 hours and 45 minutes and the day has been a long one for me - up at 5:45 to hit the road and headed back to Indy this evening. I am quite happy with my work today and I went some new places that I had never shot before, and tried out some black and white settings on my cameras which I rarely do. I probably walked about 6 miles all told so it will be good to sit back and drive home here in a few. I'll have more to say and more pictures to post when I get some down time tomorrow, so for now enjoy the following slideshow.

Roush Jr. & Johnson Take Mid Ohio Continental Tire Challenge

Continental Tire Challenge Winning Mustang with Jack Roush Jr. and Billy Johnson

In a race fraught with full course yellows, the Mustang started by Jack Roush, Jr., and finished by Billy Johnson overcame an eighth place starting position and a field of 62 cars to win at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course today in the preliminary race of the EMCO Classic. Roush and Johnson led a heated battle among the GS contestants to the checkered flag, as the final two laps were the deciding factor following a late full course caution in the final minutes. The Rum Bum Porsche piloted by Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi faded to third with overheating problems after starting on the pole. Eric Curran and Lawson Aschenbach took second in their Camaro. In the ST class, Michael Valiente and Chad Gilsinger won from the pole for the Honda American Race Team (HART) and were clearly the class of the field. Valiente is pulling double duty today racing in the Grand Am feature event later this afternoon in the #90 Spirit of Daytona DP machine.

The Grand AM race should be a real barn burner even though there are fewer than 12 DP cars entered this weekend. The #99 Gainsco entry wheeled by Jon Fogarty took pole position and should be hard to beat this weekend with teammate Alex Gurney. The new Corvette DP chassis has been strong so far this season and took the top five starting positions for this afternoon's sprint race which is scheduled for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Perennial favorites Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas will start from sixth today and have their work cut out for them in their Ganassi Racing Telmex BMW Riley. Twenty-six cars will take the green flag for the EMCO Gears Classic today and I'll have more on that later today. Until then here's a slide show from the Continental Tire Challenge Race.

Dario Franchitti Snags 3rd Indy 500 Win

Dario Franchitti celebrates Indy 500 win #3 with Simon Pagenaud

On a day when record setting temperatures threatened to be the story at Indianapolis, Dario Franchitti held off teammate Scott Dixon and a host of others to win the Indy 500 for the third time. The race finished under caution after a hard charging Takuma Sato tried to make a move under Dario in Turn One but appeared to pinch the car and spun into the wall after the white flag had waved. That left Dario three-fourths of a lap to cruise home ahead of Dixon and Tony Kanaan who took third. It was a great effort by all of these drivers and Sato's bold move nearly paid off and you have to give him credit for making the attempt. It was the last lap of the Indy 500 after all, and Sato had been quite strong in the middle segment of the race leading numerous laps and never being far from the top five all day.

This race featured an amazing amount of passing on the front stretch, even without double file restarts this year and the lead changed hands on seemingly every lap over the last 20 laps. From my vantage point in Turn 3, I saw lots of hard clean racing all race long and no one even so much as left a smudge on the wall. The IZOD Indycar Series officials and Dallara should be quite proud of their new car creation as it showed it was very raceworthy on an oval with race speeds often near 220 mph. There was also good racing throughout the filed but several drivers had trouble with loose race cars, most likely for the first time this month. Rookie Bryan Clauson, Ana Beatriz and Ed Carpenter all had harmless spins in Turn One, and Carpenter's had the worst effect as he had charged up into fourth place and seemed poised for a late race move. Mike Conway had another scary Indy crash, this time in Turn One, and Will Power became collateral damage after hitting Conway's airborne machine with nowhere else to go. Marco Andretti also found the Turn One wall late in the race after a strong showing when he drove it too low to keep it from swapping ends. Marco led early and looked ready to challenge for his first win up until that point.

It was too bad that both the Indy 500 and Friday's Indy Lights Freedom 100 finished under yellow as both races were set for fantastic finishes. The slingshot move has become de rigeur at Indianapolis and numerous drivers used it to great effect today. Let's hope that the momentum continues onto the short ovals but it sure looks like Dario and the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team has fixed whatever has ailed them so far this season with a one-two sweep at Indy. A cold bottle of milk will do that for a team though, and Dario knows that as well as anyone. A great day at Indianapolis, and a fitting race to honor last year's departed champion Dan Wheldon. The race has barely been over for two hours and already I am looking forward to next year when the Indycars race at the Brickyard for the 97th time. See you then if not sooner!

Franchitti Fastest on Indy Carb Day - Guerrieri Takes Indy Lights Win

Dario Franchitti led teammate Scott Dixon in Indy's Carb Day final practice

The Target Chip Ganassi Racing boys have thrown down the gauntlet at Indy for Sunday's 96th Indianapolis 500 after setting the pace in the final one hour Carburetion Day practice session with laps in excess of 222 mph. They were the only drivers to crest that mark and with their fifth and sixth row starting positions in the middle of the pack, their progress will be exciting to watch on race day. Pole winner Ryan Briscoe was the fastest Penske in fifth just behind Takuma Sato. Marco Andretti was the pacesetter for Andretti Autosport in third with teammates James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay in eighth and tenth respectively.

I was talking to a spotter for Townsend Bell while walking to my Turn 3 shooting location before the Carb Day runs and he said he thought race speeds would be around 213 to 215, so the big numbers put up by Dario and Scottie D surprised me somewhat. Getting through raceday traffic is always an issue and this year perhaps moreso with the impact of the larger tow from the new Dallara design still largely unknown. My February 2012 blog pick to win Indy, Helio Castroneves, lurks with the 11th fastest time from Carb Day and last year's hard luck champ JR Hildebrand rounded out the top 12. It is going to be hot and greasy so the teams are going to need all the downforce they can muster during the race to get a grip on Indy, especially in the corners. It is going to be fun to watch.

Indy Lights winner Esteban Geurrieri in Victory Lane

The Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100 was a thoroughly entertaining race as another comeback story unfolded at Indy. Esteban Guerrieri won from the back of the grid with a daring charge through the field. He had a wicked crash in Turns 1 & 2 in this race last year so seeing him take a win at Indy in a race filled with overtaking and two- and three-wide racing was a real treat. An early four car crash in two brought out a red flag for a cleanup, but when the race resumed, the competition was furious as multiple drivers took turns in the lead. Pole winner Gustavo Yacaman settled into a race pace that occasionally dropped him as far back as fifth, but he was in the hunt for the win in the closing laps. Unfortunately, another accident in Turn 2 on lap 38 meant the race finished under yellow so the sun baked fans who swarmed to Carb Day for the festivities never got to see a final shootout among the Indy Lights leaders. These guys have really figured out how to race in close quarters at Indy and this was arguably the best Freedom 100 in years.

I will be back shooting in Turn 3 again Sunday for the 500, which is my 37th straight and 39th in total overall. I started out as a fan and became a photographer because of my love for this race and nothing has changed through the years to diminish that. My hair is more sparse and a lot more gray, and I don't have to worry about anything other than being ready when the action begins. See you there! Until then, here are two slideshows from my work during Carb Day.

IZOD Indycar Series Carb Day final practice

Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100

96th Indy 500 Field Is Set - Carb Day is Next

Ryan Briscoe starts P1 at Indy for the first time May 27, 2012

The 96th running of the Indianapolis is now just days away and I'll bet Ryan Briscoe is on pins and needles waiting for the final practice session on Friday at Carburetion Day. Most teams have run in small packs during practice leading up to qualifications this past weekend, but Friday will be the first real opportunity to experience raceday conditions on the 2.5 mile IMS oval. I hope it is a safe practice session, especially since there were only 33 cars available to qualify this year, and the slowest two are both sporting Lotus power, more than 10 mph slower than Briscoe's pole winning pace.

Simona DiSilvestro drives for HVM

Speaking of Lotus, I feel terrible for Simona DiSilvestro and Jean Alesi. They deserve better than what has been given them for powerplants, and if not for Penske's pull with Chevy, then Sebastian Bourdais and Katherine Legge would likely have been in the same situation. The Lotus engines are woefully shy on speed and since Indycar has decided not to let them run at higher boost levels for their twin turbo engines this weekend, odds are very good that Simona and Alesi will get blackflagged early for not being able to run within 5% of the leaders speed. Simona could barely get to 214 last week and Alesi's best lap was only 210, so if race speeds are between 210 and 220 for the leaders (which is likely going to be the case with larger aero tows on race day, even with the Chevy's and Honda's dropping back to pre-qualifying turbo boost levels), then the two Lotus runners are going to be in trouble if they are running around 200.

Jean Alesi struggled with Lotus power

When did anyone think 200 mph would be slow at Indy? This year, it's not just slow, it's potentially dangerously slow. Simona deserves so much more than this after her practice session accident which burned her hands in Turn 4 last year, and Alesi will not be given a chance to really race at Indy, which I'm sure is why he came to Indy at age 47 after being away from Formula One for a few years. Racers are racers and it's just too bad that Lotus couldn't get its act together before now, and whatever gains Bourdais brought them with their lone Top 10 finish earlier this season on a road course, they have thrown them away now that Jay Penske's Dragon Racing team has fought its way into the Chevy camp this past week. Who can blame them? Not me.

Jay at IMS Turn 3 drop gate

For the first time in memory, I did not even make it to the Speedway for Bump Day this past Sunday, and anyone who knows me would surely be surprised at that. I had other commitments that day and I knew there would be no real drama with only a total of nine car-driver combinations available to make qualifying runs for the final nine open positions. The real drama was Saturday on Pole Day and there was no way I would miss that.  I have not been able to spend as much time at IMS this year due to work conflicts and what I've discovered is that I have had to take a different approach with my photography and race coverage writing. Limited time at the track has forced me to be more selective and creative in what I shoot, rather than just blasting away and I think my recent experience shooting for Associated Press at other races has helped me hone in on getting the right shot and getting it quickly. I'd like to think my work has improved as a result, but I'll leave that up to others to judge. I am hoping to do at least one other blog post following Carb Day to wrap up final preparations for this year's 500 and provide coverage of the Firestone Indy Lights Freedom 100. Until then, if you would like to see all of the slideshows I have posted so far, then please click here. See you in Turn 3 this weekend!

Indy 500 Pole Won by Penske's Ryan Briscoe

Ryan Briscoe celebrates his first Indy 500 pole position

It was a sweltering day at Indianapolis today for Indy 500 Pole Day and Penske's Ryan Briscoe took the pole position after the final Fast 9 qualifying session by millimeters over James Hinchliffe of Andretti Autopsort. Hinch made a last ditch effort to unseat Briscoe but could not muster the necessary speed  and wound up second ahead of his teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay, who also tried unsuccessfully in the last hour to snatch the pole from Briscoe. Once again, Penske has shown the way to go fast at Indianapolis but I'm sure it was closer than Roger would have liked today. He will still cash the $100,000 check though.

Three drivers hit the wall today but they were all able to climb out unharmed. Rookie Bryan Clauson did a half spin into the Turn 1 wall at the start of his fourth qualifying lap on what would have been a solid run shortly after noon. The track continued to heat up and then Oriol Servia lost it coming off of Turn 4 as he was about to take the green flag to qualify. Servia's accident was scariest looking as he spun into the inside wall and then smacked the end of the wall which separates pit lane from the race track which sent him into several more violent spins. Ed Carpenter had the day's hardest hit in Turn 2 but he was in pit lane during the Fast 9 session talking with Tony Kanaan so he's OK too. Thankfully the new Dallara design seems to be quite crashworthy, although I know no one really wanted to test that out this weekend, especially with the short car count where virtually everyone who makes a qualifying attempt is assured of racing in the 500 next Sunday. Except perhaps those who have Lotus power, and other than an early appearance in the morning practice session by Simona DeSilvestro, those with Lotus engines were nowhere to be seen the rest of the day.

One of the coolest things that happened all day was the ceremonial lap turned by Parnelli Jones in the #98 roadster which became the first car to be driven to an average qualifying speed in excess of 150 mph at Indy. He clearly enjoyed the laps and the sound of that old Offy sure was sweet. They will run for final qualifying tomorrow and another hot day is forecast so the old Brickyard will be as tricky as ever. I'll be back Carb Day for the final practice and the Freedom 100. Until then enjoy this cumulative slideshow of photos from today's action.

2012 Indy 500 Pole Day Photos

Indy 500 Pole Day Dawns Clear - Hot One Expected

Marco Andretti fastest so far at Indy

Set up in the IMS media center this morning, today promises to be filled with excitement and probably a few surprises. Marco Andretti was fastest on "Fast Friday" at Indianapolis after the IZOD Indycar Series officials bumped up the turbo boost pressure. The extra boost had 13 drivers crest 225 mph and and another 10 crack the 224 mark so the competition for the Fast 9 spots which will compete for the Indy 500 pole today should be fierce. Weather may also be a factor as the hottest temperatures of the month are forecast. With the advent of daylight savings time in Indiana a few years ago, the front stretch does not get nearly as much shade late in the day as it used to so the driver who can wait into the final hour for the best conditions may have the best shot at the pole. Tony Kanaan drew the first qualifying spot and ran over 225 yesterday so he may be the one to set an early benchmark for the day. The Andretti Autosport team continues to look very stout with four drivers in the top 10 Friday, including Ana Beatriz in a one-off ride for the team. Rookies Josef Newgarden and Bryan Clauson have been very impressive for Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing this week and it will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure of their first Pole Day at Indianapolis. And lest we forget the Penske juggernaut:  Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves have the second and third fastest speeds of the practice week, also set on Fast Friday. Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti lurk nearby for Target Chip Ganassi with the fifth and ninth fastest speeds so they cannot be counted out. It could be a wild day here at Indy so until I can get back on line later, I leave you with the following slide shows from practice days I shot earlier this week.

Practice Day May 15, 2012

Practice Day May 17, 2012

Indy 500 Practice Photos - Day 3

Ryan Hunter-Reay

On a beautiful day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for practice, the Andretti Autosport team continues to be near the head of the pack and the young lions of the IZOD  Indycar Series are making plenty of noise. Andretti's team had three of the top five speeds today with Ryan Hunter-Reay second overall, Marco Andretti third and Sebastian Saavedra fifth quick. Another Andretti driver was in 10th - James Hinchcliffe who I caught doing major consulting with RHR leaning into the cockpit. Rookie Josef Newgarden continues to set the pace with the first lap over 222 mph on this the third day of practice. I was only able to get out to the Speedway for less than two hours today but it was a very productive day for no more time that I had to work with. I spent time looking for people and found them. The most interesting thing I overheard today was Roger Penske saying to his team over their radio was "we're having the same problem with all three cars." I don't know what problem they are having but it must be serious as Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves and Will Power were back in 15th, 16th and 17th positions today. Maybe they were just work on race day setups...

This is my 350th blog post and I am dedicating it to a fellow photographer who passed away this weekend on Opening Day:  Keith Pritchard. I always considered Keith a friend and mentor as he was someone who helped me time after time when I was first starting out as a racing photographer. We went on many road trips together - Toronto, Michigan, Columbus - and I always knew I could find him in his favorite spot, shooting in Turn 1 every May. Sadly it was not to be this year and even though we all have known of physical troubles he has had the last few years, it was still a shock to hear that he had reached the finish line. His pictures of Danny Sullivan's "Spin and Win" in 1985 made Sports Illustrated that year, and were used again in last year's commemorative Indy 500 issue that SI put out with the Speedway's program. Gone but not forgotten. Keith ran a helluva race. He was always an AJ Foyt fan and I'll never forget the stories he told about AJ's injuries at Road America which he was there to shoot for the Indianapolis Star. And that would be just one of many racing stories he could tell. Rest in peace friend. My prayers go out to his family and friends - we've lost another friend. The slideshow which follows is in Keith's honor.

Marco Andretti

Sebastian Saavedra

James Hinchliffe - Mr. Mayor @Hinchtown

Rookie Josef Newgarden Tops Indy Opening Day

Josef Newgarden leads Simon Pagenaud through Turn 3 in practice at Indianapolis

Rookie Josef Newgarden topped 220 mph to lead the speed parade at Indianapolis Motor Speedway today on the opening day of practice for the 2012 Indy 500. In quite a surprising outcome, Newgarden surely gave little Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing a shot in the arm which hopefully they can build on through the rest of practice. If he keeps this up, he could be a contender for the Fast 9 or even the pole next Saturday. I'm sure there were a lot of raised eyebrows in the garage area following Newgarden's times today as he got to 219 early in the afternoon and then followed up with his 220 lap late in the day. Quite impressive for last year's Firestone Indy Lights champion.

It was a great day for practice at the Speedway today and I am always overjoyed when the track finally opens each May. Every year it's old home week at IMS and a chance to connect with old friends, some of whom I haven't seen since last May, plus meet new connections. I've been shooting Indy for so long that sometimes the biggest challenge is seeking creativity in my images and I can't say that I always get it right. But I do try to tell a story with my pictures and the shots I end up liking the most are often not action pix, but ones like the father and son watching with the boy halfway climbing the balcony railing, or the one with Dan Wheldon's face on the Borg Warner trophy for his 2011 win. So enjoy these photos and I will have many more to add as the week goes on, with Pole Day being the last day I can work at the track this week. Then it will be time to have the anticipation build for Carburetion Day the Friday before race day and then the 500 two days later on May 27th. I have not missed a 500 since 1976 and I'm grateful to be able to keep the streak alive. There's no place like it, but the biggest surprise I had today was that I did not need earplugs. That's too bad - I like it loud! But I did get several strong whiffs of ethanol exhaust when I was shooting outside of Turn 3 today, so that sort of made up for the lack of volume. Sort of, but not quite. More soon race fans!

Indy 500 Practice Opens - Penske & Helio Favorites

Helio Castroneves on track during April 2012 open test at IMS

This weekend marks the opening of official practice for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500 and Penske driver Helio Castroneves will share the favorite's role with IZOD Indycar points leader and teammate Will Power. The Penske team has been a juggernaut so far this season with Helio capturing one win and Power taking the other three races - two on road courses from starting positions uncharacteristically deep in the starting fields at Barber and in Brazil. Helio has a chance to make history this month and join Indy legends AJ Foyt, Al Unser, Sr., and Rick Mears as the only four-time winners of the 500. I predicted earlier this year that Helio would win the 500 in my season preview story on the 2012 IZOD Indycar series so I hope he is able to make me look good. For the full story click here. It's hard to believe that it has been 25 years since Big Al won his fourth 500 but time passes when you're having fun, as the saying goes, and I am excited to be back shooting the biggest race in the world again this May.

Preparations for this year's 500 have been compressed again into a single week of practice with Pole Day and Bump Day at the end of the week. Sadly, there will probably be no bumping this year as the entry list has only just reached 33 car-driver combinations with the late of addition of former Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi and a brand new team with Lotus power. Teams have been leaving Lotus lately like rats jumping from a sinking ship so it is unlikely, as Alex Lloyd so eloquent wrote in the May 10, 2012 Indianapolis Star, that we will see any additional entries since Indycar wants to keep Lotus in the field and their underpowered, underdeveloped engines are not likely to be very quick at all. With no testing at IMS whatsoever thus far, Lotus teams will likely have the last row party all to themselves, which is a real shame for Simona DiSilvestro who has shown both talent and courage in her brief Indycar career thus far.

I can't talk about this year's Indy 500 without mentioning the fallen - last year's winner, the late Dan Wheldon. His presence will be sorely missed this month as he had been pegged to drive the GoDaddy machine for Andretti Autosport this season not long before he was lost at Las Vegas. James Hinchliffe has done a marvelous job as his replacement so far this season and it would be fun to see him win Indy and make good on his promise to shave his head if he wins Indy this month. To do it in Dan's honor, in a car Danny was slated to drive, would somehow see justice served and Indy is usually full of surprises so it is not beyond the realm of possibility for Hinchtown to come through on May 27th and get to chug the winner's milk. Even though I picked Helio to win, sentimentally I'd like to see Hinch pour the milk over his head ala Danny a little more than three weeks from now so we'll just have to see what happens.

As the late radio voice of the Indy 500, Sid Collins, used to say:  "Stay tuned for the Greatest Spectacle in Racing".

Keselowski takes Penske & Dodge to Win at Talladega

Brad Keselowski took Kyle Busch's assist to win the Aaron's 499

Roger Penske couldn't have sounded any happier following Brad Keselowski's win in Sunday's Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway; unless of course Penske teammate AJ Allmendinger had finished second. Vindication for Keselowski and Dodge was won on this day after Brad snookered Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle on the final restart in a single green-white-checkered finish. The race itself was fairly uneventful for more than two-thirds of the event, dominated by pack racing under mostly green flag conditions with Matt Kenseth showing the way and leading the most laps. Jimmy Johnson had dropped out early with an engine problem, but almost all the other front runners in Sprint Cup points were still in the hunt for the win. It seemed like almost everyone took a turn in the lead, although they would usually drift back into the pack to cool their overheating engines or hopefully avoid "The Big One".

Jimmy Johnson finished 35th with engine problems

But the whole race changed when The Big One finally happened between Turns 3 and 4 on lap 142 and lots of good cars were damaged or knocked out of the race. Pole winner Jeff Gordon was among those damaged in the wreck which also took out Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex and effected numerous others. Soon after, Kurt Busch took a wild ride through the tri-oval in his Ricky Bobby car, and then there was another late yellow for a second "Big One" in Turn 1 which set up the final restart. Last year's Sprint Cup champ Tony Stewart had fuel mileage problems throughout the day and was later caught up in the second "Big One" which set up the final restart.

The first "Big One"

On a hot Alabama spring day that started off under rainy conditions which forced a minor delay for the start of the race, engines ran hot and fans saw a typical Talladega pack race. The grumbling started right after the race though, mainly from drivers upset about the rules package or the wrecking (or both). The fans seemed happy for the win by the Blue Deuce and Keselowski celebrated in style with burnouts at both ends of the tri-oval. My vantage point was atop the tallest grandstand in the tri-oval area so I could see and shoot virtually the entire track. The lead photo with this article was used by Associated Press as the leaders came to take the checkered flag and there was no dramatic pass for the win this year, unlike the fall race in 2011. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to shoot for AP here again, and it was my third straight Talladega road trip. 

Kurt Busch spins late in the Aaron's 499

On this trip I actually got to see the City of Talladega for the first time and owe a debt of thanks to other local AP photogs who led me out of the track after the race on Sunday. I also saw some very nice Alabama scenery on the backroads between the track and Birmingham to get on I-65. It reminded me a lot of Brown County with the twisting hilly roads and lots of trees. I drove roughly 1200 miles over the weekend and things didn't always go like I had planned but everything worked out. When race day opened with heavy rain, I was initially concerned that I might get washed out like I had at this year's Daytona 500, but I had set my mind to stay until the Aaron's 499 was run even if it meant driving back late on Monday. Thankfully it didn't come to that. Normally I like to have all my travel arrangements nailed down before a big trip like this but not this time - it was an exercise in faith and flexibility. I had originally intended to camp at the track but I ended up staying in three different hotels over the weekend - the best was the Quality Inn in Irondale, Alabama and the worst was the Red Roof Inn in Goodlettesville, Tennessee. Regardless of lodging arrangements and the vagaries of the local weather, I had a great photo weekend. And this year there was no threat of tornadoes in the area like the spring race last April, thank God.

My race slideshow follows this post so I hope you see something you like. Now it's time to settle in to work in my hometown on the Indy 500 as practice opens this Saturday following rookie orientation Thursday. The Month of "Jay" is well underway so start your engines and follow me to the track. I will see you there!

Talladega Journey Continues - Logano Takes Nationwide Race

Joey Logano passed Kyle Busch at the line to win the Aaron's 312 at Talladega

From blazing heat on Saturday during the Nationwide race to wet and humid conditions this morning - greetings from the media center at Talladega Superspeedway. Joey Logano pleased raced fans yesterday in the Aaron's 312 by passing Kyle Busch at the checkered flag for the win. The "ABK - Anyone But Kyle" fans really whooped it up in the backstretch stands with Logano's win. The race itself was marred by a scary accident which saw Eric McClure take a wicked hit on the inside wall near the end of the backstretch which brought out a red flag. McClure had to be cut from the car and was later taken to a local hospital fir further evaluation. After a red flag for McClure's incident, two green-white-checkered attempts finally resulted in Logano's victorious pass coming to the finish line.

It was a fairly entertaining race as of course the Alabama fans cheered every moved of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Eric Almirola in Jr's team car. Fans also seemed to appreciate Danica Patrick's run to the front she was competitive all day and actually led the race at one point. There weren't a lot of cars still running at the end as the 117 lap scheduled distance was extended to 122 at the finish, and there were several other spins and wrecks elsewhere on the track. Danica even got some payback with Sam Hornish Jr. on the last lap after he ran her out of room and she hit the wall - she got him back in the next corner and punted him into the fence for good measure. This track is amazing and my day wasn't nearly as exciting shooting for Associated Press as nothing of significance happened where I was stationed on the inside at the beginning of the backstretch. I had a good photography day nonetheless and the following slideshows give you some idea of what I was able to see from my vantage point atop a television camera tower. Today could be a different story but it was raining hard on my way into the track and there's a chance for isolated storms all day today, so it will be interesting to see how the day unfolds. I've already had to miss the Daytona 500 this year due to weather but I will stick this one out and see what happens, rain or shine!

Talladega Weekend Off to Hot Start

Local and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car in pole day tech line at Talladega

Setting up in the media center at Talladega Superspeedway brings immediate relief from what is already a sweltering Alabama spring day early in the morning. NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying kicks off in a couple of hours and then the Nationwide race will be run later this afternoon. I do not know where AP will have me working as yet, but the garage area is quiet so far with the exception of teams going through tech inspection. My drive south from Indy yesterday got interesting around Louisville with a wicked rainstorm creating all kinds of visibility problems but I didn't have to stop. Driving 20 miles south the skies cleared and the rest of the trip was a breeze. I'm glad I stopped last night instead of making a bonzai run to the track as I feel really good today and am ready to go to work. More on that shortly folks. 

Jeff Gordon's crew pushes the 24 car to the pole day tech line