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[LenAshburn]

Race Day, Indianapolis, May 30, 2010, @Speed Reports


8:30 AM . . . .
It's here, a whole lot faster than in years past. The locals in Indy are struggling to keep up with the renewed, shortened, pace of the Indy 500 experience. The new schedule may be less burdensome on the participants but us old timers like a little more time to breathe.

The helicopters are buzzing overhead bringing their dignitary passengers and filming the fans who have been filing in from the four corners.

Traffic is always slow on race morning because nearly everyone wants to get an early start so they all hit the gates, or try, at about the same time. Somehow, everyone gets in by race time which today is 1:OO pm so there's plenty of time.

The drill today here on Prodigys @Speed will be the same as in the past. We will supply you with updates and tidbits designed to make you feel you're a part of the Indy experience there in the comfort of your home. These updates will come a little faster after the event gets underway. We'll give you a time reference on each post so you can go away without missing much.

Dave Carr is here in the press room with me and his wife Annie with the big camera is gathering the best photos which will appear on our opening screen.

Press Releases will appear on the Open Wheen News & Information forum, edited of course to glean out the wheat from the chaff.

Keep coming back for the latest from the 2010 Indy 500.

12:30 PM . . . .
The starting field has been moved from their garages, to the pit line, and now in rows of three on the front straightaway. This is schmooze time for all the beautiful people who managed to get credentialed for restricted areas at the track. This pit line privilege expires for most of them now as the crews get ready for the race which gets underway at 1:00 PM.

The day is sky blue perfect for the start of the 94th Indy 500. The weather is perfect, albeit hot and muggy. We are promised some showers later in the day and your @Speed reporters will be keeping an eye on that as the day moves along.

12:58 PM . . . .
The invocation is being said and Taps are about to be played in the traditional pre-race ceremony. The flyover occurred right on time. There goes the rifle salute as Taps begins.

1:08 PM . . . .
And the starting field is underway in perfect dry conditions but the blue tint to the sky is slowly turning to an overcast condition with clouds beginning to form, not threatening yet, but forming up. No threat yet, however as the last pace laps begins.

The race has begun but fan favorite Davey Hamilton in No. 21 had the rear end step out at the end of turn one and the Boise driver spun into the inside wall in turn one. The hit was light but his day is over but 33rd is a payday at Indianapolis.

Three laps of yellow have gone by and the leaders are Dario Franchitti, Helio Castroneves, and Will Power.

Lap 8 and Bruno Junqueira in the Yellow 33 lost it in turn two and spun into the outside wall.

Davey Hamilton has put the finger on Thomas Scheckter who attempted a pass on his right and pinched the Idaho driver who had no choice but to spin his machine to avoid Scheckter.

1:35 PM . . . .
The lead cars of Franchitti, Power, and Castroneves have reached out to a four second lead. Hamilton, Junquira, and Moraes have left competition, the latter from a mechanical problem the tech people though sufficient to stand Moraes down. It is thought to be bent suspension from a wall touch.

1:41 PM . . . .
At thirty laps into the contest the leaders are Franchitti, Power, Castroneves, Tagliani, Matos (who is flying), Dixon,Briscoe, Carpenter, Bell, and Scheckter.

1:53 PM . . . .
Pit stops are under way and No. 12 Will Power left his pit with the fuel nozzle still inserted. He will have to return under the green to have damage assessed. He was the cause of a debris yellow. He was on the way back in so it remains to be seen if he will be given further penalty. Ah, so. he was awarded a drive through penalty under green conditions for leaving the pit with the hose attached.

Tony Kanaan has moved from 33rd to 17th before pitting and rentering the race in 21st.

Rafael Matos has moved from 12th to 3rd at 46 laps and Ed Carpenter in his first race of the year is running 5th for the Panther/Vision team. Ed has been a bright light this Indy 500 season.

At lap 50 the order is Franchitti, Castroneves, Matos, Briscoe, Carpenter, Dixon, Bell, Tagliani, Scheckter, and Hunter-Reay. Marco Andretti, Kanaan, and Wilson follow.

2:05 PM . . . .
Bertrand Bagette in No. 36 came to the pit with a broken mirror and tech made him repair it for re-entering competition. This is a complicated repair under green flag conditions.

2:10 PM . . . .
John Andretti in the No. 43 Richard Petty car has tagged the wall in turn two and his day is over. He was running 27th at the time.

Running order at 66 laps is Franchitti, Castroneves, Matos, Briscoe, Carpenter, Dixon, Bell, Tagliani, Hunter-Reay, and Scheckter.

2:15 PM . . . .
Fireworks during the second round of pit stops which occured on a yellow from John Andretti. Matos left the pits with the left rear not properly attached and the wheel went through the pit gate into the entry area. Concurrently, Scott Dixon experienced a loose wheel on his stop and had to be backed up to his pit. Matos has slipped to 23rd and Dixon 24th. Both drivers were in the top ten.

2:20 PM . . . .
Matos has hit the wall in turn one, apparently from earlier front end damage during his pit stop. The IRL tech people will have to answer for that oversight. Matos had been running in third prior to the mishap in the pits. The Brazilian will take home 27th money for his effort.

Tony Kanaan has moved from 33rd to 5th at 77 laps. The South African hot dog Tomas Scheckter is right behind him in sixth. Both drivers seem to have plenty of punch for the second half.

2:44 PM . . . .
Leader Franchitti is about to be challenged by Castroneves. The Ganassi team has Graham Rahal just ahead who re-entered from a drive through penalty. Neither driver wants to be part of a Rahal sandwich and race control won't tolerate Rahal holding up the leaders for very long.

2:50 PM . . . .
At half way the running order is Franchitti, Castroneves, Briscoe, Carpenter, Kanaan, Scheckter, Hunter-Reay, Power, Bell, and Wheldon.
Vitor Meira caused a yellow and Rahal had already committed to the pits so he made up a lot and ground and avoided being lapped in the process.
Meira white walled coming off of turn four and was compelled to exit the Foyt ABC Supply and take 26th spot.

2:53 PM . . . .
At 108 laps yellow flag pits stops are occurring with the result that the running order resulting from all that scramble is Scheckter, Franchitti, Castroneves, Kanaan, Briscoe, Power, Hunter-Reay, Bell, Marco Andretti, and Weldon. Dixon, Patrick, and Tagliani follow.

3:12 PM . . . .
We haven't mentioned weather as we've tracked this exciting race. The track temperature is over 130 degrees and the outside ambient is 96 degrees farenheit which makes this the hottest Indy 500 in history. In 1954 driver Carl Scarboro died from heat prostration. There is no change in the cloud condition, just spotty cumulous iding by.

3:18 PM . . . .
Eyes are on Marco Andretti who started the race in 16th and at lap 137 is now in 3rd. The third generation driver is showing a lot of patience under the coaching of Rick Mears.

3:25 PM . . . .
We are in the midst of green flag pit stops at the 3/4 mark of this race and the running sequence ACCIDENT Ryan Briscoe has hit the wall out of turn 4 while running among the leaders in the top seven. This will shake up the order so we've post that in a few minutes. Briscoe will have to settle in 23rd for the Penske No. 6.

At lap 150 the order is Franchitti, Marco Andretti,Kanaan, Scheckter, Bell, Hunter Reay, Weldon, Dixon, Power, and now Mike Conway has advanced to the top ten after starting in the 15th spot.

3:41 PM . . . .
One senses that the long yellow for the Briscoe accident is having the effect of realigning the stars for a whole bunch of drivers in the hunt for the Borg Warner Trophy. At 155 laps after pit stops the order is Franchitti, Marco Andretti, Kanaan, Scheckter, Bell, Hunter-Reay, Wheldon, Dixon, Conway, and Power. Tony Kanaan has passed Marco for second in the running and Franchitti is mashing the push to pass button with blue smoke just pouring out of his Honda. Townsend Bell just godt a drive through penalty for blocking Hunter-Reay.

ACCIDENT - Turn 2 Chute Sebastian Saavedra is moving in the cockpit after spinning his Brian Herta Autosport No. 29. This is going to force yet another pit stop between now and the end and the shakeout in the order is a dice roll.

The shakeout is still ashakin' when the green flag came out following the last yellow four drivers stayed out and did not pit. This produced a running order of Mike Conway, Justin Wilson, Castroneves, Franchitti. Sure enough at 178 laps Conway has pitted and Wilson is leading and due in himself. No one has a clue who will win this race.

4:14 PM . . . .
Tony Kanaan had to pit late with 5 to go. Franchitti is still leading with apparently no fuel issue. Three to go Wheldon is second, Marco is third.

Bulletin - Dario Franchitti has won his second Indy 500. Wheldon is second and Alex Lloyd is third. The No. 10 car of Franchitti is out of fuel.
Dixon is shown fourth and, bless her heart, Danica Patrick is fifth.
The No. 24 of Mike Conway collided with Ryan Hunter-Reay and did a wicked flip into the fence on the backstretch and broke the entire rear end off the car. We await a condition report on the talented Brit.

4:25 PM . . . .
The top ten finishers, unofficially, of the 2010 Indy 500 are Franchitti, Wheldon, Lloyd, Dixon, Patrick, Marco Andretti, Justin Wilson, Power, Castroneves, Tagliani.

Eleventh is Tony Kanaan, followed Rahal, deSilvestro, Romancini, Scheckter, Bell, and Ed Carpenter.

Mike Conway has been flown to Methodist Hospital with injury to his right leg, the flight necessary because of vehicle congestion after the race. Everyone who saw this accident on TV has breathed a sigh of relief and thanks to their maker. Early report is that Conway ran over the left rear wheel of No. 37 Ryan Hunter-Reay and punched headlong into the north short chute catch fencing. Both drivers were able to climb from their cars with help from the safety crews.

Thus ends this blow-by-blow of a very exciting race in which the action was far faster than the fingers. A final rundown and race report will be posted on the Open Wheel News and Information Forum later this evening.
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Len in Indy