Grand Prix of Indianapolis
• Race 4 of Verizon IndyCar Series season (May 8-10)
• Inaugural Verizon IndyCar Series race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course
Tickets: Purchase and information || Complete Month of May calendar
Entry list for Grand Prix of Indianapolis
Twitter: @IMS, #GPofIndy; @IndyCar, #IndyCar
Weather forecast: Partly cloudy and high in mid-80s May 8; mostly cloudy and high in low 70s May 9-10
Circuit: 2.439 miles, 14 turns (five left and nine right) ... 2,869-foot frontstretch; 2,503-foot backstretch
Race laps: 82 (200 miles) in clockwise direction
Start: Standing start on frontstretch, crossing the Yard of Bricks. There's 2,200 feet from the first row to Turn 1 entrance ... second standing start of season (Long Beach) ... restarts will be single file Anatomy of standing start
Tires: Firestone will supply the same primary tire construction used at Barber Motorsports Park for the April 27 Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, with a more durable tread compound. The alternate tires provide more grip for the trade-off of quicker degradation.
Pit box dimensions: 47 x 14 feet
Race day fuel: 70 U.S. gallons of E85 (70 gallons for practice/qualifying) ... Verizon IndyCar Series cars carry 18.5 U.S. gallons
Verizon IndyCar Series on-track times (all times local/Eastern):
Thursday, May 8: 10-10:45 a.m. (Practice 1)
2-2:45 p.m. (Practice 2)
Friday, May 9: 10:30 a.m. (Practice 3)
2-3:10 p.m. (Qualifications, including Firestone Fast Six)
Saturday, May 10: 10:30 a.m. (Systems check only)
3:50 p.m. standing start
Qualifications: Three rounds of knockout qualifying to determine the Verizon P1 Award winner and set the first three rows. Twelve cars from 10-minute Segment 1 (six quickest from Groups 1 and 2) advance to 10-minute Segment 2. Top six advance to 10-minute Firestone Fast Six session to determine Verizon P1 Award.
TV: ABC telecasts the race live (3:30 p.m. ET). Allen Bestwick is the chief announcer, with Scott Goodyear and Eddie Cheever Jr. the analysts.
Radio/web: All Verizon IndyCar Series and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires sessions are on IMS Radio Network in conjunction with real-time Timing & Scoring on www.indycar.com and INDYCAR 14 app. Grand Prix of Indianapolis race broadcast on IMS Radio Network affiliates, www.indycar.com, INDYCAR 14 app and XM 209 and Sirius 213. Paul Page is the chief announcer for Verizon IndyCar Series sessions.
Spectator viewing primer: In addition to permanent and temporary seating locations that offer multiple-turn views, spectators will have great vantage points by roaming the grounds. New viewing mounds were established near the oval Turn 2 exit, where spectators get a great view of cars going through the weaving Turns 8-10 before upshifting to enter the oval short chute. Spectator mounds also are located at the end of the fronstretch (where during the Open Test last week cars reached 196 mph) entering the hard right-hand Turn 1 (a driver-identified overtaking zone) and near the Turns 2-6 complex (exiting the chicane drivers upshift for the Hulman Boulevard straight). Spectators also can see the Turns 12-14 section (just to the west of the museum); Turn 14 rejoins the frontstretch at the oval Turn 1 entrance.
He said it: “I like the track; it’s heavy-braking, it’s technical in a few places, has really fast change of direction corners, and it should be a good racing track in terms of overtaking," said Martin Plowman, who will drive the No. 41 Alfe car for A.J. Foyt Racing. "We should see a lot of passes and hopefully put on a good show for the fans.”
Race day bonus: The Celebration of Automobiles Vintage and Classic Car Show returns to the Speedway for a fourth consecutive year on May 10, with this year's edition featuring entries from racing luminaries Bobby Rahal and Ray Evernham. Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Al Unser is the honorary judge. The collection in the infield is free to race day ticket-holders.
Of note: May 8 is free admission to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In addition to Verizon IndyCar Series practice sessions, all three Mazda Road to Indy series will be on the track throughout the day. ... Drivers will greet fans at the Indy Family Foundation Festival on Main presented by Firestone from 6-10 p.m. May 9 on Main Street in Speedway, Ind. (a short distance from the IMS Administration Building on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road). The family event is free, and even try your hand at "dunking" a driver and other personalities. ... The road course was laid initially for the U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race that ran from 200-07. Its reconfiguration and enhancements, with Verizon IndyCar Series driver input, is part of a long-term infrastructure project at the Speedway. ... About 18 hours after the checkered flag flies on the Grand Prix, the 2.5-mile oval opens for the initial practice session for the 98th Indianapolis 500.... There have been three different race winners and three different pole sitters in the three races this season. Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport won the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama in the No. 28 DHL car for Andretti Autosport after starting third. The Verizon P1 Award winner has not won this season. ... Will Power of Team Penske, who has finished first, second and fifth, is the series championship points leader. ... Helio Castroneves marks his 39th birthday on May 10.