If you happen to receive a jar of tire "marbles" -- those bits of rubber that rub off the Firestone Firehawks on the racetrack -- as a unique gift, you can bet they were collected during the "Track Invasion" following the Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
The course was opened to spectators, many of whom also took in the presentation of trophies to winner Will Power, runner-up Graham Rahal and third-place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya. It was a first at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Angie's List is in the first year a multi-year title sponsorship deal for the race. According to founder Angie Hicks, the company activated to the fullest by hosting service providers for a weekend of business and fun. Angie’s List is was the primary sponsor on the No. 98 BHA with Curb-Agajanian Honda driven by Gabby Chaves.
“There’s nothing more exciting than to be at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May,” Hicks said. “We’re thrilled to be sponsoring the grand prix. We brought thousands of service companies in from across the country to enjoy the race with us. We have had conferences with them for the last couple of days. Racing is a great type of event to gather people and clients around.
“Last year we bought tickets for a lot of our employees to come out. Then when the sponsorship opportunity came up, it was a natural. We knew it was a great event and it is the Month of May, so it is race time at the Speedway. We are thrilled that race time has expanded through the whole month of May again. … Every year the Speedway offers a little more for the fans and their enjoyment.”
Teams will be back at the Speedway on May 11 for practice on the 2.5-mile oval in preparation for the 99th Running of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race on may 24. Qualifications are May 16-17.
The May 11 track schedule: Rookie orientation test for Stefano Coletti and refresher tests from noon-1 p.m. Track opens to all cars from 2-7 p.m. (ET). Watch all the practice sessions, supported by real-time Timing & Scoring on RaceControl.indycar.com. The official entry list will be released before track activity.
Baseball Hall of Famer Yount cheers for Rahal
Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount attended the race for the second consecutive year as a guest of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. He and team co-owner Bobby Rahal are friends dating to when both were active -- Rahal as a driver and Yount as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers from 1974-93. Yount later became involved in the Formula Atlantic series.
"I love it," Yount said of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. "I enjoy the road racing; that would probably be my favorite. This seems like a really cool track, with the long straightaways and the good passing zones."
Rahal finished second to Team Penske's Will Power.
Noticeable absence in Pagnaud pit
Simon Pagenaud, winner of the 2014 road race, was without longtime race engineer Ben Bretzman, who was with wife Whitney in North Carolina for the birth of their daughter.
Ron Ruzewski, Team Penske's director of engineering, filled in for the weekend.
"Their little princess has arrived, so congratulations to them," Pagenaud said.
Milestones for Castroneves and Kanaan
Helio Castroneves and Tony Kanaan have shared parallel successful racing careers. They competed against each other in karting as youngsters in Brazil, reunited for two seasons as Indy Lights teammates in 1996-97 and have spent the past 18 years as competitors and friends in Indy car racing.
This month they mark a career milestone. Castroneves made his 300th Indy car start May 9; the Indianapolis 500 will be Kanaan's 300th start.
“Being friends for so long and to be doing similar results, it just shows that we pursued a dream when we were kids and we still love what we do,” said Castroneves, a three-time Indy 500 winner who has made 261 of his starts with Team Penske. “No matter how old we are, no matter how big a family or how many kids we have, the passion and excitement are still there. We talk about it all the time. It’s a great statement for hard work for him, for myself."
Kanaan, the 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series champion, won the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
“Being friends with Tony, being teammates with him, a competitor, certainly I am a big believer that a good competitor makes you a better driver,” Castroneves added. “No question Tony is one of those drivers that makes me a better driver.”
Of note
There were 192 passes for position on the track, 11 lead changes and six leaders in the 82-lap race. ... The average speed was 116.842 mph. ... No driver has led a lap in all five races. ... The Indianapolis Children’s Choir performed the national anthem. ... Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee was the honorary pace car driver of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51. "I think it should be on everyone's bucket list," he said. ... Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and four-time Verizon IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti spoke to all drivers in the three Mazda Road to Indy series during a career development seminar. ... Will Power's Verizon P1 Award-winning lap speed of 126.357 is the fastest of the five road/street courses this season. ... The name of the Indianapolis 500 entry for USAC champion Bryan Clauson has changed to the No. 88 Jonathan Byrd's Racing/Cancer Treatment Centers of America Chevrolet.