Indianapolis 500: Ryan Briscoe In Top Spot On Speed Chart
May 15, 2008
Ron McQueeney/IMS
A group of antsy drivers got their wish Thursday, with a dry track allowing them to finally get some work done at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Eleven drivers who qualified last Saturday spent Thursday working on their race-day setups. Everyone else tried to find the right combination of speed and balance to be ready to qualify Saturday — the first of two remaining days of qualifications — for one of the remaining 22 starting spots in the 92nd Indy 500.
Already qualified drivers, led by Team Penske’s Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves, at 223.708 mph and 223.284, respectively, were in the top five spots on Thursday’s speed chart, followed by non-qualified drivers Will Power and John Andretti.
Ryan Briscoe is not exactly a neophyte when it comes to the Indianapolis 500. He has competed in the race twice and will be sitting on the outside of the first row when this year’s 500 begins.
But Briscoe shares one quality with the large number of drivers who are taking to the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time this year — he is starving for practice laps.
“It’s all about track time here,” Briscoe said.
Pole-winner Scott Dixon, third fastest Thursday, wasn’t surprised by the nearly constant traffic throughout the six-hour session.
“Everybody has a lot of work to do,” said Dixon, the former IRL IndyCar Series champion who drives for Target Chip Ganassi Racing. “As good as our cars have been, we’re still struggling in some areas and we need to work on those. So any track time is going to help us, but it’s going to help everybody.”
Among the drivers still hoping to qualify for the 33-car field are veterans Sarah Fisher, making her debut for her own team, and Davey Hamilton. Fisher was among the slowest drivers Thursday at 219.571, while Hamilton was just a little faster at 220.190.
Fisher is just trying to work around the wet weather.
“Our team being a fresh team to the league and the series, (the rain) has been disappointing,” Fisher said. “You have to try to plan around it as best you can, and the Indy 500 is certainly about people who can alter their plans and change for the adverse conditions.
“So, whether or not it’s raining, we’re still taking advantage of the time and we’re still working toward making the car faster and faster every day, whether it’s on the track or in the shop,” she added.
Hamilton, hoping to make his eighth Indy start, was just happy to get back on track after all the delays. Former Formula One test driver Enrique Bernoldi, an Indy rookie and a newcomer to American open-wheel racing, got up to 220.579 on Thursday.
