Indianapolis 500, IRL Indy Race Day - Sunday, May 28, 1 p.m. EST, ABC

Sam Hornish Jr. is on the provisional WorldPoints Visa Card Pole for the 90th Indianapolis 500 this afternoon after posting a four-lap average of 228.985 mph. His teammate, Helio Castroneves, is second at 228.008, with Dan Wheldon filling the front row at 227.338. Qualifying continues until 6 p.m. (ET), with 29 drivers already in the field.

Saturday, May 20 The Run for the WorldPoints Visa Card Pole on Coca-Cola Throwback Day
Admission: $5.00
Public Gates Open 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
IndyCar Series Practice 9:30 - 11 a.m.
Qualifications Noon - 6 p.m.

Sunday, May 21 Bump Day/Armed Forces Day
Admission: $5.00
Public Gates Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
IndyCar Series Practice 10:15 a.m.-11:15 a.m.
Bump Day Qualifying Noon-6 p.m.

Wednesday, May 24 500 Festival Community Day
Admission: $7.00, includes admission to Hall of Fame Museum
Public Gates Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Public Track Laps/Garages Open to Public 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Driver Autograph Session, Garage Area 3 p.m.-5 p.m.

Thursday, May 25 Indy Pro Series Practice & Qualifying
Admission: Free
Public Gates Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Indy Pro Series Practice 9 a.m.-9:45 a.m.
Indy Pro Series Practice 11 a.m.-11:45 p.m.
Indy Pro Series Qualifying 1:15 p.m.
Indy Pro Series Practice 3:40 p.m.-4 p.m.

Friday, May 26 Miller Lite Carb Day
Admission: $10.00
Public Gates Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
IndyCar Series Practice 11 a.m.-Noon
Freedom 100 Pre-race Noon-12:30 p.m.
Freedom 100 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m.
Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
Miller Lite Carb Day Concert 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 27 No Track Activity
Admission: Free
Public Gates Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Driver Autograph Session, Pagoda Plaza 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Public Drivers Meeting (Tower Terrace) 11 a.m.
500 Festival Parade (Downtown Indianapolis) Noon

Sunday, May 28 Race Day
Tickets Available
Gates Open 6 a.m.-6 p.m.
Driver Introductions 12:30 p.m.
90th Indianapolis 500 1 p.m.

Tony Stewart used to race Indy cars.

I was at the Charlotte race when he finished 4th (starting LAST because he missed the driver's meeting) in the 600 after finishing 9th in the Indy 500. I became a big fan of his that day. He is ONE FAST MAN!

Stewart's Long Sunday Drive

Tony Stewart chats with a crew member after arriving at the Coca-Cola 600. (Reuters)

By Liz Clarke and C. Jemal Horton
Monday, May 31, 1999

CONCORD, N.C., May 30 – When it was all over, Tony Stewart was laid out on a stretcher, exhausted and dehydrated, and rushed away for medical attention.

But what he had accomplished, in the most grueling day's work that any race-car driver has likely endured, set him apart from all of his peers. Stewart posted a pair of top-10 finishes today in two of racing's most grueling events, coming home ninth in the Indianapolis 500 and fourth in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600.

It was an exhausting day behind the wheel, amounting to a 1,090-mile Sunday drive. And it took three planes, two helicopters, eight golf carts, four cars and a pair of police escorts to pull it off.

With only a catnap in between events – a blissful bit of shut-eye on the jet that whisked him from Indianapolis to Charlotte – Stewart charged from his last-place start to take the lead in the Coca-Cola 600 shortly after the midway point. Though both his car and stamina faded in the end, Stewart sent a message that he is versatile and talented, able to successfully transfer his skill at open-wheel cars to the heavier, hulking stock cars.

Stewart completed the first part of his racing double with a ninth-place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, completing 196 laps of the 200-lap event.

However, as Stewart left the track for the second leg of his driving day, he was slightly upset. He spent several minutes in third place in the Indy race before two long pit stops near the midway point of the 500-mile race, costing him his position.

The longest stop was because Stewart's pit crew was trying to adjust his wicker, a small metal piece that fits on the spoiler at the back of the car to help stabilize it and ease its handling. "I think he was a little disappointed," said Andy Card, co-owner of Stewart's team. "We fought the car all day."

After the race, Stewart hurried to the team's motor home to take a quick shower. From there, he went to the infield medical center to be evaluated for dehydration.

Once cleared by doctors, he took a police escort to an awaiting helicopter at the track. The helicopter left at 3:09 p.m., heading to Indianapolis International Airport for a 3:30 p.m. flight to Charlotte.

"He was obviously a little bit tired, but we got a bunch of liquids in him," Card said. "I don't think he would feel as badly if he hadn't fallen back in the field."

The afternoon sun was setting as the capacity crowd of 170,000 filled the stands at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Track announcers broke in half an hour before the 6:15 p.m. race to inform the crowd that the helicopter carrying Stewart was two miles from the speedway. The chopper landed on a grassy area tucked behind the frontstretch. Stewart waved to the crowd as he climbed out and strode to a waiting four-wheeler, which took him to his race car.

Because he missed NASCAR's mandatory pre-race driver's meeting, Stewart had to start at the rear of the field. But he wasted little time in working his way through the pack. By Lap 60, he was running 10th. By the race's midpoint, crew members were feeding him Power Bars and Gatorade during pit stops. He took the lead on Lap 267, slipping under teammate Bobby Labonte, and put on a show thereafter, swapping the lead alternately with Labonte and Jeff Burton.

Fin St Car Driver Make Sponsor Pts/Bonus Laps Status
1 2 #99 Jeff Burton Ford Exide Batteries 185/10 400 Running
2 1 #18 Bobby Labonte Pontiac Interstate Batteries 175/5 400 Running
3 7 #6 Mark Martin Ford Valvoline 170/5 400 Running
4 27 #20 Tony Stewart * Pontiac The Home Depot 165/5 400 Running

Indy pole-winner crashes backup car

http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=ap-irl-indy-hornishcrash&prov=ap&type=lgns

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indianapolis 500 pole winner Sam Hornish Jr. escaped injury Sunday when he crashed his backup car during a practice session.

Hornish was working on race setup and had just turned his fastest lap of the day at 226.256 mph when he crashed. He was following close behind Danica Patrick through a turn when his car skidded sideways. It appeared the two-time IRL IndyCar Series champion almost got the car back under control, but he eventually slid down the track and bounced off the wall.

Hornish got out of the car under his own power and walked to the safety car for the mandatory ride to the infield medical center.

The Marlboro Team Penske driver, who has been fastest for all but one day the cars have run since practice opened May 9, qualified on the pole Saturday with a four-lap average of 228.985 for next Sunday's race.

---

It is Bump Day, after all.

Good thing it was the backup.

Sparks fly as Indy Racing League driver Sam Hornish Jr. slides along the south short chute after spinning in the first turn during practice on the final day of qualifications for the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Sunday, May 21, 2006, in Indianapolis. Hornish qualified on the poles Saturday with an average speed of 228.985mph. This was a backup car and not the car qualified for the race. (AP Photo/Tom Hemmer)

The starting field for the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 to be held May 28, 2006. Row 1: Sam Hornish Jr., Helio Castroneves, Dan Wheldon. Row 2: Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Vitor Meira. Row 3:Kosuke Matsuura, Scott Sharp, Marco Andretti. Row 4: Danica Patrick, Tomas Scheckter, Ed Carpenter. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

The starting field for the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 to be held May 28, 2006. Row 5: Michael Andretti, Buddy Rice, Townsend Bell. Row 6: Bryan Herta, Dario Franchitti, Max Papis. Row 7: Eddie Cheever, P.J. Chesson, Felipe Giaffone. Row 8: Jeff Bucknum, Larry Foyt, Jaques Lazier. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

The starting field for the 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 to be held May 28, 2006. Row 9: Buddy Lazier, Jeff Simmons, Al Unser Jr. Row 10: Roger Yasukawa, Airton Dare, Stephan Gregoire. Row 11: Arie Luyendyk Jr., PJ Jones, Thiago Medeiros. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

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