Indy 500 takes place Sunday
Posted May 22, 2012 12:03:59 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Indianapolis 500, also known as the Indy 500, will be held on Sunday, during Memorial Day weekend in the United States.
It takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Ind.
The Indy 500 already has plenty of drama: panic over the size of the field, engine shortages, legal wrangling and issues with underperforming Lotus. Toss in $275,000 worth of fines against 13 teams, and IndyCar has a real soap opera bubbling right before its biggest race.
But, really, is that anything new?
IndyCar’s very existence in this current league began at a time of war for open-wheel racing, when a group of owners with one set of ideas split from CART in 1996 to join a startup series created by Tony George called the IRL. Nothing has come easy since, in large part because the team owners typically can’t get out of their own way.
The team principals fight for power with the league, fight with each other over rules and generally search for just about anything to complain about. Unlike Formula One and NASCAR, which both succeed operating as virtual dictatorships, IndyCar has moved closer to the model that ultimately eliminated CART.
One can’t help but wonder, though, if there’s been too much back-room politicking going on since Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened its gates May 10 to begin preparations for Sunday’s race. Almost every day since has had some sort of controversy — many bordering on comical — and rumours have run rampant about everything from an alleged owner-led charge to oust CEO Randy Bernard and IndyCar supposedly blocking two teams from fielding cars on Sunday’s bump-less Bump Day.
Then came the long list of penalties announced Sunday night, about 30 minutes after practice had concluded for a four-day off period.
IndyCar found 18 different infractions among 13 teams in pre-qualifying inspection, and track historian Donald Davidson believes the numbers were a one-day record for the series, though fines have never been consistently announced.
Few teams were immune and the entire front row was docked a total of $70,000 for five penalties split between pole-sitter Ryan Briscoe of Penske Racing, and Andretti Autosport teammates James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
