The word for you indy only fans is,,,,,,,condensed

[SurfaceUnits]

A SHORTER MONTH OF MAY? Not like it's something new

It's been rumored the Indianapolis Motor Speedway could trim the schedule for May to save teams a little money.

Nothing official as yet but it's believed the track might not open until Tuesday (May 5) for rookie orientation and Wednesday (May 6) for the veterans, giving them three days of practice prior to the first weekend of qualifying (May 9-10). The past couple years, rookies were the only drivers allowed on the first two days of practice and IMS opened on Sunday, with vets allowed out on Tuesday.

Depending on the number of rookies and their progress, it's possible they could also get some additional time on Wednesday as well.

"On the flip side, it's less time to wear out engines, burn through tires and hit walls. It's not a huge impact on your budget but it would help some. Of course the weather could play havoc and then you might really miss any time if it's pissing rain all week."

It's not known what a possible reduced schedule might mean for Honda engine leases. Right now, a full-blown lease for May is $225,000 and a second week only program is $95,000.

http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/indycar-vasser-and-tracy-trying-to-team-up-says-miller/indycar-vasser-and-tracy-trying-to-team-up-says-miller/P2/

[cameraman]

It is the same chassis, the same engine, the same tires and the same drivers that have been there for the last 3 years. They should be damned near completely set up when they roll off the truck.:shakehead

[Don Quixote]

I can think of several other ways that they can save even more money. E.g., call the whole thing off, run the cabs instead, plough up half the grandstands and put in another 9 holes, close down Chip's buffet, make AJ pay for his own sammiches, and so on.

[SurfaceUnits]

with less track time, the gomers will be pressed to hit the walls more often to get up to speed :gomer:

[Andrew Longman]

Obviously someone needs to start a rival series to protect the history and traditions of Indy.

[Methanolandbrats]

Can they accomodate the crush of fans if they condense a month of excitement into a few days?

[cart7]

Tony should get in line up at capitol hill and ask for a bailout of the Indy 500. :rolleyes:

[SurfaceUnits]

Thanks for saving the Indy traditions:


IMS tweaked the schedule for May. There will be four fewer days of practice for veterans and three less for rookies. Instead of Sunday May 3rd, the track will open to all cars on Wednesday May 6th, after a rookie session and Firestone Indy Lights session on Tuesday. They are listing Wednesday as "Opening Day" so it's possible the track is not fully open to the public on Tuesday. I'll check on those details (maybe just the South grandstand near the museum, like other test sessions?). Week two won't begin until Thursday. In previous years, it began on Wednesday. While it will be a challenge if there are multiple days washed out, the move makes sense. The idea is to save as much money as possible for teams and they'll save money by spending a few less days here, plus fewer miles on track and potentially fewer problems. It's possible just as many people will still come through the gates on practice days, just more at the same time, saving the Speedway money in operating expenses. Plus, for the fans there will be more activity. Every day should be busy on track. If it does rain, at least it's the same for everyone. I'm also guessing they reserve the right to open the track at different times for extra practice time, if needed.