2009 Indianapolis 500 This N' That
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY CENTENNIAL ERA FACT: When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series and Wintergreen won the Kentucky Derby. Other notable facts from 1909:
· The cost of a postage stamp was 2 cents.
· A bottle of Coca-Cola cost 5 cents.
· A gallon of gas cost 6 cents.
The next on-track activity is Thursday, May 21. THURSDAY'S SCHEDULE (all times local):
7 a.m. - Garages open
9-9:45 a.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights practice
3 p.m. - Firestone Indy Lights Qualifying
Brian Barnhart (Indy Racing League president of competition and racing operations): (About the 2009 field being the closest field by time): "That is pretty cool. I didn't know that, and I'm certainly glad to hear it. It speaks volume about our formula and the depth of field that we have. I feel so bad for Tags (Alex Tagliani) and the Conquest Racing team. "
"They work their tails off all year, and I'll tell you, leaning in the cockpit and telling them they weren't going to get to go because we're out of time and they're a lame duck and he's either in or out and it's not under his control was one of the hardest things I've ever done. It was just a devastating look in his eyes. I know how hard he and the team had worked. From a field standpoint, it's what makes Indianapolis special. It's the 33 best drivers and teams under the conditions of what we had. Tightest field speaks volumes about how tight the competition is." (About the format finally running as planned): "We got all four days in with bumping, and the depth of field reflected on it. I know it's pressure packed for the drivers and teams, but the feedback from the fans is how much they like it. "
"These guys understand that that's the job. Whatever the format is, it's their job to go out and drive the car as fast as the conditions allow. When you look at how clean the days were, they obviously all did it. The fact they get three attempts a day and guys were voluntarily pulling out (of line). Pretty gutsy moves, and they all seemed to pay off."
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY CENTENNIAL ERA FACT: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway's highly recognizable "Winged-Wheel" logo was introduced in 1909. The wheel represented the founders' vision of an automobile testing ground, and the wings alluded to the role aviation played in the early years at the Speedway.
Through the years, the logo has had hundreds of variations, usually custom-made for the application, be it program cover, credential, ticket or poster. The seven racing flags became a primary element by the mid-1950s.