Indy 500 – Page 2

Big Weekend for Racing Fans: Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500

The two will make for a great week of viewing for fans. With Indy moving its starting time back to noon it once again gives drivers that want to the opportunity to race in both events, all it needs is a helicopter ride in between. I am too lazy to look at this moment but I believe that only one driver has ever finished both races in the same day.

Last week there was the All Star Sprint Cup event. I did not see these races due to other obligations but according to ESPN’s report I did not missed that much as drivers figured out how to game the system. Jimmie Johnson won the $1 million event but complains of sandbagging seem to have arisen. I suspect we will see the rules tweaked a bit next year to try and stop this from occurring once again.

Sprint Cup Standings
1) Greg Biffle
2) Matt Kenseth -2
3) Dale Earnhardt Jr. -14
4)Denny Hamlin -17
5) Jimmy Johnson -39

Twitter Feeds
@NASCAR-Official NASCAR feed
@NationwideNNS-Nationwide Official Twitter
@NASCAR_NNS-NASCAR Nationwide feed
@NASCARONFOX-Fox Sports feed
@AllWaltrip-3 Time NASCAR Champ and Fox announcer
@PRNLive-Performance Racing Network
@EdHintonESPN-ESPN Columnist Ed Hinton
@nascarnowespn-ESPN2 NASCAR
@siriusxmnascar- Sirius XM:
@SPEED-Speed
@NASCAR_TNT-NASCAR on TNT

The Coca-Cola 600

Broadcast
May 27 at 5:30 PM ET on Fox
The race will be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway and is the longest race of the season for the drivers, and that is not counting and any additional delays from cautions could drag out the telecast. It looks like the race will be run under hot and humid conditions, although there is also a chance of isolated thunderstorms as well.

With Jimmie Johnson so hot lately he has to be considered the favorite in this race, his having gone two for two over the past two weeks. No asterisk need be applied to last week because I am sure no driver hits the gas in an effort not to take home the prize. However the length of a race also has to impact the chances that some unforeseen mishap can ruin a driver’s day.

Nationwide Series
The Nationwide Series also returns, with the running of the History 300. Somehow I missed the fact that they were running in Iowa last week- sorry. I just looked to see what other race was occurring in Charlotte. O well it happens.

It looks as if Rickey Stenhouse Jr. did not miss me, dominating the race by leading 209 of the 250 laps and winning the checkered flag He apparently likes the track with three wins here in the last year. The win was good for extending his lead in the series. The top five was filled out by Elliott Sadler coming in second followed by Michael McDowell, Austin Dillon and Kurt Busch. For those of you still enthralled by Danica Patrick, she did not finish for the second time this year.

Nationwide Series Standings
1) Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2) Elliott Sadler -34
3) Austin Dillon -43
4) Sam Hornish Jr. -74
5) Cole Whitt -92

History 300
Broadcast
May 26 2:30 ET on ABC

The Indy 500
Broadcast
May 27 12:00 PM ET ABC
The Indy 500 is also this weekend and fans in the infield should be prepared for some hot racing, and hot weather. There are expectations that the race may set a heat record, beating the 92 set in 1937 if it hits the estimated 94 on Sunday.

With qualifying over the top row will feature Ryan Brisco alongside James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay leading off the 33 car field. It looks like it was a pretty busy week for the drivers and fans.

Start Your Browser Windows: Indy 500 Events Already Ramping Up

Memorial Day holiday is just over a week away and that of course means a lot of things to people, honoring the nation’s men and women who died while serving, parades, BBQs and of course the roar of the crowd at the Indianapolis 500.

While there will be more to report next week this is a look at some of the events that will be upcoming next week, and a mention of a few events that already occurred because you can start enjoying the racing now. This race and the Coca Cola 600 will make for a great day of racing next week.

More than 400,000 fans head over to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch the race that has been called ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’, yet that is just the end of an eventful week that will start this Saturday or to be more accurate two weeks since the official Opening Day was last Saturday with the Celebration of Automobiles.

While all this week there have been practice rounds available to the public, and the qualification draw is Friday night the event gets to the real beef starting Saturday when qualification begins. It should be noted that it is also Armed Forces Bump Day and there will be an enlistment ceremony in the morning.

There will be qualifying most of the week, not just for the Indy 500 but also for the Firestone Freedom 100 that starts on Thursday. There will be a range of events all week if you are lucky enough to be in town including vintage car races, autograph sessions, pit stop contests and a live concert by Lynyrd Skynyrd on Friday prior to the Freedom 100.

Sunday May 27th is the day that everybody waits for with events starting at 8:30 am and the race beginning at noon for the 96th running of the Indianapolis 500. However you can start to get your speed fix in now if you wish. The race has a page called Live Timing & Scoring that features live practice and pre-race video so if your sound is off your boss might never know. It also shows the current rank of all of the drivers, lap speeds and engine type.

Twitter
Get the latest updates by tweeting @IMS. Or try #indy500 #brickyard and #IndyGP.

Facebook
Here’s the Indy 500 Facebook page.

Big Weekend for Racing Fans: Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500

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