Gearing up for the 90th Indianapolis 500

[climb]

[QUOTE=drdisque...

C+S Motorsport entered #36 Panoz which I assume is the old N/H car from last year. No driver listed. The owners are John Cummiskey & Mark Shambarger.
...[/QUOTE]

Does anyone know who are this team? Who's behind them?

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by climb

Does anyone know who are this team? Who's behind them?

Check out today's Indy Star...

I believe that the two gentlemen listed were involved in preparing the Haas cars at Indy the past two years, IIRC from today's article...

Back in March, Curt Cavin had said that people who were involved with N-H were at the Panther Racing auction buying IRL-specific items....

I'm assuming that these two gentlemen were the guys who were doing the buying so that they could compete in the Indy 500 this year...but on their own...obviously not with Carl Haas.

[climb]

Many thanx Tim

[BootsOntheSide]

Sounds like that could feasibly turn into a full-time team then Tim - they've got the machinery and the experience, and hopefully some funding. Good to see Jeff out there as well.

[luke]

From todays Indy Star:

Townsend Bell has been linked to Vision Racing as the team's third driver at the Indianapolis 500.

Team owner Tony George said Thursday in an e-mail from Japan, where the IRL races tonight, that Bell is one of five drivers being considered. A decision is expected early next week.

"Roberto (Moreno) would be the easiest (choice), and he is currently with the team in Japan," George wrote. "(Jimmy) Vasser would be a good choice, but he has some coaching duties (in Champ Car) that may hold him back.

"Townsend has to do (rookie orientation), or at least it would benefit him, and I don't know if I can afford to do a whole month program and the rookie (program) with our little team."

Ed Carpenter and Tomas Scheckter are Vision's full-time drivers. Moreno subbed for the injured Carpenter in St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 2.

EDIT: Here is the link...
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dl...604210461/1052
This should always be provided.

[bradrive]

Giorgio Pantano and Chip Ganassi are working on a deal to run Giorgio at Indy

[climb]

Pantano himself declared it at Imola last weekend, according to italiaracing:

http://italiaracing.net/news.asp?id=...t=news_indycar

Sorry it's in italian

[luke]

Well the Ganassi overall package is very strong this year so maybe we could see again Chip fielding that 3rd car for a at heart road racer at maybe bother Watkins Glen and Sears Point....

[rustyfan]

Less than a week until the Month of May kicks off with Rookie Orientation - it's getting close now.

Here's hoping we're in for a good, safe month of practicing, qualifying and, of course, racing

[cos]

A1 Team USA are teaming up with D&R to run Unser Jr's car according to Autosport.

[luke]

Yup, thing is though....do we think they will be competitive?

[luke]

Here is more info on the confirmation:

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto/indycar/23325/

[Tim Northcutt]

If nothing else, with Buddy Lazier and Al Jr. doing the driving this month, D&R should get some good feedback from both for set-ups and they should do fairly well.

[luke]

Well Al himself is playing down his chances and just wants a finish.

[rustyfan]

While he probably is hoping for a solid finish, obviously, I think the most important thing to Al Jr is that he will be back at Indianapolis, a track - and a race - that he loves.

[Tim Northcutt]

Originally Posted by bradrive

Giorgio Pantano and Chip Ganassi are working on a deal to run Giorgio at Indy

Question:

I know that Pantano ran the road courses for Ganassi last year in the Series, but did he do any of the ovals???

To run at Indy, I believe that you must have high-speed oval experience; otherwise, you have to go through the Rookie Orientation Program at Indy or do some sort of program that is observed by IRL officials to show that you can run on ovals at speed.

Even Nigel Mansell had to do this when he raced at Indy in the 1990s.

Pantano is not on the list of drivers who will go through ROP this weekend

[marcus]

Pantano did not do any ovals last year so if he is racing he will be required to do ROP.
seeing as he isnt listed then I can guess that he doesnt have a ride.

But then again hasnt there been cases in the past that a rookie has landed a ride late and been given the chance to do ROP or some form of proof that he/she knows what they are doing ?

Im not sure about that but it sounds plausible.

[JohnSSC]

Not saying it has never happened marcus, but I can't think of anyone recently who has not had to pass the rookie test.

[rustyfan]

Originally Posted by JohnSSC

Not saying it has never happened marcus, but I can't think of anyone recently who has not had to pass the rookie test.

I think what Marcus wondered is whether or not someone has gotten the chance to do the rookie test outside of the designated "rookie days". I seem to recall someone doing just that in recent years, but I can't remember any details.

[marcus]

yeah thats what I meant

Its in my brain somewhere that someone got a chance to do orientation outside the original days but for the life of me I cant remember who or when.

possible it didnt happen at all LOL

[Mystery]

Johnny Herbert in '02? - I know he didnt actually race but had things worked out differently he would have done and he had no oval experience as far as i know

[Tim Northcutt]

I believe Johnny went through ROP, IIRC....

He got screwed by early Sunday morning rain on the final day of qualifying....

He was first in line, and was going to qualify at Noon, fly to Sears point, and join Audi in the last half of the ALMS race that same day....

Drying the track pushed the session back 90 minutes and his window of opportunity closed....

He found speed the day before and had the 6 p.m. gun go off before he could try to qualify on Saturday....

Johnny would have made the field on Sunday, because he was faster than the cars that did make it...

[Tim Northcutt]

BTW....

Playa Del Racing and C+S Motorsports have combined their efforts and will still field a total of two cars.

The drivers will be Jacques Lazier and John Herb (He raced here last in 2001)....

The story can be found on www.indystar.com

It was a brief note in Sports under Hoosier Digest today, but it will surely be posted in the Auto Racing section of the website.

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by Tim Northcutt

I believe Johnny went through ROP, IIRC....

Not according to his own website he didn't
http://www.johnnyherbert.co.uk/news/...dy500_02.shtml

This quote appears a long long way down the page

Herbert, then driving for Jaguar, was 11th in the 2000 US Grand Prix. He was a test driver for Arrows last year and tested an Indy Racing League car for the first time last summer. Because of his extensive driving experience, he was not required to take the IRL's Rookie Orientation Program two weeks ago.

[Tim Northcutt]

Thnaks for the correct, Mystery....I don't track things like ROP that closely, but I did follow his efforts closely that year, because I'm also an ALMS fan and really wanted him to make the Race....