Pre-race - 107th Indianapolis 500

[rd45usa]

 

[FLRacingFan]

I’m honestly quite surprised by this one. Would’ve guessed it had happened already. Guess we need another breakaway series!

 

[FLRacingFan]

Faster pole speed ever
Fastest front row ever
Fastest field ever
First Spaniard pole sitter

 

[FLRacingFan]

Stefan Wilson is being transported to the hospital after a practice incident with Katherine Legge. Was placed on a stretcher but gave a thumbs up as he was loaded into the ambulance. He was spun around and nosed into the turn 1 wall reminiscent of a lot of the 1992 wrecks.

 

[Doc Austin]

We knew we would go the whole month without tearing some stuff up. Glad these are strong, safe cars.

​

 

[kkfan91]

If he can't go would Rahal try to get in there?

 

[Speedbowl14]

Hopefully just soreness and this is a precaution. That's an awful hit. Wish they could find a way to make these cars give more for direct head-on impacts. I thought the same after Rosenqvist's crash with the injuries he sustained from a relatively low speed crash into tires.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Headed for imaging but sounds better than it could’ve been

 

[FLRacingFan]

If he can't go would Rahal try to get in there?

DRR are a Chevy team and Rahal Honda so I would imagine they go back to Hildebrand or Karam if Stef can’t go. They have a backup chassis on site.

Karam and Hildebrand ran the 500 last year so I don’t think they would even need to do the refresher program, but the series would probably give them a special practice session.

 

[Doc Austin]

If he can't go would Rahal try to get in there?

There are a lot of different possibilities. They could nominate their own driver, or they could sell the tub to Rahal who could run it. That or they could withdraw it and Rahal would move forward as the first alternate.

 

[Speedbowl14]

Pretty cool weather for the 500 with temps in the low 80s. Should be a great race. Not too much grip but not too twitchy either hopefully

 

[Doc Austin]

https://racer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/85/2023/05/indycar-results-p8.pdf

 

[Nitro Dude]

Jack Harvey is gonna get sacrificed for Graham.

Really?

 

[Reck]

Stefan Wilson is being transported to the hospital after a practice incident with Katherine Legge. Was placed on a stretcher but gave a thumbs up as he was loaded into the ambulance. He was spun around and nosed into the turn 1 wall reminiscent of a lot of the 1992 wrecks.

Letterman/Rahal racing is getting punished hard at Indianapolis. What a year to forget.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Tough sport this is. Dang.

 

[Doc Austin]

I suspect some money will change hands and Wilson's team will withdraw. Repairing the car and plugging in a new driver with only Carb day to sort everything would be sketchy, but we know Rahal can at least get around the place and not wreck half the fired, even if he's slow.

But beware. In that scenerio we have no first alternate, and if someone wads up a car on carb day we might be looking at 32 cars.

 

[Doc Austin]

Pruett is reporting Wilson's tub might be damaged.

Indy 500 Trackside Report: Monday May 22 with Hunter-Reay

Ryan Hunter-Reay joins RACER’s Marshall Pruett to break down Monday’s two-hour practice session which saw Will Power lead the field and Katherine Legge and Stefan Wilson tangle and cras…

racer.com

 

[FLRacingFan]

Pruett is reporting Wilson's tub might be damaged.

Indy 500 Trackside Report: Monday May 22 with Hunter-Reay

Ryan Hunter-Reay joins RACER’s Marshall Pruett to break down Monday’s two-hour practice session which saw Will Power lead the field and Katherine Legge and Stefan Wilson tangle and cras…

racer.com

It was definitely tubbed, they’re prepping an unraced spare chassis now.

 

[Greg]

Tough sport this is. Dang.

View attachment 70763

Hope that he has a full recovery, it has to be heartbreaking to miss the race.

 

[aunty dive]

 

[Nitro Dude]

'We didn't earn it. I don't believe in that': Graham Rahal won't buy his way into Indy 500

Graham Rahal explains why he never had any thought to explore buying a seat into this year's Indy 500 after failing to qualify Sunday.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Greg]

'We didn't earn it. I don't believe in that': Graham Rahal won't buy his way into Indy 500

Graham Rahal explains why he never had any thought to explore buying a seat into this year's Indy 500 after failing to qualify Sunday.

www.yahoo.com

I appreciate the integrity.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Gigabrain Kat wound up getting all of her teammates into the 500

 

[FLRacingFan]

Graham really got bumped and upgraded equipment two days later. Lol

 

[Doc Austin]

Probably the smartest solution.

 

[donthaveanickname]

Graham really got bumped and upgraded equipment two days later. Lol

He probably has a better chance of a good finish than if he had qualified his own car.

Sucks for Stefan though. Hopefully he'll be back for next year's 500.

 

[Kiante]

Gigabrain Kat wound up getting all of her teammates into the 500

Ngl, I really don't like it.

However, why put another driver that has not had any seat time out there at this point?

 

[Doc Austin]

I know a lot of people don't like this, but out of those available Rahal is the driver with the most recent Indycar experience and most recent experience at the speedway. They only have carb day to get a brand new car dialed in so putting in someone who hasn't driven all month isn't the best solution. D and R gets their car in the race, Rahal gets to race, and I am sure some of Rahal's sponsors will be on the car. It's not ideal, but it was probably the best solution to an awful situation.

 

[FLRacingFan]

Ngl, I really don't like it.

However, why put another driver that has not had any seat time out there at this point?

That’s pretty much where I’m at. It’s a bit disappointing since it takes away from Bump Day but it makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons.

D and R gets their car in the race, Rahal gets to race, and I am sure some of Rahal's sponsors will be on the car. It's not ideal, but it was probably the best solution to an awful situation.

Fifth Third and United Rentals will join Graham on the 24 and the team implied Cusick’s/Wilson’s sponsors will move over to the team’s other entry with RHR on the 23, which was previously unsponsored.

 

[Reck]

'We didn't earn it. I don't believe in that': Graham Rahal won't buy his way into Indy 500

Graham Rahal explains why he never had any thought to explore buying a seat into this year's Indy 500 after failing to qualify Sunday.

www.yahoo.com

Gigabrain Kat wound up getting all of her teammates into the 500

So…so much for this then? You still didn’t earned your way in so what changed from a day ago? Lol Graham is full of crap.

 

[aunty dive]

You’re having trouble making the distinction?

 

[Doc Austin]

So…so much for this then? You still didn’t earned your way in so what changed from a day ago? Lol Graham is full of crap.

What driver would have said no?

 

[Reck]

You’re having trouble making the distinction?

Not buying but accepts a gift. Yeah it’s the same. Not earned.

 

[Nitro Dude]

Graham Rahal to drive for Stefan Wilson in 500 after Dreyer and Reinbold driver fractures vertebrae

Graham Rahal is back in the Indy 500 field as a substitute for the injured Stefan Wilson after the latter suffered a fractured thoracic vertebrae in a Monday crash with Rahal's teammate.

www.indystar.com

 

[aunty dive]

Not buying but accepts a gift. Yeah it’s the same. Not earned.

His many years of race experience at this and many other venues earned him the call.

Is there a better choice?

 

[Greg]

Not buying but accepts a gift. Yeah it’s the same. Not earned.

I don't see why he should or would refuse the offer. He wasn't trying to buy the ride or getting someone else removed from an earned spot and he was willing to accept his fate. If he would have refused the seat it still wouldn't fix Wilson's misfortune.

I also believe anyone else accepting the ride at this stage would have fit in with the "did not earn it" criteria.
Racing can be very unfair. In many cases the fastest car doesn't win and being prepared for an opportunity matters most. This case is unusual but Rahal was just in the right place at the right time. It is not ideal but that doesn't make him a bad person.

 

[DanicaFreak]

 

[DanicaFreak]

how will Larson make the field? didnt see him qualifying...

 

[aunty dive]

how will Larson make the field? didnt see him qualifying...

2024

 

[DanicaFreak]

2024

Tks Aunty. Cant believe I missed that