Power has completed 204 laps of practice in the #8 Aussie Vineyards – Team
Australia Honda/Dallara/Firestone over three days of practice so far.
The Australian was one of 13 drivers to benefit from rookie practice on
Sunday and Monday, before all drivers and teams hit the track for the first day
of official practice on Tuesday.
Power completed 93 laps on Opening Day
when he was fastest, then a further 61 laps on day two of Rookie Orientation
when the Toowoomba-born driver was third fastest.
On Tuesday Power was
the 10th fastest driver and the top rookie when 31 cars hit the 2.5-mile
Indianapolis oval, completing a further 50 laps to bring his month of May total
to over 200 laps, the race distance for the Indianapolis 500.
With the
last two days of official practice on Wednesday and Thursday both rained out,
Power enters Friday practice, known ‘Fast Friday’ as it is the final day of
official practice before Pole Day qualifying is staged, with more track time
than any other driver this month so far.
Saturday’s ‘Pole Day’
qualifying will set the first 11 spots on the 33-car grid for this year’s 92nd
Indianapolis 500, the race known as ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’. It will
be a tough task for any rookie to claim any of those top 11 spots tomorrow, but
with Power logging so many laps to date, he stands a chance of achieving the
enormous feat.
Power and his Aussie Vineyards crew realised that rain
could hamper official practice, leading the team to the decision to run Power as
much as possible early in the week to log maximum track time while conditions
were fine.
As well as track time, Power has continually improved his lap
times and has been one of the surprises of the month so far, culminating in
Power posting a top 11 time on the first day of Official Practice, which so far
is the only day experienced ‘veteran’ drivers have had on track.
WHAT
THE TEAM HAD TO SAY …
Will Power - #8 Aussie Vineyards - Team
Australia Honda/Dallara/Firestone
“It was good that Aussie Vineyards
– Team Australia car got a lot of miles in during the first three days,” said
Power.
“Those three days really helped us because the last two it has
been raining and we haven’t had any track time which is so important to a new
team, especially one like us that has two rookie drivers.
“I think the
rain has helped us a little bit because the established teams have not run as
much as we have and when we get out on Friday the track is going to have less
grip.
“At this point, we need all the advantage we can get. The down
time has also allowed the crew to make some changes to the car that we have been
discussing.
“Overall there are some advantages to the wet weather and
some disadvantages.”
Craig Gore - Aussie Vineyards - Team
Australia
“I’m sure it’s frustrating for Will and the Aussie
Vineyards crew to be sitting in the garage as the rain falls, but it could also
be a blessing in disguise,” said Gore.
“It has given our crew two days
to take stock, think about things and do some work on the car and get things
just right heading into some really important days of the month in the next few
days.
“Ever since unification was announced the Aussie Vineyards crew
and the entire KV Racing Technology operation have been flat out, working around
the clock to get things done.
“So although Will is a rookie and would be
keen to get as much track time as possible, a couple of days to really think
about things and take stock are not such a bad thing.”
2008 IndyCar
Series Points Standings - After Race 4
1. #3 Helio Castroneves 144
2. #9 Scott Dixon 138
3. #10 Dan Wheldon 135
4. #11 Tony Kanaan 129
5. #7 Danica Patrick 110
6. #8 Will Power 97
7. #26 Marco
Andretti 95
8. #5 Oriol Servia 93
9. #20 Ed Carpenter 90
10. #06
Graham Rahal 88
2008 Bombardier Rookie of the Year Standings - After
Race 4
1. #8 Will Power 97
2. #06 Graham Rahal 88
3. #27
Hideki Mutoh 87
4. #36 Enrique Bernoldi 84
5. #33 EJ Viso 83
6. #02
Justin Wilson 71
7. #24 Jay Howard 62
8. #34 Franck Perera 56
9. #19
Mario Moraes 53
10. #96 Mario Dominguez 35
92nd INDIANAPOLIS 500
‘Month of May’ SCHEDULE
All Times US Eastern
‘Fast Friday’
Practice
Friday 9 May 2008
12:00pm – 6:00pm
‘Pole Day’ Practice
Saturday 10 May 2008
9:00am – 11:00am
‘Pole Day’ Qualifying
Saturday 10 May 2008
12:00pm – 6:00pm
‘Second Day’ Practice
Sunday 11 May 2008
10:15am – 11:15am
‘Second Day’ Qualifying
Sunday 11 May 2008
12:00pm – 6:00pm
Practice
Wednesday 14
May 2008
12:00pm – 6:00pm
Practice
Thursday ! 15 May 2008
12:00pm – 6:00pm
Practice
Friday 16 May 2008
12:00pm –
6:00pm
‘Third Day’ Practice
Saturday 17 May 2008
10:15am –
11:15am
‘Third Day’ Qualifying
Saturday 17 May 2008
12:00pm –
6:00pm
‘Bump Day’ Practice
Sunday 18 May 2008
10:15am – 11:15am
‘Bump Day’ Qualifying
Sunday 18 May 2008
12:00pm – 6:00pm
Miller Lite ‘Carb Day’
Friday 23 May 2008
11:00am – 12:00pm
Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge
Friday 23 May 2008
1:30pm –
3:00pm
92nd Indianapolis 500
Sunday 25 May 2008
1:00pm US
Eastern
UNITED STATES TV SCHEDULE
All Times are US
Eastern
‘Pole Day’ Qualifying:
Saturday 10 May 2008
12:00pm – 2:00pm (ESPN2)
3:00pm – 6:00pm (ABC)
6:00p! m – 7:00pm
(ESPN2)
‘Second Day’ Qualif! ying:
Sunday 11 May 2008
12:00pm – 2:00pm (ESPN2)
5:00pm – 6:30pm (ESPN2)
‘Third Day’
Qualifying:
Saturday 17 May 2008
4:00pm – 6:30pm (ESPN2)
‘Bump Day’ Qualifying:
Sunday 18 May 2008
12:00pm –
3:00pm (ABC)
5:00pm – 6:30pm (ESPN2)
Miller Lite ‘Carb Day’
Practice:
Friday 23 May 2008
4:00pm – 6:30pm (ESPN2)
Festival Parade & Pre-Race Programming:
Saturday 24 May
2008
5:00pm – 7:00pm (ESPN2)
92nd Indianapolis 500
Sunday
25 May 2008
ABC
12:00pm US Eastern
UNITED STATES TV
REPLAY
Saturday 14 June 2008
ESPN2
7:00pm US Eastern
AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE
Qualifying Highlights
Monday 12 May 2008
ESPN
4:30pm – 6:00pm
92nd Indianapolis
500
Monday 26 May 2008
ESPN
2:50am AEST
AUSTRALIAN TV
REPLAY
Monday 26 May 2008
ESPN
7:30pm AEST
ABOUT
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
92nd Indianapolis 500
Venue:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Type: 2.5
mile oval – 9 degree banking
Distance: 200 laps – 500 miles/804.67km
INDYCAR SERIES RECORD BOOK
Defending Race Winner: Dario
Franchitti
Defending Polesitter: Helio Castroneves
Will Power:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway debut
|
Will Power in action during Rookie
Orientation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Credit: IndyCar Series
Media)
Australian Will Power at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Credit: IndyCar Series Media)
Power interviewed following his
performance during Rookie Orientation. (Credit: IndyCar Series
Media)
Will Power drives the #8 Aussie
Vineyards - Team Australia Honda/Dallara/Firestone at Indianapolis Motor
Speedway (Credit: IndyCar Series Media)
Will Power sits in the #8 Aussie Vineyards car
at Indianapolis (Credit: IndyCar Series Media)
The Aussie Vineyards crew hard at
work on day one of Official Practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Credit:
IndyCar Series Media)
|
News 
