It’s 63 degrees F Sunday morning before the start of the hour-long IZOD IndyCar practice, leading up to Bump Day Qualifying for the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race begins. The forecast is sunny with some clouds and a high of 84 degrees F. We’ll see.
The garage area is warm and sunny … and relatively quiet – very few fans to observe the several garages working away preparing cars for the practice and/or qualifying. More than a few teams are sleeping in.
With all the rainfall the past couple of days, including Saturday night long after Pole Day activities had closed down, there are huge areas of inaccessible grassy lots. This makes parking an even greater challenge.
CONOR DALY/A.J.Foyt Enterprises Honda is the first and only driver I see in my morning garage cruise. He’s suited up, ready to go. He didn’t get any qualifying in done Saturday afternoon as the car blew a header. The damage proved more extensive than thought. The Honda guys worked late Saturday night putting the car back together. Daly said there was no engine change, but he’s eager for some power to go faster. He’s one of the ten drivers who have to make or break it in Sunday afternoon’s qualifying session.
Over in the Schmidt Peterson Motorsports garage, the crew is putting the final and finishing touches on the No.81 Angie’s List Honda for KATHERINE LEGGE, who is a last minute entry. She still needs to take her thirty-minute ‘Refresher’ Course, as she’s not yet turned a wheel on the track. Her last IndyCar race was last fall’s season’s finale race at Auto Club Speedway.
