For the first time since the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909, the fabled and legendary Month of May will begin with something difference: an IndyCar race before the running of the 98th Indianapolis 500.
Tradition be damned in 2014, when the Verizon IndyCar Series takes the checkered flag on the front straight at Indianapolis in May for a race other than the 500. They’ll be headed in the opposite direction from a standing start: across the symbolic yard of bricks, to make a sharp right-hand turn onto the infield road course that was built for Formula One years ago near the entrance to the pits, off of the oval’s final turn.
By all accounts, the track that’s hosted F1, MotoGP and sports car racing in the past, has been significantly improved, and will feature parts of the famous oval, as well as skirting around the borders of the Brickyard Crossing golf course, much of which is inside the 2.5-mile superspeedway.
IndyCar officials have worked hard to update the track and add passing zones, lest the Saturday afternoon event, to be broadcast on national television in America, become a snoozer of a race, as some Formula One visits to Indy were. Affordable tickets and plenty of interest in this historic event should mean a good crowd around the 3.925-km, 14-turn course. Track officials are hoping for a crowd of around 45,000.
Australia’s Will Power leads the point standings after three races (including one win on the streets of St Petersburg) and will be a warm favourite heading into the weekend. Power drives for Team Penske, whose principal, Roger ‘The Captain’ Penske is no stranger to success at Indianapolis. His cars have won fifteen Indy 500s, and it’s a rare day at the Speedway when there isn’t a Penske car in the hunt for a win. Power and his Indianapolis 500-winning teammates Juan Pablo Montoya and Helio Castroneves are primed for a big month.
Don’t count out the Target Chip Ganassi duo of Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, both accomplished road racers. As is their team mate in one of Ganassi’s two satellite entries, Australian Ryan Briscoe. American Charlie Kimball needs a good result to kick-start an indifferent 2014 season.
The third powerhouse team of the IndyCar Series is Andretti Autosport, whose drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti came home 1-2 in the last race at Barber Motorsports Park, and based on that form, they figure to be at the pointy end of the field.
Given this is a new track, the playing field is levelled significantly, and it’s not out of the realms of possibility that one of the smaller teams might win. Look for Long Beach winner Mike Conway with Ed Carpenter Racing, Sebastien Bourdais at KV Racing, Justin Wilson at Dale Coyne Racing and son of Indy 500 winner Graham Rahal at Rahal-Letterman Racing. AJ Foyt Racing’s Takuma Sato isn’t without a shot, either.
There are a good sixteen cars who could surprise us in this race. Despite my misgivings about adding a race in May, this should be a good one. The on-track product has been tremendous this year, and with the wildcard of this being a first-time event, we should be in for a treat.
If I had to pick one winner, I’d say Power. It’s hard to go past a guy who’s been at or near the pointy end of every session this season.
Who will win the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis? Join me at The Roar on Sunday morning from 5.30am for live coverage from the Speedway.
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