Helio Castroneves Takes his Fourth Indy 500 Pole

The 2010 Indianapolis 500 won’t start until May 30, but as is so often the case with motorsports events, the action isn’t relegated to one weekend -- or, for that matter, one day. Pole Day -- the official qualifying day for the 500 -- was this past Saturday, and determined the starting order for the 500.

After besting his 2009 qualifying speed by over 3 mph, Helio Castroneves will sit in the pole position once again -- and be the first back-top-back Indy 500 pole-sitter since Scott Brayton’s performances in 1995 and 1996. Castroneves earned the position -- his fourth pole qualification at Indy -- by lapping the 2.5-mile track at 227.970 mph (in 2009, his grid-topping speed was 224.864 mph).

Before snagging the lead starting position, Castroneves held second behind Alex Tagliani. With just an hour and a half left in qualifying, Team Penske withdrew Castroneves’ time for a chance to snag the top position. It paid off -- although he had to sit through a tense 90 minutes as he watched other drivers approach his speed.

“Sitting in that car for an hour and a half was not easy at all, especially with everyone getting closer and closer,” said Castroneves. “I was like, ‘Are we going or not?’ because I can’t handle that much pressure.”

At the end of the day, only Castroneves and teammate Will Power (227.578 mph) posted speeds above 227 mph. Ryan Briscoe, Team Penske’s third driver, will start in fourth place, just behind Dario Franchitti. Tagliani -- who once looked to be the front-runner for pole position -- will start the race from fifth place. Scott Dixon, Graham Rahal, Ed Carpenter, and Hideki Mutoh round out the first three rows respectively.

There are some notable absentees from the top nine positions. Ryan Hunter Reay, who currently sits fourth in points in the 2010 IndyCar series, will start the race from the 17th position, while 2008 Indy 500 winner Dan Wheldon will start in 18th place. Danica Patrick will start the race in 23rd place, attributing her dismal qualification to “one of the worst” cars she’s ever driven. Regardless, she did better than 2004 IndyCar champion Tony Kanaan, who crashed twice in 24 hours exiting Turn One. It’s rather miraculous that the Andretti Motorsports team was able to restore his car for yesterday’s Bump Day, which allowed him to earn a 32nd-place starting position, just shy of last place.

Will Castroneves become the fourth driver to win the Indy 500 four times, and earn back-to-back wins from a pole starting position? We’ll know this Sunday after the checkered flag drops at Indy. Look for the race to start at 1:15 p.m. (EST) on Sunday.

Source: Izod IndyCar Official Web site

Turbo Time: IndyCar Unveils 2012 Engine Regulations, Calls for Turbochargers

Looking for some technical diversity in the Izod IndyCar series? Wait until the 2012 season. Officials announced new engine rules that not only focus on improving fuel economy, but may also allow an array of manufacturers to become involved with the series.

Presently, power in each and every IndyCar racer comes courtesy of a 3.5-liter V-8 developed and manufactured by Honda. Come 2012, cars will use engines sourced from several different companies, although they must conform to some basic specifications. At this point, the preliminary spec sheet calls for an engine that is turbocharged, capable of running on ethanol, has a maximum displacement of 2.4 liters, and no more than six cylinders.

In racing, those regulations are anything but stringent. IndyCar’s idea was to inspire companies to develop various engine designs to aim for the perfect balance of fuel economy and power. Fuel economy will be a critical factory, as IndyCar plans on ultimately regulating power output. Although no firm rules have been set, it’s believed output will be restricted between 550 and 700 horsepower, depending on the track.

“We will continue to evaluate rules that will keep a level playing field across the board with the various engines that could enter our sport,” said Brian Barnhart, president of competition and racing operations for IndyCar.

“For example, we could see a V-6 competing against an inline-four at all Izod IndyCar series events in the future. We will require reference engines as a benchmark in performance while looking at sonic air restrictors, fuel flow restrictions, and more as key criteria for competition.”

Although a chassis supplier has not yet been set for the 2012 car, this instills any interested manufacturer with a greater challenge, as they will need to design and build a chassis capable of housing any number of engine configurations.

Source: IndyCar