By Amy Konrath
Today’s IZOD IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights and Mazda Road to Indy headlines:
1. Pre-Indy grid penalties to be served after Indianapolis 500
2. THE INSIDE TRACK – Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle
3. Legge joins The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF
4. Hunter-Reay to be featured in INDYCAR 36
5. KV Racing Technology penalized
1. Pre-Indy grid penalties to be served after Indianapolis 500: Any 10-grid position penalties for unapproved engine changes in the three weeks following the Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on April 29 will not be served for the Indianapolis 500, INDYCAR vice president of technology Will Phillips said.
The period covers the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test on May 7 at Texas Motor Speedway, rookie and team testing, and on-track activity at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway through Bump Day on May 20.
“We do not intend to apply any penalties that will disrupt the Indy 500 starting field from their qualifying positions,” Phillips said. “We’re not saying there will not be any penalties; the penalties just won’t be served at Indianapolis. They’ll carry that penalty forward to the next event. Likewise, if someone racks up two penalties, they will go forward to the next two events.”
Rules 15.5.1 and 15.6.1 outline the penalty for a change-out if the engine has not reached its minimum mileage threshold.
Indy 500 entrants will receive a fresh Chevrolet, Honda or Lotus engine for the 500 Mile Race, which Phillips expects teams to install for the final practice session on Miller Lite Carb Day. If a team experiences an engine issue during the one-hour session May 25 that requires it to be replaced, it would be subject to 10-grid position penalty for its next race.
The fresh engine for Race Day will count as one of the five per entry during the season. The entry will continue to use that engine until it has reached the 1,850-mile threshold for service or incurs a problem that forces its replacement. Then the engine with unused miles from pre-Carb Day will be returned for use until it has reached its mileage expiration.
2. THE INSIDE TRACK – Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle
Click on this link to access the Inside Track, an interactive graphic previewing the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle.
The graphic contains links to videos featuring 2011 race highlights, a driver preview and a virtual lap.
The official entry list and fast facts for the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle are also available on the graphic.
If the link does not function, it is attached to this e-mail.
We hope you find this a valuable asset in your coverage of the IZOD IndyCar Series. We appreciate your coverage of the league, its teams and drivers.
3. Legge joins The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF: IZOD Indy Car Series driver Katherine Legge has joined The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Team SCF campaign, an effort to promote sun-safe behaviors among active people.
“I am happy and honored to represent The Skin Cancer Foundation and I want to make a difference,” said Legge. “If only one person gets this message and it prevents them from getting skin cancer, it will have been time well spent.”
Skin cancer is primarily a lifestyle disease, which is why The Skin Cancer Foundation emphasizes public awareness and education campaigns. Team SCF was developed after a variety of professional athletes approached the Foundation with the common goal of raising skin cancer awareness.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness month, which is also INDYCAR’s most exciting month for racing. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime due to overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
After having a suspicious mole removed from her leg as a child, Legge committed herself to leading a sun-safe lifestyle.
The UK-native has joined a team of athletes from a variety of outdoor fields to share one common mission: skin cancer prevention. Fellow Team SCF members include PGA Tour golfer Brian Davis, bass angler Preston Clark, professional snowboarder Shayne Pospisil, top-ranked surfer Mick Fanning and U.S. Women’s Soccer Olympic Gold-medalists Christie Rampone and Lindsey Tarpley.
4. Hunter-Reay to be featured in INDYCAR 36: Just about everywhere Ryan Hunter-Reay went during the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend, an IMS Productions camera was rolling for “INDYCAR 36.”
The third episode, which provides a behind-the-scenes look at IZOD IndyCar Series drivers on race weekends, airs at 10:30 a.m. (ET) April 29 on NBC Sports Network as the lead-in to coverage of the Sao Paulo Indy 300.
KV Racing Technology driver Tony Kanaan and Graham Rahal have been featured in “INDYCAR 36” so far.
“You don’t realize when you shoot them how it’s going to come out, and I can’t thank the NBC guys enough for what they did,” Kanaan said. “I’m getting very positive feedback from everywhere. We tried to have some fun and be as natural as we could, so I hope everyone liked it.”
5. KV Racing Technology penalized: IZOD IndyCar Series officials have penalized the No. 11 car of KV Racing Technology for failing post-race technical inspection following the April 15 race on the streets of Long Beach, Calif. The team did not comply with Rule 14.7.2 and has been fined an undisclosed amount.
Per the IZOD IndyCar Series Rulebook:
14.7.2. The maximum capacity of the fuel cell shall be 18.5 U.S. Gallons.
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The next IZOD IndyCar Series race is the Itaipava Sao Paulo Indy 300 presented by Nestle on April 29 on the streets of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The race will be televised by NBC Sports Network at 11 a.m. (ET) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network on SiriusXM (XM 94 and Sirius 212), and affiliates.