The Indy 500

Practice is underway for the Memorial Day weekend Indy 500. The fastest speed so far is a 225 mph (~362 kph) lap by Marco Andretti in yesterday afternoon's session.

Qualifying for the race starts on Saturday, May 9. Indy is a bit different than F1 in that you qualify the car, not the driver. In addition, thanks to a very old AAA Contest Board rule - that set a ratio of cars to track size - only 33 cars can make the race.

On the first Saturday of qualifying, the first 11 spots on the grid will be filled by the fastest 11 cars. The car with the fastest time will be the 'pole-sitter', or the car closest to the inside front of the grid (nearest the scoring pylon - or pole).

On the first Sunday of qualifying, the cars that didn't qualify on Saturday can attempt to fill the next 11 slots. Depending on track temperatures and ambient temperatures, the times on Sunday can be faster than the times from Saturday. Too bad. Indy rewards the teams that can optimize their cars for the conditions at hand. Teams that are known for meticulous preparation are always a threat to capture the pole.

The final 11 spots are filled on the second Saturday of qualifying. But there still is a glimmer of hope for those that haven't made it. The second Sunday is known as 'Bump Day' and cars that have yet to qualify can attempt to displace the car that has qualified for the 33rd spot, or, as it is commonly called, the car on the 'bubble'. The next slowest car of the bottom 11 will be on the bubble, if the car previously on the bubble is bumped.

There are 40 entrants for this year's 500 (as of late last week). They represent 77 cars, some of which are 'spare' cars - there is always the chance of smacking the wall at Indy. Anytime there are more than 38 or so cars with the speed to make the field, bump day can be exciting.

The Indy 500 is truly a spectacle and it's an month long affair. It's neat that the car counts are finally great enough to add to the drama. I'll be there for bump day this year.

Oh, BTW, you can watch practice at http://www.indycar.com