Indianapolis 500 Notes - May 6, 2009

INDIANAPOLIS, Four rookies passed the Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program as preparations began at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 2009 Indianapolis 500. The track was open for six rookies to participate in ROP. Three veterans were allowed to complete "refresher" laps.

Mike Conway, Robert Doornbos, Raphael Matos and Alex Tagliani completed all four phases of ROP, demonstrating consistent driving through four speed ranges beginning at 200 mph and increasing in 5 mph increments.

Paul Tracy, a veteran of five Indianapolis 500s who made his last start in 2002, turned the fastest lap of the day at 40.3426 seconds, 223.089 mph around the historic 2.5-mile oval. Thirteen-time starter Scott Sharp had the second-fastest lap at 221.878 mph.

Rookie Nelson Philippe completed the first three phases of ROP, while Stanton Barrett completed two. An additional ROP session is scheduled for Wednesday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. before the track opens for all drivers.

Also on Tuesday, Sebastian Saavedra topped a Firestone Indy Lights Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Twenty-one drivers had five hours to prepare for the Firestone Freedom 100, which will be run May 22.

Saavedra, who won the April 26 race at Kansas Speedway, turned a best lap of 47.0520 seconds, 191.278 mph. 2006 race winner Wade Cunningham was second at 190.969 mph, Martin Plowman was third and J.R. Hildebrand was fourth.

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Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, director of medical services for the Indy Racing League: Firestone Indy Lights driver Dillon Battistini was re-evaluated at the Clarian Medical Center and has been cleared to drive. He had been hospitalized one night for precautionary reasons at the KU Medical Center following a crash during the Kansas Lottery 100 April 26 at Kansas Speedway.

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J.R. Hildebrand, driver of the No. 26 Andretti Green Racing/AFS Racing entry, returned to action following his weekend debut in A1GP. Hildebrand competed in the round at Brands Hatch, England, recording a fourth-place finish in the Sprint race and an 11th in the Feature. He had previously participated in three rookie practice sessions for Team USA, but had not competed in a race.

J.R. HILDEBRAND: "Overall, I feel pretty good about the whole weekend, but we would have liked better results today. I'm just proud of the guys on Team USA and all the work they've done. I think I could have done a better job, but I also know that we showed we had the speed to compete. We probably missed a couple of opportunities this weekend to move up in the field, both in qualifying and in the race. But, again, I think we proved we have the pace to run up front."

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A pair of Indiana natives teamed up for Davey Hamilton/Kingdom Racing for the test. Logan Gomez, a native of Crown Point, Ind., helped the team set up the car for Lafayette, Ind., driver Brandon Wagner, who turned his first laps around the Speedway.

LOGAN GOMEZ: "I'm doing it as a favor to the team because they let me have some free testing for them in the preseason. I'm still trying to put together a deal for the race. It's my home race and I'd hate to miss it."

BRANDON WAGNER: "It's different (than any place I've been). The straightaways are really long, but I know I have a good car and it's capable of being a second faster."

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Conquest Racing unveiled the paint scheme on the No. 34 entry that will be driven by Alex Tagliani. The car features associate sponsorship from The Children's Museum of Indianapolis, which is promoting the King Tut exhibition "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" as the focal point of the partnership. The car features King Tut exhibition branding on the engine cover, nose cone and front wings. Additionally, a 25-foot statue of the ancient Egyptian god Anubis will be on display in the outside lot at the Speedway Museum during race week, paving the way for the blockbuster exhibition coming to Indianapolis in June. "Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs" will complete its U.S. debut run in Atlanta in mid-May and will be on display at the Indianapolis Children's Museum from June 27-Oct. 25. The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. The partnership with Conquest includes a show car that will travel to Indiana schools to promote the exhibition and educate the children on this historic collection of 130 artifacts from King Tut's tomb and other ancient Egyptian sites.

ERIC BACHELART (Owner, Conquest Racing): "The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a must-see for everyone, be it residents of Indiana or visitors to the area, much like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we couldn't be happier to be associated with them and the King Tut exhibition for the Indianapolis 500. We're excited and honored to be promoting such an extraordinary exhibit."

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INDIANAPOLI S MOTOR SPEEDWAY CENTENNIAL ERA FACT OF THE DAY: The first Hall of Fame Museum was built on the grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1956. Originally large enough to display only a few cars, a new museum opened in the present location in 1976. The facility encompasses 96,000 square feet of museum, retail and office space. Approximately 75 vehicles are on display at any one time. Admission is just $3 for adults, $1 for ages 6-15 and free for children younger than 6.

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Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Mike Conway completed the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 2 in 1 hour, 29 minutes, 49 seconds (finishing 565th overall). Penske Racing's Will Power was 643rd overall. More than 35,000 registered runners participated in the 13.1-mile race. It was the first time either had run a half-marathon distance.

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Ryan Hunter-Reay last week opened his Dana Point, Calif., house to "Last Call with Carson Daly," with the segment airing before the Indianapolis 500. Check local listings.

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 21 Vision Racing): "I basically ran down how we're down-to-earth people. I race cars for a living, and you expect a race car driver to live this extravagant lifestyle with a mansion and the Ferraris in the garage. It's a pretty cool piece."

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Robert Doornbos, driver of the #06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Honda/Dallara/Firestone, took the honor of being the first driver on track for the 2009 Indianapolis 500, an honor that sometimes has been hard-fought over the years. The best start by the driver first on track over the last 25 years has been by Raul Boesel, who started second in 1994. The best finish is second, set by Marco Andretti in 2006.