Live from Trackside – Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Saturday, May 10
6:50 p.m.
Wow, this is a great day for the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team. My engineer, Brad Goldberg, and my team manager, Tom Wurtz, gave me the right pit stops at the right times and just let me go race the car. There were so many different strategies going on and all of those yellows made it challenging for our strategy because we had to run hard toward the end. I think without that last yellow at the end we might not have had to fight as hard to get back into the top five and could’ve possibly finished even higher. Overall, I’m just really happy for the guys. We needed this result, especially with the Indianapolis 500 coming up. I’m looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow on the oval.

Thanks for all of the messages on Twitter, Facebook, etc. It really means a lot to me!

On the grid and ready to race!

Post-race interviews.

Meeting and signing for a young fan post-race.

12:15 p.m.
Happy race day! It’s a beautiful day at IMS… the skies have cleared, and we had a dry track for the systems check (just one lap out and in) this morning. Though we had a rough day in qualifying yesterday, I have total faith in the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing crew. We always fight through and come back stronger, so I think we’ll do the same today.

Be sure to follow my Pit Lane Reporter (PLR) on Twitter @racewithinsulin today for on-track updates, and tune in to ABC at 3:30 p.m. Eastern for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis!

Race day ready–strategist Tom, engineer Brad, assistant engineer Kate, Chevy engineer Keith.

Friday, May 9
3:40 p.m.
We were definitely not where we wanted to be for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis qualifying today. The conditions this weekend were really just all over the place, so we’ve had to constantly adjust. We’ve got a bit of work ahead of us but I know the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car will be fast when the green flag drops tomorrow. Check out what my engineer Brad has to say on IndyCar.com here.

Tonight I’m headed to a couple of events (Rev and Festival on Main) before spending my first night here at IMS in the coach.

Thanks for all of the messages of support!

11:40 a.m.
Hello from a slightly damp IMS! We went out for morning practice in the rain–not a heavy rain, but just enough for there to be spray from the cars on track. We’re still getting there on the rain tires, but it’s great to have three teammates to learn from and collaborate with. We’ll keep an eye on the weather for qualifying this afternoon. I know the No. 83 team will put together a fast car for me!

Hiding from the rain at the start of practice.

Back in pit lane for changes.

Thursday, May 8
4:15 p.m.
We made some huge steps forward from the first practice to the second practice. The speed was there in practice one, we just didn’t quite get the lap time we wanted. We’re really focused on getting as much work in terms of setup on the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet done today because the weather looks a little uncertain for tomorrow. We’ll just have to react to those conditions, but the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing guys are ready rain or shine. We’ll be in good shape for qualifying and focused on getting a good starting position for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on Saturday.

Tonight I’m headed to a dinner and presentation with Novo Nordisk, then back to the track for the annual Racer’s Party. Thanks for the support!

9:05 a.m.
Good morning! It’s a beautiful day here at the Speedway. Our day started early with a “class photo” before the drivers’ meeting. Now, the real fun begins… we’ll be on track for our first practice session at 10 a.m. Check Race Control for live timing and scoring!

Here are a couple of shots from my visit to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital yesterday afternoon. Thanks for having me there!

Photo via Novo Nordisk

Photo via Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital

Wednesday, May 7
12:05 p.m.
Hello from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! It’s always great to be able to say that. I’ve had a busy week leading up to the road course race, so I’m looking forward to getting back into the race car tomorrow.

This morning I stopped by WISH-TV to chat with their Indy Style hosts. If you missed it live, be sure to check it out online here. After that, I headed to the track to spend some time with my engineers and team. This morning they moved into the Speedway… the transporters, cars, pit equipment, bits and pieces from the shop… it’s our “home base” for the next couple of weeks!

Coming off of a strong race at Barber, the Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing team is definitely eager to be back at the track–and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, no less. The new road course is going to be a fun one to watch, with a good deal of passing opportunities, heavy braking zones, and a couple of fast straights. There’s not a lot of time to relax; we’re already thinking about the next corner before we even get through with the last. With a bit of testing time last week and a lot of time prepping back in the shop, I think the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Chevrolet will be in good shape once we roll out for practice. We’ll definitely be working hard to make history here for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

Now I’m headed up to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for a visit with Novo Nordisk. Looking forward to meeting the kids!

Here’s our race weekend schedule for the Grand Prix of Indianapolis:

Thursday, May 8
10-10:45 a.m. Practice
2-2:45 p.m. Practice
Friday, May 9
10-10:45 a.m. Practice
2-3:10 p.m. Qualifying
6-10 p.m. Indy Family Foundation’s Festival on Main presented by Firestone (on Main Street in Speedway)
7 p.m. Rev event (at IMS)
Saturday, May 10
3:30 p.m. Inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis (broadcast live on ABC)

Timing and scoring for all on-track sessions is available via INDYCAR Race Control. Follow my “Pit Lane Reporter” (PLR) on Twitter @racewithinsulin for updates while I’m on track, too!