Rain again postpones Indy 500 qualifying
Frustration is mounting at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Drivers and fans will have to wait another week for qualifying.
Rain, which has cut short or canceled every practice session since the track opened for Indy 500 practice last Tuesday, held off just long enough Sunday to give everyone a little taste of what they’re missing.
Defending Indy champion Dan Wheldon and Sam Hornish Jr. both managed to post speeds above 228 mph – the fastest so far this month – during a brief practice session that was supposed to be only a warmup for the start of qualifications for the May 28 race.
Two-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves, Hornish’s teammate, and Scott Dixon, Wheldon’s teammate, added laps over 227 as 24 drivers took advantage of the short dry spell and nearly perfect track conditions – overcast skies, no wind and temperatures in the low 50s — to get in some practice laps in anticipation of qualifying.
But then the rain returned, wiping out time trials for the second straight day and prompting track officials to reschedule qualifying to next Saturday and Sunday, which were supposed to be the last of four days of time trials.
Alonso wins at home
Fernando Alonso became the first Spaniard to win the Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona, capturing Sunday’s Formula One race in front of King Juan Carlos and more than 115,000 fans.
Michael Schumacher was second, followed by Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa.
It was Alonso’s 11th career victory and third this season, after finishing second to Schumacher in the last two races.
Alonso swerved down the final straightaway in celebration and waved both arms to the crowd. When he stopped, after winning by 18.5 seconds, the Spaniard jumped on his car and did a dance.
F-1 breakaway won’t happen
The threat of a breakaway Formula One series ended after BMW, Renault, Honda, McLaren Mercedes and Toyota agreed to stay until 2012.
The five teams make up the Grand Prix Manufacturers Association, which had threatened to leave after the 2007 season when the current agreement expires. The accord sets out how revenues are divided among teams, commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone and FIA, the world governing body.
“All GPMA members are now prepared to sign,” McLaren chief Ron Dennis said.