Indianapolis Pre-Race Thread

[Cynon]

Qualifying procedure:

- The first qualifying session will lock the top 10 on the starting grid, instead of the top 5.
- The second qualifying session will lock positions 11-30 in (so 20 cars) of the starting grid.
- Everyone else gets in through qualifying races. Unlike last season, once a car passes through a qualifying session, they're in the race in one of the final 12 spots on the grid.


Grid:

Row 1
#88 Scott Bates (USA)
#10 Mathias Taube (SWE)

Row 2
#34 Palmer Stiles (USA)
#20 Dale Roswell (USA)

Row 3
#66 David Krikorian (USA)
#55 Zelda Ashby (JPN)

Row 4
#343 Morgan Le Fay (ENG)
#3 Luciano Soveral (BRA)

Row 5
#7 Yuliya Nosova (RUS)
#777 Ian Cooper (USA)

Gap from Cooper to 11th place Vladimir Simonov: .002

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Qualifying, Round 2

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Row 6
#5 Michael Sykes (WAL)
#27 Alexis Rainsford (USA)

Row 7
#4 Leonid Roderick (USA)
#14 Rachel Rainsford (USA)

Row 8
#425 Han Yong-Sung (NKO)
#32 Garth McCallister, Jr. (USA)

Row 9
#38 Mike Whitmore (USA)
#99 Ebenezer Quiggles, Jr. (SEA)

Row 10
#64 Akira Ishikawa (JPN)
#24 Brandon Lareau (USA)

Row 11
#86 Joel Rodriguez (PRC)
#92 Andreas Laporta (ESP)

Row 12
#17 Louis Kingston (USA)
#15 Matt Taylor (USA)

Row 13
#426 Chris Allen (USA)
#2 Packer Carroll (USA)

Row 14
#1 Adrien Devereux (FRA)
#39 Ethan Everett (USA)

Row 15
#6 Chris Davenport (USA)
#80 Leonid Chernov (UKR)

[f1fan12]

Pushanda not fast enough to get in the first Qualifying session

Vijay Pushanda was not fast enough to lock himself in one of America's biggest races in pole qualifying. The Indian driver said "The field is pretty close if you ask me. Look at the gap between 10th to 11th. Really close racing, I hope to make it because I have always wanted to race here!" Pushanda made his first attempt at the TM Master Cup Series here in 2011. In which he didn't make many friends in a car that he built with a few friends. Pushanda currently drives with Great Lakes Motorsports.

[Michael Sykes]

Following the events at Road America in the previous round, Michael Sykes has made it public knowledge that he will ignore any team orders at the next "Blue Riband" TM Master Cup race at the world famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sykes' "Second Home". He has also made it clear that he is refusing to talk to Frank Lawrence.

"I'm under contract with ALERT not just to be given money to drive the damn thing, I'm expected to do my bit, and it would be utter lunacy to forfeit a lead, especially a lead that I was 100% certain of keeping at the end of the Round of Wisconsin, If this was Chris (Davenport) or Scott (Steudler) in a potential championship title fight, you help them all you can by doing the right thing".

Sykes was leading the race at Elkhart Lake, having made two pitstops and yet was seen coming back into the pits following a presumed "short fill" at the previous stop, a rumour that Sykes appears to have made clear in a recent tweet:

SykesOnTruthAlert: I don't care if this is #DirtyLaundry, its about bloody time someone said something, Launch want the car to win, Frank and Adam seem keen on userping it, too many pitstops in this race anyways, but when I thought I'd pitted for the final time, first "Davey" my engineer called me to come back in, even though my gauge showed that I was set for the finish, another call from "Davey" I was adamant that I stayed out, then Frank throws a hissyfit down the radio. Car back in, car to heavy to challenge for win. #ThanksFrank #NotForTheFirstTime

Sykes is furious, laying the blame directly at the two original FLASH team owners "I can see no other reason why they wouldn't want me to win a race, let alone fight for any kind of title, other than maybe gambling on not winning, which is a stupid bloody idea in the first place, especially in their position".

Frank Lawrence and Adam Samson have had issues with Launch from the start of their shared ownership of the team at the start of the 2013 TMMC Season, a potition they had to put themselves in to stay in the TMMC paddock following the MCMA Debacle in 2012. The FLASH team are expected to return at the start of the 2015 season, with the Inglesby factory supply, and ALERT becoming a team in their own right in the same year. But Launch Founder and CEO Christian Lau has been quoted by certain insiders that he seeks to "change this" following recent events.

Lawrence and Samson have yet to make an announcement, and continue to deny allegations made by Sykes.

- Steve Wisner

[Cynon]

Davenport Defends Sykes's Outburst

Rumors have been circulating that Frank Lawrence will buy back Launch Energy's share in ALERT, or that possibly, Samson will leave the team and reform the FLASH Racing name with Lawrence. ALERT driver Michael Sykes may have shed more light on the possible reality of those rumors with a recent outburst after losing the Round of Wisconsin after a questionable strategy call by the team.

Sykes's teammate, Chris Davenport, was among the first to defend Michael Sykes's recent outburst against former FLASH Racing owners Frank Lawrence and Adam Samson.

"I didn't really get why they bailed Sykes's strategy call either, to be honest, and I'd be pretty mad if I was him, too." Davenport said to reporters before Pole Qualifying.
"So yeah, I can understand his point of view, because I think everyone else on the team aside from the hauler drivers were drowning their sorrows in alcohol after Road America. I know Adam [Samson] didn't want to talk to me after the race, and I don't think he wanted to talk to Michael either. He was pretty embarrassed by it."

When asked about Frank Lawrence's involvement with ALERT or a buyout, Davenport scoffed at those rumors.

"Frank has been to the shop maybe once or twice this year, I haven't seen much of him. I guess he's just envious that Michael and I have way more fabulous hair than he ever did."

Launch Energy did not have much to say regarding the comments made by Sykes or Davenport, only reiterating that they were aware that both men had "very colorful personalities".

[gwoodard41]

Woodard 'not a factor' during sessions. Greatly disheartened at lack of prospects about getting into the race.

"While I'm glad that Rodriguez made it in, it seems that neither I, nor Plissken were a factor today. I wouldn't mind getting in, but I don't believe that the car is good enough." Woodard, who could miss the race after qualifying in for the last two seasons, posted to his facebook page after the session was over. "LCQs are going to be a major pain and for only 10 more spots. I will not ask or demand that Rodriguez give up his spot for the race, nor will I if Plissken makes it in too. Rodriguez got in on driving as hard as he could, no way I could take that away from him. I wish him and Plissken the best of luck."

[Magus978]

Delgado in Trouble as Ocean Motorsports Continues to Look Lost

After a horrid pole qualifying session, Tom Delgado's #37 Miller Lite Lenard picked up the pace in 2nd round qualifying. However, it was still not enough to time them into the field. This means that for the second straight year, Delgado will put his reputation on the line in the qualifying race lottery.

"Just like last year, it's do-or-die" Delgado said somberly before walking away. He could be heard muttering "I can't let things end like this" over and over again. One observer of Delgado's behavior noted "Perhaps he once again believes the sport has passed him by, because he has not shown the usual TD bravado and confidence at all this week". We'll know after the qualifying races whether he's caught up to the sport again, or if he's simply fallen further behind.

The only bright spot for the Ocean team is that Ethan Everett managed to time his way into the race. Delgado claimed at the start of the week that "Should I fail to qualify, I have zero interest in letting the team buy my way into the field. I either get in on merit, or I don't. That's that".

[Backmarker]

Are there going to be writeups or at least the results for the qualifying races?

[Michael Sykes]

SykesOnSilentMode: I've been advised to shut up for the next week, sorry guys. See you on the other side.

A hectic week had insued following the questionable result of a certain #5 car in the TM Round of Wisconsin, a furious driver, a devastated pit crew, a somewhat stoic and magnanamous Frank Lawrence and Adam Samson, and a drinks company baying for blood, and no sooner had the ALERT crew arrived in Indianapolis, their PR team handing out press releases quicker than their Launchettes dish out the free cans on raceday.

An Internal Investigation is now taking place within ALERT, by Launch's "Internal Wellbeing" team , firstly to resolve the issues resulting in a 3rd place finish at Road America, also to clarify the claims from a very bitter and resentful Michael Sykes that the FLASH percentage of the team has gambled on the car not winning, via a tweet from Adam Samson's wife, a tweet that was deleted within an hour of upload.

Sykes, reluctantly, has been instructed by Launch to maintain his silence via twitter, while questioning takes place, the people asking the questions will be those that were involved in analysing the issues caused at the 2013 TM Round of Wales.

Lawrence and Samson have been placed on "Gardening Leave" from the team, and are not allowed to be present at any of the TM Master Cup Series races until the Investigation is complete.

- Steve Wisner

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