They took to the track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this past week, in preparation for the Indianapolis 500 in a couple of weeks. The track has a new asphalt surface, which, in the early going, is being credited for some spectacular speeds in the 225 mph range.
The race will run May 29th.
One of the programs conducted each year during the warm up and preparations prior to the race itself is the Rookie Orientation Program. John Oreovicz has a piece on the ROP on ESPN.com.
Eight drivers are new to IMS this year and will be classified as Rookies, even though some have been racing in top drawer open-wheeled cars for quite some time. Some have some pretty interesting backgrounds as well.
They include Danica Patrick, driving for the Bobby Rahal/David Letterman team. Rahal/Letterman won the 500 last year with Buddy Rice. Patrick may be described as being the first woman given half a chance to do well in the 500. She showed last week that she has some "stuff" in an IndyCar race in Motegi, Japan. She qualified her Honda powered Panoz on the front row and jumped into the lead, which she held for 32 laps. She finished 4th.
Another 2005 Rookie will be Thomas Enge, a native of the Czech Republic. He busted three ribs in a crash in Japan last week.
He had success in sports cars, including a class win at LeMans in 2003, and got into IndyCar racing with Patrick Racing in 2004.
He carries a little baggage, losing points he won for three Formula 3000 wins in 2002, because he tested positive for marijuana. That handed the F3000 title to Sebastien Bourdais.
Speaking of Bourdais, he also will be in the IMS ROP program. Bourdais, after his F3000 title, was ignored by the Formula I teams in Europe. So he came to the US, dominating the Champ Car World Series (won both superspeedway races he started), doing well in sports car racing and winning the International Race of Champions at Texas Motor Speedway this year.
IndyCars will be a different puppy than Champ Cars, basically due to increased downforce and reduced power. Oreovicz says Bourdais may turn out to be the most impressive rookie of this year at Indy.
A familiar Champ Car name is making his IndyCar debut. Patrick Carpentier, of Canada is getting into IndyCars with Eddie Cheever's Red Bull team.
A couple of rookies have taken rather roundabout paths to the oval.
There is Paul Dana, who earned a journalism degree from Northwestern and landed a job covering Champ Cars for AutoWeek magazine. That was just subterfuge to wheedle his way into the driver's seat. He was second in the season championship in the Menard's Intiniti Pro Series last year.
His team owner is Ron Hemelgarn of Toledo, whose team is sponsored by a group trying to promote the use of Ethanol as a fuel. Hemelgarn won the 500 nine years ago.
And there is Scott Mayer, who did a little racing a generation ago, took a break from the sport to create Wisconsin's largest independent staffing agency. Now at the age of 40, Mayer is hoping to make his first Indy 500 start for A.J. Foyt Racing.
Since there are only 33 drivers for 33 starting spots, if he passes his rookie test, he has a pretty good chance of getting in the field.
And then there is second generation driver Jeff Bucknum 38 years old. Some of us older fans remember his father, Ronnie Bucknum fondly from the 60's and 70's.
The rookies will be given a chance to work up to racing speeds, with veteran drivers stationed around the track to offer advice and instruction on how they are doing.
Oreovicz reports that IMS has required a Rookie test since 1936 and has operated the ROP since 1981.