How to fake it: Indianapolis 500
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When drivers start their engines for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, racing terms will be thrown around fast and furious.
Here's your guide to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The race is 500 miles — 200 laps around the 2.5-mile track.
- It takes about 3 hours.
It's governed by flags. The main ones you need to know are:
- Green flag: Go racing.
- Yellow flag: Caution. Everybody has to slow down and there's no passing until the green flag is waved again.
- White flag: Last lap of the race.
- Checkered flag: Race is over. Head to the winner's circle!
Motorsports has its own lingo. Some of the more common terms:
- Chassis: The body of the car, also called the "tub" in IndyCar, because that's kinda what it looks like the drivers are sitting in. Unlike stock car racing (think NASCAR), these cars bear little resemblance to your own vehicle.
- Loose/oversteer: Not enough grip in the rear tires, so the back of the car is unstable.
- Tight/understeer: Not enough grip in the front tires, so the front wheels want to continue straight through a turn.
- Tow/drafting: A trailing car can get a speed boost from being pulled or "towed" by the draft of the car in front.
Zoom in: Here are the storylines driving the day.
🔋 You'll hear a lot of talk about the "hybrid."
- This is the first Indy 500 using IndyCar's new hybrid power system, which stores energy and allows drivers to strategically deploy and recharge it throughout the race.
- It was introduced last season just after the 500, adding another element of strategy to this year's race.
👯♂️ Kyle Larson is attempting the double again.
- He's a full-time NASCAR driver and, if all goes as planned, he'll drive the Indy 500 and then fly to Charlotte and race in the Coca-Cola 600.
- Larson admitted that IndyCar is very different — the cockpit is more complicated than what he's used to — but he's more comfortable with the tools this year.
What we're watching: If there's a rain delay on race day, Larson will have to bail on the 500 to get to Charlotte.
- In that case, racing legend and Arrow McLaren team principal Tony Kanaan will step in and drive for him.
- Yes, but: There is no swapping drivers after the start, so they'll have to make that call before the green flag waves.
✌️ Penske's cheating scandal
Team Penske sacked its top brass just days before the race, meaning two-time reigning winner Josef Newgarden and his teammate Will Power will have different faces running the show Sunday.
- Newgarden is trying to be the first driver to win the 500 three times in a row, but the cheating allegations and illegal car modification discovered during qualifying would certainly cast a shadow over that accomplishment.
- Scott McLaughlin, the team's only driver not found to have an illegally modified car during qualifying, will start 10th in his backup car after a pre-qualifying crash.
Be smart: Team Penske is owned by Roger Penske, who also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar series. The close ties between the body that governs the teams and one of the teams make some in the sport uncomfy.