Saturday, May 26, 2012
Pit Notes #9: Global Rallycross Field Set; Coca-Cola 600 Pre-Race Activities to Honor Military
The Global Rallycross drivers spent several hours on track Friday night qualifying for today’s heat races. Finland’s Marcus Gronholm took the top seed for tonight’s 1A race, while Tanner Foust, Brian Deegan and Toomas Heikkinen captured the other three top seeds. Travis Pastrana is a second seed in the 1C heat race.
Each heat race (A-C) will feature four drivers except heat 1D, which will have five. The drivers will compete in two series of heat races, the only difference being that the winner of the first heat race will be able to choose which lane to start from in the second heat. The top two finishers of each second-round heat race will transfer to the final race. The third- and fourth-place finishers will transfer to the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). Two more competitors will transfer from the LCQ to the final contest.
Heat races will consist of five laps, as will the LCQ. The main race will be 8 laps, including one “joker,” or shortcut lap, from each driver.
BLACK DAGGERS TO FREE FALL – The U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team, known as the Black Daggers, is scheduled to perform free fall parachute demonstrations during the Coca Cola 600 pre-race festivities Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The Black Daggers are volunteers from throughout the Army special operation forces community, including Rangers, Special Forces, support and signal, psychological operations and civil affairs. As Army special operations global warriors, these soldiers have deployed worldwide with their units and are defenders of the nation in the overseas contingency operations.
The Black Daggers use the military variant of ram-air parachutes, which allows a free fall parachutist to jump with more than 100 pounds of additional equipment. In addition to the extra weight, the jumper must also withstand high winds, frigid temperatures and low oxygen levels common at high altitude, requiring the jumper to be highly skilled.
HAMMOND TO START DRAG RACE – Fox Sports motorsports analyst Jeff Hammond will serve as official starter for the double Top Fuel Dragster burnout on pit road Sunday during pre-race festivities for the Coca-Cola 600.
The burnout will feature U.S. Army driver Tony Schumacher, a seven-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion, and his Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown.
“This definitely is something I can cross off my bucket list,” said Hammond. “A gearhead like me could never turn down a chance to stand between 16,000 horsepower and feel that vibration and hear that sound and experience that smell … that will put me in a pretty unique category.”
The power display on pit road is scheduled for 5 p.m., about 90 minutes before the green flag drops to start the Coca-Cola 600, which will be broadcast on Fox.
