Rookie Orientation Program Tag

By INDYCAR INDIANAPOLIS – Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson sat alone on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s pit wall Wednesday morning, preparing for his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES laps on the iconic oval. He said he went through a mental checklist, reminding himself of the lowered expectations of a first-timer working to complete the required three-stage Rookie Orientation Program for the Indianapolis 500. “Be smart and ease into things,” he told himself. Then the helmet went on, Chip Ganassi Racing’s crew fired the Honda engine, and away Johnson and hisRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso has completed his Rookie Orientation Program for the 101st Running of the Indianapolis presented by PennGrade Motor Oil. The 35-year-old Spaniard took on three phases of ROP with a total of 50 laps and ran a best time of 40.9735 seconds (219.654 mph) around the 2.5-mile oval. The program for incoming rookies consists of 40 laps that run as follows: Phase 1 is 10 laps over 210 mph. Phase 2 is 15 laps over 215 mph. Phase 3 isRead More