Indianapolis
IndyCar used the lack of action to hold a live social media chat with Ed Carpenter, Josef Newgarden and JR Hildebrand. The trio spent 30 minutes answering questions from fans.
“It’s still raining,” Newgarden said at one point during the chat. “So we’re still waiting, which sucks.”
The drivers were asked everything from what food they eat in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — hot dogs and ice cream — and their thoughts on last week’s announcement that IndyCar will return to Watkins Glen International in September.
“I’m glad we’re going back,” Carpenter said. “I think Josef is going to like it. It’s his kind of track.”
For now, though, drivers are itching to get back on the track as teams prepare for the Indy 500 — especially for Hildebrand and Carpenter, who aren’t full-time drivers in the series.
“The thing about the oval here,” Hildebrand said, “is that it’s so different from everywhere else, even for the full-time drivers.”
Other drivers found ways to stay occupied during the first part of Tuesday’s rain delay. Graham Rahal joined a local sports talk radio show while Simon Pagenaud spent time with media from his native country of France. Some weren’t so laid-back — Conor Daly tweeted a picture of a video game battle among himself, Marco Andretti, Spencer Pigot and Alexander Rossi.
“Mario kart getting too real right now #RainDelay #Indy500,” Daly said in the tweet.
WHAT’S NEXT: Drivers are scheduled to return to the track for practice from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday.