Open-Wheels Staff
October 31, 2019 | 10:00 AM
As the inaugural Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race approaches, the intensity is building for November 16 and the Day Before the 500 presented by Grant King Race Shops festivities – including the Veterans 100 support race.
On Saturday, November 16, a pair of support events will take to the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for some fun and competition. One will be the Pit Stop Competition presented by The Pit Window, a heat-style race where drivers will battle with reduced-capacity fuel tanks and multiple green flag-style pit stops to see who is the quickest driver on and off of pit lane.
The other event is the Veterans 100, a 40-lap race that pays homage to the men and women who have served the United States in the armed forces. The 100-mile event is sure to produce plenty of drafting, passing, and an exciting finish in the Formula Renault 3.5 chassis – its first start on the Indianapolis oval.
“With just 18 days until the inaugural running of the Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race, that means the countdown is on for our first-ever Veterans 100,” said Tanner Watkins, the owner and editor of Open-Wheels.com and the president of the Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race presented by Mitchell Transmissions.
“The Veterans 100 support race, plus the Pit Stop Competition presented by The Pit Window, cap our fantastic Day Before the 500 presented by Grant King Race Shops action – getting drivers and fans alike ready for the big day on November 17. Each race is sure to generate compelling on-track action and fantastic finishes, so the anticipation is building for November 16 as much as any other day!”
For the Veterans 100, an impressive 56 drivers will be fighting for 33 spots and a chance to race in the November 16 event. Qualifications for the Veterans 100 will be held the day before the race on Friday, November 15 – and 23 drivers will be sent packing.
The Veterans 100 holds its own with an impressive portfolio of accomplished drivers as well, featuring four former iRacing Indianapolis 500 top split race winners (Goke, Lichtenberg, Norton, and Pawelski) and another 19 drivers with starts in the top split iRacing Indy 500.
Qualifications for the Veterans 100 will feature two timed laps averaged together, and drivers will have a maximum of two runs at their disposal. The four-hour session on Friday, November 15 will begin at 6:00 PM Eastern, continuing until the final gun sounds at 9:50 PM Eastern.
The Veterans 100 will be held on Saturday, November 16 at 2:00 PM Eastern. All events on the Day Before the 500 presented by Grant King Race Shops build towards the inaugural running of the Open-Wheels.com 500 Mile Race, scheduled for Sunday, November 17 with RaceSpot TV going on-air at 11:15 AM Eastern.
