The Freedom 100 was an automobile race held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, as part of the Indy Lights. The event was a support race for the IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500, and since 2005, it was held on the Friday preceding the Indianapolis 500, the day known as "Carb Day".
The Freedom 100 was the second race annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the other being the Grand Prix on the combined road course.
Race history
The Freedom 100 has its origins in both USAC's Mini Indy series and CART's ARS/Indy Lights series. None of those support series ever raced at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Typically the support series would take the month of May off while the top-level Indy cars were at the Indianapolis 500. In 1979, USAC's Mini-Indy series scheduled a support race on the oval at nearby Indianapolis Raceway Park, but it was held only once.1979 Mini-Indy Series IRP at ChampCarStats.com
When the IRL started the Indy Pro Series in 2002, officials began exploring the possibility of holding a support race at Indianapolis in the days leading up to the Indianapolis 500. It was an attempt to fill an otherwise slow part of the month, and an opportunity for exposure for up-and-coming drivers and teams. The race was added to the calendar for 2003.
For the first two years, the race was held during the second weekend of Indianapolis 500 time trials, scheduled for Saturday which was at the time, used only for Indy 500 practice. The date proved to be unpopular and drew small crowds. In 2005, Carb Day, the traditional final day of practice for the Indy 500, was moved from Thursday before the Indy 500 to Friday. Series officials moved the Freedom 100 to Carb Day, immediately following the final Indy 500 practice session. The move proved popular with fans and competitors.
In 2008, in the wake of the merger between IRL and Champ Car, the series was renamed from Indy Pro Series to the Firestone Indy Lights Series, taking the name of Champ Car's former development series which had ceased in 2001. The new sponsorship extended to this race, renaming it the Firestone Freedom 100.
In the first nine runnings, the race was won six times from the pole and three times from second starting position. Therefore, the race had always been won from the front row until Esteban Guerrieri won in 2012 from the 18th starting position. In 2013, Peter Dempsey, who started third, won the Freedom 100 in what was then the closest finish in Speedway history (0.0026 secs) in a four-wide finish over Gabby Chaves, Sage Karam, and Carlos Muñoz. Dempsey went from fourth to first on the final straightaway.Marot, Michael. Indianapolis Motor Speedway With Historic Final Lap, Huffington Post, May 24, 2013, Retrieved May 24, 2013
In 2016, the field lined up in order of points, as qualifying has been rained out. Pole sitter and series point leader, Carlin's Ed Jones, traded the lead with Andretti Autosport's Dean Stoneman until a caution on lap 36 slowed the field. The green flag flew with one lap to go and Stoneman pulled alongside Jones going into Turn Three. The pair held their positions through the North Short Chute and into Turn Four; as they crossed the line, Stoneman held the lead by the slimmest possible margin, winning by 0.0024 seconds – a new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Record.
Carlin's Matheus Leist took the race victory from pole position in 2017, while Colton Herta earned the win in 2018. Herta's Freedom 100 victory made it a clean sweep of the month of May for the young second-generation driver, who won both Indy Lights races on the road course at the INDYCAR Grand Prix.
In 2019, Andretti Autosport's Oliver Askew took the race win in typically dramatic fashion, passing teammate Ryan Norman at the line by a mere 0.0067 seconds – the fourth closest finish in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. There were 12 official lead changes at the start/finish line, but nearly 100 passes for position throughout the 40-lap race. The race starting order was altered post-qualifying when five cars failed post-qualifying technical inspection and were relegated to the back of the field, though this number did not include pole sitter Robert Megennis.
The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled after the Indy Lights season was also cancelled. The race was axed from Lights' 2021 calendar. IndyCar took responsibility for the move, claiming it was to ensure for a smooth Indianapolis 500 weekend.
Race results
YearDateDayWinning DriverRace DistanceTime of RaceWinning SpeedStartingCarsLeadChangesRef Miles Laps 2003 May 17–18 a Sat.–Sun. Ed Carpenter 100 40 55:02.1661 19 2 2004 May 22 Saturday Thiago Medeiros 100 40 42:16.4388 17 2 2005 May 27 Friday Jaime Camara 100 40 40:52.6390 18 7 2006 May 26 Friday Wade Cunningham 100 40 32:29.3233 19 0 2007 May 25 Friday Alex Lloyd 100 40 46:39.6029 24 0 2008 May 24 b Saturday Dillon Battistini 100 40 39:46.9495 27 4 2009 May 22 Friday Wade Cunningham 100 40 50:42.2548 22 9 2010 May 28 Friday Wade Cunningham 100 40 39:55.4552 16 4 2011 May 27 Friday Josef Newgarden 100 40 55:38.9881 18 6 2012 May 25 Friday Esteban Guerrieri 100 40 40:09.1965 19 c 3 2013 May 24 Friday Peter Dempsey 100 40 36:48.6540 11 2 2014 May 23 Friday Gabby Chaves 100 40 41:46.9680 11 9 2015 May 22 Friday Jack Harvey 100 40 33:21.2712 11 6 2016 May 27 Friday Dean Stoneman 100 40 41:08.6299 16 3 2017 May 26 Friday Matheus Leist 100 40 36:36.6934 14 0 2018 May 25 Friday Colton Herta 100 40 31:20.6650 8 20 2019 May 24 Friday Oliver Askew 100 40 42:02.6912 11 12
a In 2003 the race started on Saturday May 17, but was halted by rain. It was completed the following day. b The 2008 race was scheduled for Friday May 23 but postponed one day due to rain. c In 2012, Anders Krohn qualified for the race, but was unable to start due to mechanical problems. He was credited with the 19th-place finish. Therefore, only 18 cars took the green flag.
Qualification results
Year Date Day Pole Sitter /Fast Qualifier Pole 2-Lap Qualifying Time Pole Speed Number of Qualifiers Slow Qualifier Speed Mean Qualifying Speed 2003 May 16 Friday Ed Carpenter 1:35.4958 18 2004 May 21 Friday Thiago Medeiros 1:35.1000 17 2005 May 26 Thursday Jaime Camara 1:34.8018 17 2006 May 25 Thursday Wade Cunningham 1:36.5546 18 2007 May 24 Thursday Ken Losch 1:35.6271 24 2008 May 22 Thursday Dillon Battistini 1:35.5430 27 2009 May 21 Thursday Wade Cunningham 1:34.6485 22 2010 May 27 Thursday Pippa Mann 1:35.7505 15 2011 May 26 Thursday Bryan Clauson Grid set by entrant points due to rain. 2012 May 24 Thursday Gustavo Yacamán 1:35.9913 19 2013 May 23 Thursday Sage Karam 1:35.1160 11 2014 May 22 Thursday Luiz Razia 1:35.8926 11 2015 May 21 Thursday Ethan Ringel 1:31.0545 12 2016 May 26 Thursday Ed Jones Grid set by entrant points due to rain. 2017 May 25 Thursday Matheus Leist 1:30.3625 14 2018 May 24 Thursday Dalton Kellett 1:32.2947 8 2019 May 23 Thursday Robert Megennis 1:32.6851 11
Five cars in the field had their qualifying runs disallowed for failing technical inspection, leaving only six official times.
Event records
Year Driver Time Speed Distance Laps Fastest race 2018 Colton Herta 31:20.6650 40 Fastest qualification run 2017 Matheus Leist 01:30.3625 2 Fastest qualifying lap 2017 Matheus Leist 00:45.1654 1 Fastest race lap 2017 Santiago Urrutia 00:45.4307 1 Most wins by a driver 2006; 2009; 2010 Wade Cunningham 3 Wins Most starts by a driver 2005–2010 Wade Cunningham 6 Starts Most participants 200827 Starting Drivers
Drivers
In the first seventeen years that this race has been contested, 166 drivers have participated:
drivers who went on to race in the Indianapolis 500, after first participating in the Freedom 100. drivers who had already driven in the Indianapolis 500, before participating in the Freedom 100. drivers who attempted unsuccessfully to race in the Indianapolis 500
DriverNationStartsFirstLatestBestFinishing PositionBestFinish YearLaps led 2200520061120050 220162017420170 1200820082620080 220142015320150 12019201962019 0 1200520051620050 120082008220080 120192019120193 420112014820130 2200920101220100 120142014720140 1200820081200838 220032004820040 220082009520080 320152017420160 1201420142201428 220072008920070 2200620061020060 3200520071200533 1201020101020100 2201120126201225 1200620061520060 1200320031200339 1200520051820050 220132014120146 1200620061820060 1201620161220160 120032003920030 120102010420100 120112011520110 62005201012006; 2009; 201099 220032004720030 1201720171220170 220082009620091 120122012820120 220162017620170 320112013120131 120062006820060 1200320031720030 220082009920090 220042005320050 1201220121320120 220152016420150 1200320031120030 1201120111320110 420052008220070 120032003620030 220042005920050 120182018820182 420112014620140 120112011320110 220042006520040 2200720081520070 220072008720080 320112013620130 120052005620050 1201120111020110 220112012120125 3200620081120060 120182018720180 1200620061320060 120162016520160 1200320031220030 2201420151201510 1201320131020130 3200420061320051 120092009720090 2201720181201810 2200820092200923 220092010320100 120122012720120 220062009220060 1200520051420050 1200920091920090 1200720072120070 1201720171020170 1200720071820070 120072007720070 120032003820030 2201520162201610 1200720071320070 320152017520150 1201320133201312 42016201932016; 2017; 201817 220092010220102 220062007620060 120192019720190 2201120121220117 120122012920120 1201720171201740 2200620071200740 1200720072420070 420032010320040 120042004620040 120102010620100 1201920191120190 2200920101620100 220042009820090 1200820081020080 2200320041200435 120192019820192 1201420141020140 120112011720110 1200520051720050 2201220132201227 120072007520070 1201620161520160 1201120111201130 1201220121720120 3201720192201929 1201320131120130 120182018220183 1200820082520080 220112012820110 220072008420080 2200320041320040 420142017720150 120152015920150 220092010520100 1200420041120040 320072009620070 320072009420070 2200320041020030 1200520051020050 120152015620150 120142014420145 1200820082020080 120172017720170 1201520152201530 220032004920040 120092009320090 120162016920160 220042005520050 32009201252009; 20123 1200720072020070 220152016620160 1200820081620080 520032010220045 120132013720130 1200720071420070 1200820082320080 120192019420190 1201620161201630 1200920091020090 1200920091220090 120032003320031 320172019220170 320052008420050 120032003520030 320162018420188 1200620061420060 1201220123201211 320132016320141 120192019320196 1201020101320100 420092012820100 1201220121520120 3200620081220060 2200720081520080 320062008620080 220102011420111 1201920191020190 1201120111720110 220032004220030 320032006920060 420092012420121
Freedom 100 and Indianapolis 500 "Double"
Since the Freedom 100 began in 2003, four different drivers have competed both in this race and in the Indianapolis 500, during the same month.
Year Driver Freedom 100Finish Indianapolis 500finish 2004 Marty Roth 16 24 2004 Jeff Simmons 2 16 2005 Marty Roth 5 31 2008 Jeff Simmons 8 28 2010 Sebastián Saavedra 9 23 2012 Sebastián Saavedra 5 26 2013 Carlos Muñoz 4 2
Sources Firestone Indy Lights stats Champ Car Stats – Indy Lights/Indy Pro Series
References
External links