Anxious Newman/Haas/Lanigan rookie Robert Doornbos earned the distinction as the first car out on opening day, but the driver from the Netherlands wasn’t the fastest. That honor belonged to Paul Tracy, who was making his first trip back to Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 2002, when he lost a controversial Indianapolis 500 to Helio Castroneves. Tracy wasted little time in his refresher course as his KV Racing Technology car turned a lap of 223.069 mph. “They either love me or hate me,” Tracy said. “I have a polarizing effect on people.”

Rain ended the day early, but not before French rookie Nelson Philippe completed his rookie orientation program. Light moisture was observed just 48 minutes into the morning session. By 2:47 p.m., the day had been washed out. At least Philippe got something out of it. “I’m really happy about that,” said the 22-year-old Miami resident. “Now I’m excited about getting on track with everyone else, even though it won’t be until tomorrow.”

Defending champion Scott Dixon is first out, although it’s for a running yellow flag. Ryan Hunter-Reay does a half spin exiting the second turn and hits the wall with the left rear of his car. Only one minute from day’s end, Dan Wheldon, the 2005 winner, brushes the wall exiting turn two. Andretti Green Racing’s Marco Andretti posts the fastest lap of the first open day of practice at 225.478 mph. It would end up being the second-fastest practice lap of the month.

Doornbos gets initiated on how tricky the track can be when he crashes into the SAFER barrier in turn two just 29 minutes into practice. The day is slowed by stretches of light rain. Team Penske finishes 1-2 on the speed chart as Ryan Briscoe runs the fastest lap of the month at 225.981 mph. Two-time 500 winner Castroneves is second at 225.438 mph.

Doornbos crashes again in practice, this time in his backup car, as he hits the same SAFER barrier in turn two. Not the way he wanted to start his first pole day, because it prevents him from attempting to qualify. Although Briscoe ran the faster lap in morning practice, Castroneves takes the pole from his teammate on his second four-lap qualifying attempt. The Brazilian goes 224.864 mph. Briscoe tries to get the pole back, but the Australian settles for the middle of the front row at 224.083 mph. Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti, the 2007 500 winner, completes the front row at 224.010 mph.

Scott Sharp provides the drama as he exits pit road only one minute before the final gun, then bumps his way into the field with a run of 222.162 mph. The ’01 pole sitter needed to make the field because of race obligations elsewhere the next weekend. Three other cars are in line in front of Sharp in the final minutes, but they pull out to give him a chance. “The sportsmanship out there was incredible today,” said Brian Barnhart, Indy Racing League president of competition and racing operations. Sharp bumps E.J. Viso out of the field. Viso was one of the cars ahead of Sharp in line. Raphael Matos is the highest-qualified rookie and the fastest second-day qualifier as his Luczo Dragon car goes 223.429 mph.

Teams began in earnest to focus on race setups with full-tank runs and Mario Moraes, who will start his second Indy 500 from the inside of row three, has the fastest lap of practice at 222.739 mph. Briscoe is not far off the pace at 222.406 mph, with Team Penske teammate Castroneves at 222.395 mph. The fastest lap for a non-qualified car belongs to Oriol Servia at 221.353 mph. “Everybody has been asking me if there’s any pressure being a last-week and reduced program,” said Servia, a 24-year-old Spaniard. “I haven’t felt this relieved in a long time. Finally I am in a car, and I know I’m going to be in the race.”

The final full day of open practice brings out the best in Dixon, who edges Moraes for the fastest lap at 222.799 mph, but also the worst in the track as it ends 17 minutes early because of loose bricks in the yard of bricks at the finish line. Teams are assured the problem can be fixed overnight. “There’s four or five bricks that have come loose; the mortar has come loose on it,” Barnhart said. “We’re awfully proud of the yard of bricks around here, and I think that’s the first time it’s caused a delay in practice.”

The 33-car field is full as Venezuelan Milka Duno bumps her way into the grid a few minutes before the final gun. Buddy Lazier, the 1996 Indy 500 winner, loses his spot and, a day later, is unable to bump his way back in. “You know, this race is so tough,” Duno said of bumping Lazier. “Indianapolis is so fast. You have to have a good car and good balance. Everybody that’s here is a good driver.” Lazier laments being a second-week program and not having much seat time. Doornbos recovers from his two crashes to be the fastest third-day qualifier at 221.692 mph. Rookie Stanton Barrett has the last car on the track, but his 217.998 mph isn’t fast enough to make the field.

In a last-minute deal, Brazilian Bruno Junqueira takes his first lap of the month in the final practice session, then qualifies for Conquest Racing as the bumping begins. John Andretti is bumped from the field, but doggedly returns. A second qualifying run just misses. Just eight minutes from the final gun, he tries again and, this time, makes his 10th 500 with a run of 221.316 mph. He bumps Hunter-Reay, but Hunter-Reay returns in a dramatic final run to bump Alex Tagliani. It’s not until several hours after the field is set that it is announced Junqueira will give up his seat to teammate Tagliani.

Community day is a fun day for fans. The cars on the track are from the street as racing enthusiasts are allowed to take a lap slowly around the 21/2-mile circuit. Kids frolick on the infield’s inflatable attractions while diehard fans wait in long lines for driver autographs. And the weather, without a cloud in the sky, couldn’t be better as temperatures reach the 80s.

While Indy 500 drivers sit behind tables in the Pagoda Plaza for their last round of interviews, the hopefuls for Friday qualify for the Firestone Freedom 100. New Zealand’s Wade Cunningham, who won the Firestone Indy Lights race at the Speedway in ’06, captures the pole with a record qualifying speed of 190.177 mph. Last year, he was without a full-time ride. Now he has a chance to become the first two-time winner in this developmental series race.

Castroneves creates more buzz on Carb Day as he runs the fastest lap in the final hour of practice, 223.920 mph, then wins the pit stop competition for the fourth time later in the afternoon. Castroneves defeats Andretti Green Racing’s Marco Andretti in the finale, 7.962 seconds to 9.456 seconds. As if he didn’t have enough to be positive about, Castroneves learns that the final conspiracy charge in his federal tax evasion trial has been dropped. While most of racing’s familiar names are near the top in practice, the most noticeable absence is Danica Patrick, whose No. 7 AGR car manages just 23rd on the grid.

Phillip B. Wilson