In the News; May 24, 2008

Bad weather is sharing the headlines with the usual gas, election and economy stories.
Emergency workers were picking through debris after tornadoes rampaged in western and central Kansas and northern Oklahoma for a second night in a row. In northern Colorado, meanwhile, officials were thankful the tornado that damaged 596 homes .
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They are still rescuing people in China. Rescuers rushed to reach 24 coal miners trapped underground by China's' earthquake almost two weeks ago. The quake's death toll, warning it could exceed 80,000.
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Listed their baby on eBay.
Police in southern Germany say they have removed a seven-month-old boy from his parents after they tried to sell him for one euro (US$1.57) over eBay.

Needless to say, a police spokesman says that the baby has been put in care of youth services and was doing well .

Authorities have launched an investigation into possible child trafficking against the parents.

The mother told police she had only intended the Internet ad as a joke. No offers were made for the child in the two hours and 30 minutes the ad was posted. Ebay deleted the posting afterward.

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Memorial Day Weekend marks the The Indy 500
Here are some facts about the race.

The first Indianapolis 500 took place in 1911. Ray Harroun won in the Marmon "Wasp."
It has been an near annual event. The race did not take place in 1917-18 and 1942-45 due to America's involvement in the world wars.
The distance of 500 miles was chosen when speedway leader Carl Fisher and his partners envisioned an event that would appeal to the public by lasting approximately seven hours between mid-morning and late afternoon. A distance of 500 miles was settled upon, and Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911 in six hours, 42 minutes and eight seconds.

Each lap is 2.5 miles. Drivers drive 200 laps in the event. The track has four distinct turns and straightaways, a layout unchanged since the facility opened in 1909. The front and back straightaways are 5/8th of a mile each, with the "short chute" straightaways between Turns 1 and 2 and Turns 3 and 4 at 1/8th of a mile each. Each of the four turns is 1/4th of a mile long.
Each of the four turns on the oval is banked at exactly 9 degrees, 12 minutes, the same dimensions as when the track opened in 1909.

Three drivers have won the Indianapolis 500 four times each: A.J. Foyt (1961, 1964, 1967, 1977); Al Unser (1970, 1971, 1978, 1987) and Rick Mears (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991).
Troy Ruttman was 22 years, 80 days old when he won the 36th Indianapolis 500 on May 30, 1952. He is the youngest winner on record. The oldest was Al Unser who was 47 years, 360 days old when he won the 71st Indianapolis 500 on May 24, 1987.

Five women have raced in the Indianapolis 500: Janet Guthrie (1977-79), Lyn St. James (1992-97, 2000), Sarah Fisher (2000-04, 2007), Danica Patrick (2005-07) and Milka Duno (2007).
Yes. Eight drivers have won as Indianapolis 500 rookies: Ray Harroun (1911, inaugural race), Jules Goux (1913), Rene Thomas (1914), Frank Lockhart (1926), George Souders (1927), Graham Hill (1966), Juan Pablo Montoya (2000), Helio Castroneves (2001).

After 40 cars started in the inaugural race in 1911, the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA), the sanctioning body at the time, mandated a formula for limiting the size of a starting field according to the size of the track. It was determined that the safe distance between each car spread equally around a course would be 400 feet, thereby limiting the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway to 33 cars. Speedway President Carl Fisher, however, placed a limit of only 30 cars for the "500" between 1912 and 1914 and did not adopt AAA's 33 maximum until 1915. Although there had been numerous occasions between 1912 and 1928 when the field was not filled, the allowed number was increased during the Depression years to 40 cars between 1930 and 1932 (only 38 made it in 1930) and further to 42 in 1933. The maximum has been at 33 ever since 1934, although extenuating circumstances expanded the field to 35 starters in 1979 and 1997.

This year Honorary Starter Kristi Yamaguchi Waves the Green Flag to Start the 92nd Indianapolis 500-Mile Race 1:11 p.m.