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Pagenaud tops speed chart at strange Indy practice

By WTOP Staff

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simon Pagenaud already has one Indianapolis victory in his pocket. He may soon be in position to win the second of this month’s triple crown.

Four days after becoming the first IndyCar driver to win a road race at the famous speedway, the Frenchman jumped to the top of the speed chart on one of the strangest practice days in memory. Pagenaud turned a fast lap of 226.122 mph Wednesday — becoming the first driver to top 226 mph this week — after track officials extended practice by one hour.

“It’s always enjoyable to get close to 230. Hopefully we can break that in qualifying,” Pagenaud said in his normally understated tone. “That would be great, but the car is fantastic. I’m very happy.”

The IndyCars almost didn’t get a chance to run Wednesday.

Morning rain wiped out the first five hours of the scheduled six-hour practice window. Track workers spent roughly two hours attempting to dry the track in hopes of having it ready by late afternoon. At 5 p.m., the track finally opened with a rare announcement coming from speedway officials: practice would continue until 7 p.m.

Last year, the pole shootout was pushed back because of rain and didn’t end until 7:12 p.m. Katherine Legge also was permitted to complete the rookie orientation program in 2012 after the track closed to everyone else at the normal 6 p.m. time slot.

Speedway officials couldn’t recall any other time practice was extended for everyone.

For years, it was not possible because of darkness. That changed when state lawmakers passed a measure to recognize daylight savings time in 2005, a move that gave speedway officials more flexibility.

On Wednesday, they took advantage of that opportunity and Pagenaud made the most of it by beating out American J.R. Hildebrand for the top spot. Hildebrand was second at 225.854.

“It’s great to see that the car has the speed in it because at the end of the day you rarely go through practice with guys that are capable of setting those fast times, they end up being the guys that have the quicker cars,” said Hildebrand, who is driving for Ed Carpenter. “Certainly our focus is trying to make sure not that we put in a big tow lap, but that we can catch up to that guy and pass him, and leapfrog through the next few guys.”

Here are five other things to know from Wednesday’s practice:

QUICK TRIP: Though 29 cars made it onto the track for practice, one was notably absent: Kurt Busch’s No. 26. With the forecast calling for rain all day Wednesday, the 2004 Cup champion who is attempting to become the fourth driver to complete “the double” decided to make a quick trip to Stewart-Haas Racing headquarters in Charlotte. He is expected to return for Indy practice Thursday and Friday.

ROOKIE CRASH: English rookie Jack Hawksworth became the first driver to crash on the oval this month. He spun in the third turn and slammed into the SAFER barrier before stopping in the chute between the third and fourth turns. Practice was halted after the crash, at 6 p.m., so the SAFER barrier could be repaired. Hawksworth climbed out of the car on his own, was checked at the infield medical center and cleared to drive. “I have no idea what happened, to be honest. We just went into three and it just snapped, so we’ll have to look into it,” he said.

PENALTIES: Series officials also handed down three penalties from Saturday’s race. Chevrolet was fined $20,000 and docked 10 engine manufacturer’s points for violating rules on torque and traction control. Jim Campbell, the U.S. vice president in charge of performance vehicles for the company, said in a statement the company disagrees with the ruling. IndyCar also fined Sam Schmidt’s team for breaking a rule on the underwing splitter on Pagenaud’s winning No. 77 car. Team Penske was fined $1,000 for breaking a rule on the differential assembly on Helio Castroneves’ No. 3 car.

FORECASTING PROBLEMS: Rain wiped out almost nine hours of practice time over the past two days, and the weather isn’t expected to get much better until qualifying begins Saturday. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain Thursday and a 50 percent chance of rain Friday. But it’s not just the wet weather causing problems. Temperatures were in the 50s on Wednesday and that’s where they’re expected to stay until Saturday.

JOINING THE TEAM: The Andretti Autosport Formula E team announced Wednesday it will become the first race team to join the Green Sports Alliance. The group is a collaboration of teams, venues and leagues dedicated to the greening of the sports industry. Last year, Andretti’s team won the FIA Formula E Championship, which exclusively features open-wheel race cars powered by electricity.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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