IRL: Barrett going home

According to a tweet from @IndyCarPR, Stanton Barrett has loaded up and is going home from Milwaukee after crashing in practice.

Our View: That certainly won't help his campaign to win rookie honors, but the team says they will be ready for the next race at Texas Motor Speedway

IRL: Three fail to qualify for 500

Alex Tagliani, Buddy Lazier and Stanton Barrett failed to qualify for the Indy 500.

Our View: None of these drivers were likely to make it onto your roster, but that doesn't reduce the sting to their fans.

IRL: Day 9 report

IndyCar.com has posted the trackside report for day 9 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Our View: This was the third day of qualifying and it provided fantasy owners with a full field of hopefuls. Qualification was dramatic as Stanton Barrett narrowly missed qualifying in the last two corners as the last car to go out on track.

IRL: Barrett passes rookie test

Stanton Barrett has officially passed his Rookie Orientation Program.

Our View: It took longer than it should have with rain slowing Barrett's efforts on a couple of occasions, but now the path is clear for him to attempt the Indy 500. With 33 cars in the field, however, he will probably not finish anywhere near the leaders.

IRL: Barrett allotted an hour on Thursday

Stanton Barrett will be allotted an hour of practice time Thursday morning to complete his Rookie Orientation Program for the Indy 500, according to IndyCar.com.

Our View: This is likely to add pressure to the former stuntman, but he has to complete phase four of the program before the IRL will allow him to attempt to qualify.

IRL: Rain cancels practice

Persistent rain has canceled practice at Indianapolis. Weather permitting, the track will re-open Thursday at 9:30 am.

Our View: In the big scheme of things, this won't matter much since there is plenty of time to get on the track in the month of May, but it could be crucial for rookie Stanton Barrett. He has not yet completed his Rookie Orientation Program, although Nelson Philippe did manage to finish phase four.

IRL: Four rookies complete orientation

Four rookie contenders, Robert Doornbos, Raphael Matos, Alex Tagliani and Mike Conway, completed all four stages of the Rookie Orientation Program for the Indy 500 and are ready to begin practicing and attempt to qualify for the biggest race of their careers, according to IndyCar.com. Nelson Philippe completed three of four phases and Stanton Barrett got through two before the track closed; they will have from 9 am to 2 pm on May 6 to complete the remainder.

Our View: Rookie orientation is designed to insure that these drivers can manage their car in increasingly difficult conditions. They go progressively faster and maintain more tightly controlled lines in order to test their abilities before they find themselves in heavy traffic at 220 mph.

IRL: Barrett transitions

Stanton Barrett's transition to IndyCar has been steady as he's layered open wheel experience on top of his stock car skill, according to IndyCar.com.

Our View: Barrett showed great promise in NASCAR, but could never seem to get into a competitive ride. With smaller fields in IndyCar, he may well earn a few top-10s, and that will make him more marketable in either series.