Expect fast, messy Indy 500 qualifying
Posted on Saturday, May 10, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — In the past, there was usually little strategy involved in trying to win the pole for the Indianapolis 500. Just hold the gas pedal down and drive.
Thanks to the qualifying format adopted two years ago, today’s opening day of time trials for the May 25 race could be a strategic nightmare.
“This year, it’s going to be such a mess,” said Scott Dixon, the fastest driver in this week’s rain-abbreviated practice on the 2. 5-mile Indy oval with a lap of 226. 968 mph Friday, considerably faster than the four-lap average of 225. 817 that won the pole for Helio Castroneves last May.
The five quickest drivers Friday, the final full day of practice before qualifying, were faster than last year’s pole. But it isn’t as simple as just being fast now.
The four-day Indy qualifying format limits the number of qualifiers to 11 on each of the first three days, then uses the fourth and final day to bump the slowest drivers already in the 33-car lineup.
Making it even more difficult, each car is allowed up to three chances per day, with the teams allowed to withdraw an alreadyqualified car to try to go faster.
With the recent unification of the two American open-wheel series, there are more car-driver combinations here for the first weekend of time trials than in any year in the past decade. Thirtythree cars made it onto the track during Friday’s busy session, turning a total of 1, 033 laps.
Dixon said he expects a lot of those drivers, particularly the ones transitioning from the nowdefunct Champ Car World Series, to be chasing position No. 11 just as hard as the favorites drive for the No. 1 spot today.
“Twenty or 22 or maybe more cars are fighting for that spot,” Dixon said. “They’re going to clog up the [technical inspection ] lines and things like that. It could be a tough day for everybody.” The rookies got two full days of practice Sunday and Monday, while the veterans had one dry day Tuesday before Friday’s session, cut about three hours short by yet more rain. Dixon moved to the top of the speed chart, just ahead of Marco Andretti’s 226. 710, Tony Kanaan’s 226. 688, Ryan Briscoe’s 226. 143 and rookie Hideki Mutoh’s 225. 990.
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