Indianapolis 500: Power Misses Top 11 With 16th On Pole Day
May 11, 2008
Will Power will be back on track tomorrow at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Second Day qualifying after failing to grab a top 11 grid spot for the 92nd Indianapolis 500 on Pole Day qualifying in Indiana today.
Power could only manage the 16th fastest four-lap time in qualifying today and the 2.5-mile oval, where the top 11 spots are set.
The 27-year-old will get another chance to become only the fifth Australian to qualify for an Indy 500 tomorrow, when Second Day qualifying is held and the 12th to 22nd on the grid for the May 25 race are determined.
Power had the 16th fastest average speed coming in at 222.500 mph today. Because his time was not in the top 11, Power’s times are voided and he will attempt to qualify for the race tomorrow when 11 additional spots will be set.
Indianapolis 500 qualifying takes place in four parts. The first is Pole Day, when the polesitter plus 10 other cars (total of 11) join the grid. All other times after the first 11 are voided.
The second part occurs tomorrow when spots 12-22 will be seeded. Regardless of how fast a car runs on the second day, even if it is faster than the cars on the first day, they will be slotted in order from 12-22. All times after those 11 spots are filled are again voided.
The third segment will be on Third Day qualifying on Saturday May 17 when places 23-33 are slotted, again regardless of speed.
The fourth segment, Bump Day, will be on Sunday May 18. On Bump Day, cars can be removed or ‘bumped’ from the field of 33 by a faster car.
Cars, not drivers, qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Once a car is qualified the driver can be replaced and the car will remain in its qualifying spot on the grid. However, if a car is damaged after qualifying and has to be replaced that car goes to the back of the field. A car has made a qualifying attempt after running two warm-up laps and four timed laps. The average speed of the four timed laps determines a car’s qualifying speed. Each car can make three attempts to qualify on each of the four days of qualifying.
New Zealander Scott Dixon won the PEAK Motor Oil Pole for the 92nd Indianapolis 500. He will be joined on the front row by team-mate Dan Wheldon and Australian Ryan Briscoe.
WHAT THE TEAM HAD TO SAY …
Will Power - #8 Aussie Vineyards - Team Australia Honda/Dallara/Firestone
“The Aussie Vineyards – Team Australia car just wasn’t quick enough,” said Power.
“We needed to find about one mph more to contend for that 11th spot and we just couldn’t get that today.
“We will go back and have a look at the data, and will see. It was an easy run for me so maybe we can trim the car out a bit. I think you need to be a little bit on edge around here to be fast.”
Craig Gore - Aussie Vineyards - Team Australia
“Will didn’t have the car to make the top 11 today but we are on track to lock the Aussie Vineyards car into our first Indy 500 in second day qualifying tomorrow,” said Gore.
“We will just have to hit the ground running tomorrow and give it our best shot.”
RESULTS: Pole Day Qualifying
1. #9 Scott Dixon 226.366mph (four-lap average speed)
2. #10 Dan Wheldon 226.110
3. #6 Ryan Briscoe 226.080
4. #3 Helio Castroneves 225.733
5. #7 Danica Patrick 225.197
6. #11 Tony Kanaan 224.794
7. #26 Marco Andretti 224.417
8. #4T Vitor Meira 224.346
9. #27 Hideki Mutoh 223.887
10. #20 Ed Carpenter 223.835
11. #12 Tomas Scheckter 223.496
16. #8 Will Power 222.500
