Leave it to Helio Castroneves to take all the fun out of a qualifying format change at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
An advertised 90-minute shootout for the pole position in the Indianapolis 500 turned into a battle for starting positions two through nine.
Castroneves was the first car out in Saturday afternoon’s shootout and set the bar at 227.970, too high for any of the other eight battling for the pole. Journal and Courier
It will be the fourth Indy 500 pole start for Castroneves (second-, third-, and first-place finishes), and he’s the first back-to-back pole winner since Scott Brayton in 1995-96.
“Sitting in that car for an hour in half was not easy at all, especially with everyone getting closer and closer,” said Castroneves, who became the fourth four-time pole sitter as he seeks to become the fourth four-time winner. “I was like, ‘Are we going or not?’ because I can’t handle that much pressure.
“I think I need a raise after today. Man, it was the hardest thing to go out there. The second attempt was really crucial for us. It’s great to be part of this team. We work so well together. I’m on the pole but all three of us (Power and Ryan Briscoe) benefit from it.”
Power and Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Dario Franchitti (226.990), the 2007 race winner, also will start on the front row. IndyCar.com
Scotland’s Franchitti averaged 226.990 and will start from the outside of the first row in the 11-row, 33-car field.
It was about the only part of qualifying that went as expected.
The day was marred by three crashes including one that took out pole contender Tony Kanaan, the 2004 IndyCar Series champ. Kanaan, a Brazilian like Castroneves, never got a second qualifying attempt Saturday.
Danica Patrick’s struggles continued, too.
The series’ glamour girl qualified 23rd at 224.217 and will start behind two other women — Brazil’s Ana Beatriz and Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro, who were 21st and 22nd, respectively and Patrick was nearly in danger of being bumped out of the field.
Race organizers filled the first 24 starting spots Saturday. The Associated Press
Alex Tagliani and Scott Dixon will share the second row with Briscoe in the fifth and sixth positions, respectively.
Graham Rahal, Ed Carpenter and Hideki Mutoh finished seventh through nine in the shootout and will make up row three.
Mario Moraes and Tony Kanaan crashed during their qualifying runs earlier in the day. Moraes’ team managed to fix the car in time to get him back on the track for a second attempt minutes before the first segment concluded. His effort was good enough to place him 13th on the starting grid.
Rookie Takuma Sato sustained heavy damage to his car when he crashed during the morning practice session. Sato was transported to a nearby hospital for further observation after complaining of a sore back.
Kanaan’s car could not be repaired in time to make another qualifying attempt. He will be among nine drivers trying to earn a starting position in the 500- mile race during Sunday’s “Bump Day.” MaimiHerald.com
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