INDYCAR Statement.
INDIANAPOLIS – Drama, redemption, heartbreak, exuberance. Armed Forces Pole Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway had it all today as starting positions were set for the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.
James Hinchcliffe, who nearly lost his life at the same track a year ago in a crash during Indianapolis 500 practice, as the final qualifier of the day, put together a scintillating four-lap run of 230.760 mph in the Fast Nine Shootout to claim the Verizon P1 Award and $100,000 prize for earning the pole position and right to lead the 33-car field to the green flag to start the epic race May 29.
Driving the No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, Hinchcliffe collected the first pole of his Verizon IndyCar Series career in his 79th race, edging Josef Newgarden for the honor by 0.0344 of a second over the 10-mile run.
“I came into this month hoping we’d have a new story to talk about after what happened last year and I think we did it,” an emotional Hinchcliffe said on pit lane. “I can’t believe it. I’m honestly at a loss for words, which everyone knows is rare for me.
“The Arrow Electronics car was an absolute smoke show out there. It was right on the edge. (Lead engineer) Allen McDonald and all my engineers did such a great job, everybody at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson put me in the car and gave me the car to do it. Three Schmidt Peterson cars in the top 10 is incredible.”
It also is the first pole position for Honda at the Indianapolis 500 in five years and first since Chevrolet re-entered the series as an engine manufacturer in 2012. It ended Team Penske’s string of seven consecutive pole positions in all Verizon IndyCar Series races and is Honda’s first in series competition since the second race of the Houston doubleheader in 2014, 31 races ago.
Newgarden, in the No. 21 Preferred Freezer Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, was second with a run of 230.700 mph, with 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay third at 230.646 in the No. DHL Honda for Andretti Autosport.
Row 2 is held by a pair of Andretti Autosport drivers, Townsend Bell and Carlos Munoz, along with Team Penske’s Will Power. Holding down Row 3 are Hinchcliffe’s teammate Mikhail Aleshin and a pair of Penske drivers, Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves.
In the qualifying session prior to the Fast Nine Shootout that set the 10th through 33rd starting positions, Oriol Servia rebounded from a disappointing effort Saturday to collect the fastest four-lap run of the group to earn the 10th starting position with an average speed of 229.060 mph in the No. 77 Lucas Oil Special Honda for Schmidt Peterson with Marotti Racing.
Servia improved his lot 14 positions from first-day qualifications, but said it wasn’t easy.
“We struggled yesterday. We have a very fast car, but we just couldn’t balance it for four laps,” said Servia, whose best finish in seven previous Indy 500 starts was fourth in 2012. “This morning, we put more downforce in it and we still couldn’t balance it. We couldn’t put four laps together. They were scratching their heads (and made changes) and it worked. I had a fantastic car for four laps.”
Scott Dixon, the 2015 Indy 500 pole sitter and reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion, qualified 13th (227.991 mph) after his crew was forced to make an engine change in his No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in just 64 minutes between practice and the qualifying session.
Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya was permitted to make a second qualifying attempt after running over a large plastic garbage bag on his first try. The driver of the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevy will start 17th after a run of 227.684 mph.
Alex Tagliani will start the race last after crashing his No. 35 Alfe Heat Treating Special Honda for AJ Foyt Racing as he exited Turn 4 to take the green flag for his qualifications attempt. Per Rule 8.4.4.5 of the rulebook, he will have no qualifying time and start at the rear of the field.
“It really caught me off guard because it really happened late into the corner, like almost at the exit of Turn 4,” Tagliani, the 2011 Indy 500 pole sitter, said. “I was really almost at the straightaway and that’s why I got caught because, normally when I get loose early on, I have a chance to catch it. It’s really unfortunate.”
The field of 33 for the 100th running features six former winners (Castroneves, Hunter-Reay, Dixon, Montoya, Tony Kanaan and Buddy Lazier), five rookies (Matt Brabham, Max Chilton, Spencer Pigot, Alexander Rossi and Stefan Wilson)
Two more practice sessions are available to the Indy 500 competitors, from 12:30-4 p.m. ET Monday and the traditional Miller Lite Carb Day practice from 11 a.m.-noon Friday. The legendary 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for May 29, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.
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| James Hinchcliffe on Sunday won the pole award for the 2016 Indianapolis 500. |
James Hinchcliffe, who nearly lost his life at the same track a year ago in a crash during Indianapolis 500 practice, as the final qualifier of the day, put together a scintillating four-lap run of 230.760 mph in the Fast Nine Shootout to claim the Verizon P1 Award and $100,000 prize for earning the pole position and right to lead the 33-car field to the green flag to start the epic race May 29.
Driving the No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda, Hinchcliffe collected the first pole of his Verizon IndyCar Series career in his 79th race, edging Josef Newgarden for the honor by 0.0344 of a second over the 10-mile run.
“I came into this month hoping we’d have a new story to talk about after what happened last year and I think we did it,” an emotional Hinchcliffe said on pit lane. “I can’t believe it. I’m honestly at a loss for words, which everyone knows is rare for me.
“The Arrow Electronics car was an absolute smoke show out there. It was right on the edge. (Lead engineer) Allen McDonald and all my engineers did such a great job, everybody at Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Sam Schmidt and Ric Peterson put me in the car and gave me the car to do it. Three Schmidt Peterson cars in the top 10 is incredible.”
It also is the first pole position for Honda at the Indianapolis 500 in five years and first since Chevrolet re-entered the series as an engine manufacturer in 2012. It ended Team Penske’s string of seven consecutive pole positions in all Verizon IndyCar Series races and is Honda’s first in series competition since the second race of the Houston doubleheader in 2014, 31 races ago.
Newgarden, in the No. 21 Preferred Freezer Chevrolet for Ed Carpenter Racing, was second with a run of 230.700 mph, with 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay third at 230.646 in the No. DHL Honda for Andretti Autosport.
Row 2 is held by a pair of Andretti Autosport drivers, Townsend Bell and Carlos Munoz, along with Team Penske’s Will Power. Holding down Row 3 are Hinchcliffe’s teammate Mikhail Aleshin and a pair of Penske drivers, Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves.
In the qualifying session prior to the Fast Nine Shootout that set the 10th through 33rd starting positions, Oriol Servia rebounded from a disappointing effort Saturday to collect the fastest four-lap run of the group to earn the 10th starting position with an average speed of 229.060 mph in the No. 77 Lucas Oil Special Honda for Schmidt Peterson with Marotti Racing.
Servia improved his lot 14 positions from first-day qualifications, but said it wasn’t easy.
“We struggled yesterday. We have a very fast car, but we just couldn’t balance it for four laps,” said Servia, whose best finish in seven previous Indy 500 starts was fourth in 2012. “This morning, we put more downforce in it and we still couldn’t balance it. We couldn’t put four laps together. They were scratching their heads (and made changes) and it worked. I had a fantastic car for four laps.”
Scott Dixon, the 2015 Indy 500 pole sitter and reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion, qualified 13th (227.991 mph) after his crew was forced to make an engine change in his No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet in just 64 minutes between practice and the qualifying session.
Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Juan Pablo Montoya was permitted to make a second qualifying attempt after running over a large plastic garbage bag on his first try. The driver of the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevy will start 17th after a run of 227.684 mph.
Alex Tagliani will start the race last after crashing his No. 35 Alfe Heat Treating Special Honda for AJ Foyt Racing as he exited Turn 4 to take the green flag for his qualifications attempt. Per Rule 8.4.4.5 of the rulebook, he will have no qualifying time and start at the rear of the field.
“It really caught me off guard because it really happened late into the corner, like almost at the exit of Turn 4,” Tagliani, the 2011 Indy 500 pole sitter, said. “I was really almost at the straightaway and that’s why I got caught because, normally when I get loose early on, I have a chance to catch it. It’s really unfortunate.”
The field of 33 for the 100th running features six former winners (Castroneves, Hunter-Reay, Dixon, Montoya, Tony Kanaan and Buddy Lazier), five rookies (Matt Brabham, Max Chilton, Spencer Pigot, Alexander Rossi and Stefan Wilson)
Two more practice sessions are available to the Indy 500 competitors, from 12:30-4 p.m. ET Monday and the traditional Miller Lite Carb Day practice from 11 a.m.-noon Friday. The legendary 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 is set for May 29, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. on ABC and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network.
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