Saturday’s Qualifying for the 97th Indianapolis 500 Mile Race should be interesting, to say the least. The car scheduled to be first out of the chute, No.40 Chevrolet, is an entry from Ed Carpenter Racing; but the entry has not cleared Technical Inspection, been on track or have a nominated driver. The 40T car, with the identical circumstances, was twelfth in the draw, which has 68 cars. There are, at this point, only 33 drivers for the traditional thirty-three starting positions.
The traditional Pole Day Qualifications Draw is held outdoors at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Pagoda Plaza stage, with much Pomp and Circumstance. However, due to Friday afternoon’s torrential hit and run thunderstorm, the ceremonies were moved indoors to the Media Center with IMS PA announcer, BOB JENKINS, doing the honors as host. The teams had a variety of people designated to do their draw out of the Holmatro Safety Team helmet. RYAN HUNTER-REAY/Andretti Autosport Chevrolet, held his five-month old son, RYDEN, to do the draw for his car. SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS and SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA/Dragon Racing Chevrolet drew for each other’s turn. ED CARPENTER’s son and daughter, McKenna and Ryder, did Dad’s draw. And so it went.
Saturday morning’s track activities start with practice from 8-10am, followed by the First Qualifying Segment 11am-4pm. Fast Nine Pole Qualifying is 4:30-6pm.
1 40 TBA
2 9 Scott Dixon (W)
3 14 Takuma Sato
4 15 Graham Rahal
5 14T Takuma Sato
6 2 AJ Allmendinger (R)
7 6T Sebastian Saavedra
8 91 Buddy Lazier (W)
9 8T Ryan Briscoe
10 78 Simona de Silvestro
11 83T Charlie Kimball
12 40T TBA
12A 60T Townsend Bell
14 27 James Hinchcliffe
15 27T James Hinchcliffe
16 9T Scott Dixon (W)
17 41 Conor Daly (R)
18 3T Helio Castroneves (W)
19 16T James Jakes
20 12T Will Power
21 7 Sebastien Bourdais
22 19 Justin Wilson
23 3 Helio Castroneves (W)
24 11T Tony Kanaan
25 1T Ryan Hunter-Reay
26 78T Simona de Silvestro
27 16 James Jakes
28 99T TBA
29 5T E.J. Viso
30 22T Oriol Servia
31 18T Ana Beatriz
32 6 Sebastian Saavedra
33 63 Pippa Mann
34 60 Townsend Bell
35 20T Ed Carpenter
36 5 E.J. Viso
37 98 Alex Tagliani
38 12 Will Power
39 77T Simon Pagenaud
40 25T Marco Andretti
41 8 Ryan Briscoe
42 11 Tony Kanaan
43 21 Josef Newgarden
44 55 Tristan Vautier (R)
45 10 Dario Franchitti (W)
46 18 Ana Beatriz
47 4T JR Hildebrand
48 19T Justin Wilson
49 10T Dario Franchitti (W)
50 55T Tristan Vautier (R)
51 83 Charlie Kimball
52 20 Ed Carpenter
53 1 Ryan Hunter-Reay
54 17 Michel Jourdain Jr.
55 26T Carlos Munoz (R)
56 26 Carlos Munoz (R)
57 2T AJ Allmendinger (R)
58 4 JR Hildebrand
59 25 Marco Andretti
60 21T Josef Newgarden
61 98T Alex Tagliani
62 99 TBA
63 7T Sebastien Bourdais
64 41T Conor Daly (R)
65 77 Simon Pagenaud
66 15T Graham Rahal
67 63T Pippa Mann
68 22 Oriol Servia
R – Rookie
W – Winner