New qualifying procedure changes strategies
IRL president Brian Barnhardt couldn?t wait to try out the new qualifying procedure for the 500. And, after rain washed out the opening day of time trials the last two years at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he finally got to see it in action.
After the first 90 minutes on the first of four days of qualifications for the May 27 race, it was apparent that the new procedure was going to produce the kind of action that Barnhart had hoped for.
Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan, two of five Andretti Green Racing drivers entered here, led the way in an early rush of qualifiers, with Franchitti taking the tentative pole position with a 10-mile, four-lap qualifying average of 225.199 mph and Kanaan close behind at 224.618.
The way qualifying is set up now, the first day fills only the top 11 spots and, once those positions are filled, the bumping of the slowest drivers begins.
Former Indy winner Buddy Rice, A.J. Foyt IV, Kosuke Matsuura and former pole-winner Scott Sharp all were bumped in the early going. But even some of the drivers among the top 11 after the first 90 minutes were considering withdrawing and taking another of their three allowable chances to qualify.
Michael Andretti, co-owner of AGR and back in the driver?s seat at Indy for the second straight year after returning from retirement, was among them. His 222.685 was the ninth fastest of the top 11 qualifiers. But, to Andretti, it felt like it was in definite danger of being bumped.
?If I was sitting in the stands, I?d think it was great,? Andretti said of the qualifying format. ?Now, being on the bubble, I?m not very happy. You?re right on the edge in qualifying and, knowing I might have to go out there and do it again, one or two more times, that?s very frustrating.?
Most of the teams eligible to qualify sent their drivers out in the early flurry. Notable among the teams that held back was Penske Racing, winners of 13 poles and 14 races at Indy, both records.
It appeared that team owner Roger Penske was hoping the cooler temperatures of late afternoon would be more conducive to fast laps and give his team a real shot at another pole.