INDIANAPOLIS - Winning the MBNA Pole Award for the 88th Indianapolis 500 was another mutually beneficial episode for Rahal-Letterman Racing and "substitute" driver Buddy Rice.
Rice recorded a four-lap average speed of 222.024 mph (2:42.1445) on the historic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on May 15 to best 21 other qualifiers for the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
Rice, who had no pole starts or victories in 18 races the past two seasons with Red Bull Cheever Racing, was brought in to fill the seat of the No. 15 Rahal-Letterman Argent/Pioneer Panoz G Force/Honda/Firestone until Kenny Brack was ready to return from injuries suffered in a 2003 race crash.
Strike fill-in driver from any future reports. Rice continues to justify the team's decision to hire him in January.
“It’s just an unbelievable feeling right now,” said Rice, who also sat on the pole in the season-opening Toyota Indy 300 and has finished in the top 10 in all three IRL IndyCar® Series races. “I don’t think it’s completely sunk in exactly what has happened today. I think as the time progresses I’m going to have to get back to work to make sure we get the car prepared for the race.
“But this is definitely the biggest moment right now in my career. Hopefully, we’ll be able to make that a little bit better here in a couple of days.”
Team manager Scott Roembke said Rice always has impressed Rahal-Letterman Racing principles with his driving ability and resolve.
“We tried to do something with Buddy a few years ago,” he said. “It just didn’t work out. But he’s always been part of the Team Rahal family and now Rahal-Letterman. I think our faith in him has been proven out this year, both the rest of the races and especially today.”
Andretti Green Racing teammates Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti completed the front row for the May 30 classic. Rice and Wheldon have split the MBNA Pole Awards in the four IndyCar Series races this season. It was the first 500-Mile Race pole for Honda, which claimed the first seven starting spots.
Twenty-two cars qualified, and 27 turned laps - including 10 in the final hour. Morning rain pushed back final practice and qualifying, and teams had less than four hours to get their cars on the track for an audition. Qualifying continues May 16 (1-7 p.m., EDT), with Bump Day on May 23.
The qualifiers, who had an average speed of 219.140 mph, were separated by 6.8 seconds.
Rice made his qualifying attempt at 5:14 p.m. (EDT) and bumped Wheldon from the pole. Wheldon had jumped over Marlboro Team Penske’s Sam Hornish Jr. (the second to make a qualifying attempt) to grab the early lead. Hornish will start from the middle of the fourth row after posting a four-lap average speed of 220.180 mph.
Rice surprised many at Homestead-Miami Speedway with his pole run, and there were some teams scratching their collective heads after his four-lap qualifying run on May 15. He was ninth quick through four-plus days of practice, but didn’t distinguish himself in the final session before qualifications.
“We never want to show our full hand,” said Rice, who started 19th and finished 11th in his inaugural 500-Mile Race in 2003. “(On the qualifying laps) the car was probably the most freed up we’ve had the whole month. That’s what we knew it was going to take to sit on the front row and the pole. It was just going to be whoever was willing to hang it out the most. It was a hang-on deal from start to finish, no question.
“I asked my engineer the first thing this morning, ‘Are we going for the pole? What are we looking for here?’ That’s what we went to do. We threw the big risk at it. Everything worked.
“It goes all back to just a few key things. The engineering staff at Rahal-Letterman (Racing), and it goes to the power of Honda, the G Force chassis and the tires. Everything just worked perfectly for us. It was our day.”
Wheldon, coming off his first career IndyCar Series pole and race victory in the Indy Japan 300 on April 17, was second quick overall in the practice sessions. His 221.524 mph average speed was acceptable heading into his second Indianapolis 500.
“My boys on the Klein Tools/Jim Beam car gave me a good balance, and the old Honda was real strong into (Turn) 1, which was good,” he said.
Waving off an earlier run in which he had three practice laps above 220 mph paid off for Franchitti. He followed Adrian Fernandez on the track in the final hour and averaged 221.471 mph in the No. 27 Arca/Ex Dallara/Honda/Firestone.
“I’m surprised with it, actually,” he said. “The first run, I felt the car was pretty good. The second one was better. So, honestly, thanks to the guys because they did a wonderful job. The last time I was here, I qualified second week, in the back, so I’m definitely happier than I was then. I’m excited to start in the front row of the Indy 500, obviously. I’ll be focused on the race and the next 500 miles and trying to do the best job I can to make sure we win the race.”
Helio Castroneves, who sat on the pole and was runner-up in the 2003 race to Marlboro Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran, had a four-lap average of 220.882 mph in the No. 3 Marlboro Team Penske Dallara/Toyota/Firestone. He’ll start from the middle of the Row 3.
In his 500-Mile Race victories, Castroneves started 11th in 2001 and 13th in 2002.
“The car didn’t have enough support to stay stable in a corner,” he said. “In fact, I almost crashed on the last lap of the session, so I said, ‘You know what, let me breathe a little bit.’ ”
Gordon Qualifies, Quickly Leaves
Robby Gordon left almost as quickly as he toured the Speedway during qualifying.
Gordon had a four-lap average speed of 216.522 mph to place him on the outside of the sixth row in his No. 70T Meijer/Coca-Cola Robby Gordon Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone. He immediately left by helicopter and private jet to participate in a 6 p.m. (EDT) mandatory drivers meeting before the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race in Richmond, Va. The owner-driver had a 3:30 p.m. (EDT) deadline to put his car on the Speedway oval for a qualification attempt.
Gordon on May 14 qualified sixth for the NEXTEL Cup event. He finished 19th in the May 14 NASCAR Busch Series 250 at Richmond and then had a 65-minute flight to Indianapolis.
“I’m pretty disappointed,” said Gordon, who had limited practice time in the No. 70T after his primary car made contact with the Turn 2 wall on April 10. “The car just started getting tighter and tighter with every lap. It’s going to be our worst qualifying effort in years here at Indianapolis. Normally (team manager/engineer) Thomas Knapp and myself, we hit it pretty good here but we just missed it this time. But we’ll work real hard on race set-up next week and get ourselves in a position to have a good race day.”
Three make contact with wall
Bryan Herta suffered abrasions to his right leg and foot after the No. 7 XM Satellite Radio Dallara/Honda/Firestone made contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 on his first official qualification lap.
“We tried to free the car up,” said Herta, who was checked in the infield medical center and released. “We had a little bit of understeer in (Turn) 1, and I think we went a little too far. I went into (Turn) 1, and the back just gave up.”
He had recorded a final warm-up lap of 215.498 mph.
Felipe Giaffone’s No. 24 Team Purex/Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone made contact with the outside retaining wall between Turns 1 and 2 on his first official qualification lap.
Giaffone, who had a final warm-up lap of 217.706 mph, was checked in the infield medical center and cleared to drive.
“I was still not flat and lifted through (Turn 1), so it wasn’t like I tried to run it flat,” he said. “I almost thought I’d be able to save it as it started to (wiggle). It’s too bad for the team.”
Alex Barron suffered a bruised right foot when the No. 51 Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone made contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 with about 25 minutes left in the session on his first official qualification lap. He had turned a final warm-up lap of 217.646 mph.
He was checked in the infield care center and cleared to drive.
“I was going into Turn 1 and just before the apex the car went loose and I spun into the wall,” Barron said. “With temperatures cooling down, there were a lot of incidents on track today. I wish I could have given the crew a good qualifying run. We’ll just have to get out there and try again tomorrow.”
Indiana National Guard members honored
Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 152nd Infantry and 1st Battalion, 163rd Fire Support team of the Indiana National Guard were honored in the ceremonies before practice. The 690 soldiers, who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, were welcomed home by Indiana by Gov. Joe Kernan, who presented the Overseas Service Ribbon and Indiana Homeland Defense Service Ribbon to battalion commander Lt. Col James Gentry.
“This is extraordinary sacrifice that these soldiers have made for each and every one of us here in Indiana, and in the country,” Kernan said. “We’re so proud of them and so proud of the extraordinary service that they have rendered. It’s great to be here with everyone here today to officially welcome them back home.”
Of note
Kosuke Matsuura, who qualified on the outside of Row 3 (220.740 mph), was the fastest rookie. “Starting ninth on the outside is a good position to fight for 200 laps and maybe I will have an opportunity to win the race,” he said. ... The Indy Racing League celebrated its 10th birthday on May 11 -- when Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George announced plans for an open-wheel racing series to begin in 1996 that would include the Indianapolis 500 as its cornerstone event. ... Members of REO Speedwagon waved the green flag to start practice. ... Marsh Family Day Qualifying/Armed Forces Day on May 16 begins with IndyCar Series practice from 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (EDT), followed by an Armed Forces ceremony and then qualifications. Gates open at 9 a.m. (EDT). Entertainment on the Coca-Cola Stage in Pagoda Plaza includes “One 5 Oh” at 1:30 p.m.; “Building 429” at 2:30 p.m.; “Jeremy Camp” at 3:30 p.m. and “Audio Adrenaline” at 5 p.m. (EDT). ... The first 3,000 fans in Pagoda Plaza at noon will receive a complimentary movie-style poster featuring the “Lights, Camera, Traction!” theme and IndyCar Series drivers Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti and Barron. The third poster is available on Bump Day on May 23 and includes Tomas Scheckter, A.J. Foyt IV, Sam Hornish
