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Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, set the fastest pole-winning four-lap average in track history, and claimed the NTT P1 Pole Award for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 yesterday at the Brickyard, which Roger Penske now owns. Team Penske swept the front row, with Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske and Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, qualifying second and third, respectively.
Honda’s efforts to earn a fifth consecutive pole for the Indianapolis 500 failed, as Felix Roseqvist in the No 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda led the way for the manufacturer in second round qualifying, and will start next weekend’s Indianapolis 500 from the outside of the third row, ninth. “P9, so we did not make the Fast Six [the qualifying session for the pole], but I don’t think we would have made it, even with how good that run was. We definitely think we had more, that the track came back on us a bit, so we could have trimmed a bit more. But we’re super stoked to start in the top 10, hopefully we can get a top-10 finish. We’re in the game, the car has been good in race trim in practice,” said Roseqvist.
Chevrolet now holds 13 earned pole awards historically, and seven in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012. Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden led the two-hour practice today as teams shifted from the all-out speed of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying last weekend to stable setups for the race Sunday, 26 May. Newgarden turned a best lap of 226.238 mph in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. However, 17 of the 33 starting positions are occupied by Honda, always a formidable racing competitor on any track. (AutoInformed: Chevy Versus Honda in Fastest Field Ever at Indy 500; The Brickyard – Honda vs Chevy at Indy 500 Sunday)
All 33 starters ran 2655 laps today, more than any practice this month in a session lasting only two hours. Rookie Tom Blomqvist was the busiest driver, turning 106 laps – more than half of the race distance – in his No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. (Practice Results here.)
Colton Herta, who qualified 13th, was second on the timing charts Monday at 226.222 mph in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. 2018 “500” winner Will Power, who qualified second, was third in practice at 226.137 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Agustin Canapino, who qualified 22nd, jumped to fourth in the thick traffic of this practice at 225.747 in the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. Pato O’Ward, who qualified eighth, rounded out the top five at 225.738 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
“Once again the Indy 500 and the amazing spectacle of qualifying tells amazing tales. It’s the place where you have your highest of highs and lowest of lows. Racing at this level mimics life. We’ve been here and we’ve crushed it. And we’ve been here and not done so well. None of it is through lack of trying. We take risks, we try things and we push hard. It didn’t really pay off this weekend. What is extremely important is the efforts of our women and men at HRC and the heroic efforts of our teams. And most of all, the drivers. It is spellbinding to watch their heroics and pure skill. Arguably the most impressive four laps in motorsport. We had a big upgrade package we introduced for the Indy road course and that seemed to go well. But for some reason, which we need to investigate, it just didn’t perform well this weekend. We need to understand why. On to the race. We’ll regroup this week and we’ll do our best as always,” said David Salters President, HRC US. (AutoInformed: Honda Racing has a New UK Formula One Base)
Team Penske Front Row for 108th Indianapolis 500, But…
Click for more Brickyard.
Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, set the fastest pole-winning four-lap average in track history, and claimed the NTT P1 Pole Award for the 108th Running of the Indianapolis 500 yesterday at the Brickyard, which Roger Penske now owns. Team Penske swept the front row, with Will Power, driver of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske and Josef Newgarden, driver of the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet, qualifying second and third, respectively.
Honda’s efforts to earn a fifth consecutive pole for the Indianapolis 500 failed, as Felix Roseqvist in the No 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda led the way for the manufacturer in second round qualifying, and will start next weekend’s Indianapolis 500 from the outside of the third row, ninth. “P9, so we did not make the Fast Six [the qualifying session for the pole], but I don’t think we would have made it, even with how good that run was. We definitely think we had more, that the track came back on us a bit, so we could have trimmed a bit more. But we’re super stoked to start in the top 10, hopefully we can get a top-10 finish. We’re in the game, the car has been good in race trim in practice,” said Roseqvist.
Chevrolet now holds 13 earned pole awards historically, and seven in the 2.2-liter twin turbo V6 era since 2012. Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden led the two-hour practice today as teams shifted from the all-out speed of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying last weekend to stable setups for the race Sunday, 26 May. Newgarden turned a best lap of 226.238 mph in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. However, 17 of the 33 starting positions are occupied by Honda, always a formidable racing competitor on any track. (AutoInformed: Chevy Versus Honda in Fastest Field Ever at Indy 500; The Brickyard – Honda vs Chevy at Indy 500 Sunday)
All 33 starters ran 2655 laps today, more than any practice this month in a session lasting only two hours. Rookie Tom Blomqvist was the busiest driver, turning 106 laps – more than half of the race distance – in his No. 66 AutoNation/Arctic Wolf Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. (Practice Results here.)
Colton Herta, who qualified 13th, was second on the timing charts Monday at 226.222 mph in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global with Curb-Agajanian. 2018 “500” winner Will Power, who qualified second, was third in practice at 226.137 in the No. 12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet. Agustin Canapino, who qualified 22nd, jumped to fourth in the thick traffic of this practice at 225.747 in the No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. Pato O’Ward, who qualified eighth, rounded out the top five at 225.738 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet.
“Once again the Indy 500 and the amazing spectacle of qualifying tells amazing tales. It’s the place where you have your highest of highs and lowest of lows. Racing at this level mimics life. We’ve been here and we’ve crushed it. And we’ve been here and not done so well. None of it is through lack of trying. We take risks, we try things and we push hard. It didn’t really pay off this weekend. What is extremely important is the efforts of our women and men at HRC and the heroic efforts of our teams. And most of all, the drivers. It is spellbinding to watch their heroics and pure skill. Arguably the most impressive four laps in motorsport. We had a big upgrade package we introduced for the Indy road course and that seemed to go well. But for some reason, which we need to investigate, it just didn’t perform well this weekend. We need to understand why. On to the race. We’ll regroup this week and we’ll do our best as always,” said David Salters President, HRC US. (AutoInformed: Honda Racing has a New UK Formula One Base)