Team Penske's Helio Castroneves edged out pace setter Alex Tagliani (Sam Schmidt Motorsports) on the final practice before qualifying to grab top spot on Fast Friday.
The three-time Indy 500 winner set a record speed of 228.611mph to beat Tagliani in the final moments of the 6-hour session, the Canadina having shown once again that he will be one to watch in qualifying.
Although he was beaten in the end by the Brazilian, Tagliani truly believes that he can find some more speed for the pole fight that will start Saturday.
Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe were third and fourth for Ganassi and Penske respectively, while Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver Bertrand Baguette took fifth.
Saturday's qualifying will initially set positions 10 to 24 on the grid, with the fastest nine cars then going into a pole shoot-out. The rest of the field will be decided on Sunday's Bump Day.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Helio Castroneves Penske 39.3682s
2. Alex Tagliani Sam Schmidt 39.4172s + 0.0490s
3. Scott Dixon Ganassi 39.4424s + 0.0742s
4. Ryan Briscoe Penske 39.4686s + 0.1004s
5. Bertrand Baguette Rahal Letterman Lanigan 39.4688s + 0.1006s
6. Ed Carpenter Sarah Fisher 39.4707s + 0.1025s
7. Will Power Penske 39.4810s + 0.1128s
8. Townsend Bell Sam Schmidt 39.4864s + 0.1182s
9. Oriol Servia Newman/Haas 39.5465s + 0.1783s
10. Dan Wheldon Herta 39.5669s + 0.1987s
11. Dario Franchitti Ganassi 39.5722s + 0.2040s
12. Takuma Sato KV 39.6382s + 0.2700s
13. Vitor Meira Foyt 39.6487s + 0.2805s
14. JR Hildebrand Panther 39.6582s + 0.2900s
15. Marco Andretti Andretti 39.6737s + 0.3055s
16. James Hinchcliffe Newman/Haas 39.6743s + 0.3061s
17. Graham Rahal Ganassi 39.6842s + 0.3160s
18. Charlie Kimball Ganassi 39.7374s + 0.3692s
19. Buddy Rice Panther 39.7465s + 0.3813s
20. Justin Wilson Dreyer & Reinbold 39.8010s + 0.4328s
21. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne 39.8024s + 0.4342s
22. Danica Patrick Andretti 39.8212s + 0.4530s
23. Paul Tracy Dreyer & Reinbold 39.8238s + 0.4556s
24. Davey Hamilton Dreyer & Reinbold 39.8707s + 0.5025s
25. Tony Kanaan KV 39.8747s + 0.5065s
26. Ho-Pin Tung Schmidt/Dragon 39.9106s + 0.5424s
27. Pippa Mann Conquest 39.9234s + 0.5552s
28. EJ Viso KV 39.9280s + 0.5598s
29. Bruno Junqueira Foyt 39.9298s + 0.5616s
30. Jay Howard Rahal/Schmidt 39.9361s + 0.5679s
31. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti 39.9637s + 0.5955s
32. Tomas Scheckter KV/SH 39.9749s + 0.6067s
33. John Andretti Petty/Andretti 40.0159s + 0.6477s
34. Ana Beatriz Dreyer & Reinbold 40.0259s + 0.6577s
35. Raphael Matos AFS 40.1106s + 0.7424s
36. Mike Conway Andretti 40.2577s + 0.8895s
37. James Jakes Dale Coyne 40.2871s + 0.9189s
38. Sebastian Saavedra Conquest 40.3721s + 1.0039s
39. Scott Speed Dragon 40.4411s + 1.0729s
The three-time Indy 500 winner set a record speed of 228.611mph to beat Tagliani in the final moments of the 6-hour session, the Canadina having shown once again that he will be one to watch in qualifying.
Although he was beaten in the end by the Brazilian, Tagliani truly believes that he can find some more speed for the pole fight that will start Saturday.
Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe were third and fourth for Ganassi and Penske respectively, while Rahal Letterman Lanigan driver Bertrand Baguette took fifth.
Saturday's qualifying will initially set positions 10 to 24 on the grid, with the fastest nine cars then going into a pole shoot-out. The rest of the field will be decided on Sunday's Bump Day.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Helio Castroneves Penske 39.3682s
2. Alex Tagliani Sam Schmidt 39.4172s + 0.0490s
3. Scott Dixon Ganassi 39.4424s + 0.0742s
4. Ryan Briscoe Penske 39.4686s + 0.1004s
5. Bertrand Baguette Rahal Letterman Lanigan 39.4688s + 0.1006s
6. Ed Carpenter Sarah Fisher 39.4707s + 0.1025s
7. Will Power Penske 39.4810s + 0.1128s
8. Townsend Bell Sam Schmidt 39.4864s + 0.1182s
9. Oriol Servia Newman/Haas 39.5465s + 0.1783s
10. Dan Wheldon Herta 39.5669s + 0.1987s
11. Dario Franchitti Ganassi 39.5722s + 0.2040s
12. Takuma Sato KV 39.6382s + 0.2700s
13. Vitor Meira Foyt 39.6487s + 0.2805s
14. JR Hildebrand Panther 39.6582s + 0.2900s
15. Marco Andretti Andretti 39.6737s + 0.3055s
16. James Hinchcliffe Newman/Haas 39.6743s + 0.3061s
17. Graham Rahal Ganassi 39.6842s + 0.3160s
18. Charlie Kimball Ganassi 39.7374s + 0.3692s
19. Buddy Rice Panther 39.7465s + 0.3813s
20. Justin Wilson Dreyer & Reinbold 39.8010s + 0.4328s
21. Alex Lloyd Dale Coyne 39.8024s + 0.4342s
22. Danica Patrick Andretti 39.8212s + 0.4530s
23. Paul Tracy Dreyer & Reinbold 39.8238s + 0.4556s
24. Davey Hamilton Dreyer & Reinbold 39.8707s + 0.5025s
25. Tony Kanaan KV 39.8747s + 0.5065s
26. Ho-Pin Tung Schmidt/Dragon 39.9106s + 0.5424s
27. Pippa Mann Conquest 39.9234s + 0.5552s
28. EJ Viso KV 39.9280s + 0.5598s
29. Bruno Junqueira Foyt 39.9298s + 0.5616s
30. Jay Howard Rahal/Schmidt 39.9361s + 0.5679s
31. Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti 39.9637s + 0.5955s
32. Tomas Scheckter KV/SH 39.9749s + 0.6067s
33. John Andretti Petty/Andretti 40.0159s + 0.6477s
34. Ana Beatriz Dreyer & Reinbold 40.0259s + 0.6577s
35. Raphael Matos AFS 40.1106s + 0.7424s
36. Mike Conway Andretti 40.2577s + 0.8895s
37. James Jakes Dale Coyne 40.2871s + 0.9189s
38. Sebastian Saavedra Conquest 40.3721s + 1.0039s
39. Scott Speed Dragon 40.4411s + 1.0729s