Hornish on Pole for Indy 500
There was no real surprise at Indy after the repeated rain delays finally went away and qualifying got underway -
Sam Hornish Jr. took the pole. Hornish posted a four-lap average of 228.985 mph early in the Saturday session, and then sat and waited. Ganassi drivers took their shots, but it was not to be and Hornish gave Penske racing its 13th pole for the 'Greatest Spectacle in racing'.
Hornish has clearly been the fastest in the rain delayed two week buildup to qualifying, routinely circulating around the 230 mph (370 km/h) mark every time he was on the track. Beside Hornish on the grid will be teammate Helio Castroneves, who will probably be his biggest challenger next weekend.
"I don't know if anything can compare to this, other than winning the race," Hornish said. "People ask me what it would be like to win this race, but I don't know how to answer that. Hopefully I'll be able to some day."
"Sam was too strong for everybody else out here," previous Indy 500 winner
Castroneves added. "He was very conservative, but it's still good for us. We're at the limit, and right now the limit looks very good."
Completing the front row of three will be Dan Wheldon.
"They deserve to be where they are," Wheldon said. "They've been very, very powerful this month."
Tony Kanaan led the five car entry of Andretti Green Racing, by slotting into fifth, and rookie Marco Andretti - the fastest of the rookies - will start 10th. Andretti also out qualified his father Michael, who is returning to the cockpit for the first time in several seasons just to take part in the same race as his son. Michael, no doubt a bit rusty, will line up a respectable 13th.
Starting Lineup for 90th running of Indy 500:
SP CAR YR DRIVER CAR NAME C/E/T TIME SPEED
1 6 6 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Team Penske D/H/F 2:37.2155 228.985
2 3T 5W Helio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske D/H/F 2:37.8893 228.008
3 10 3W Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing D/H/F 2:38.3543 227.338
4 9 3 Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing D/H/F 2:38.6457 226.921
5 11 4 Tony Kanaan Team 7-Eleven D/H/F 2:38.7471 226.776
6 4T 3 Vitor Meira Panther D/H/F 2:39.1823 226.156
7 55 2 Kosuke Matsuura Panasonic ARTA D/H/F 2:39.6431 225.503
8 8 11 Scott Sharp Delphi D/H/F 2:39.7720 225.321
9 26 R Marco Andretti NYSE Group D/H/F 2:40.0586 224.918
10 16T 1 Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent P/H/F 2:40.2319 224.674
11 2 4 Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing D/H/F 2:40.2431 224.659
12 20 2 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing D/H/F 2:40.3224 224.548
13 1 14 Michael Andretti Jim Beam/Vonage D/H/F 2:40.3505 224.508
14 15T 2W Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent P/H/F 2:40.4326 224.393
15 90 R Townsend Bell Rock & Republic D/H/F 2:40.4466 224.374
16 7 4 Bryan Herta XM Satellite Radio D/H/F 2:40.5859 224.179
17 27 3 Dario Franchitti Klein Tools/Canadian Club D/H/F 2:41.1857 223.345
18 52 1 Max Papis Cheever Racing D/H/F 2:42.1198 222.058
19 51 13W Eddie Cheever Jr. Cheever Racing D/H/F 2:42.1420 222.028
20 91 R P.J. Chesson Carmelo Hemelgarn Racing D/H/F 2:42.4724 221.576
21 14 5 Felipe Giaffone ABC Supply Co./AJ Foyt Racing D/H/F 2:42.4973 221.542
22 92 1 Jeff Bucknum Life Fitness D/H/F 2:42.5566 221.461
23 41 2 Larry Foyt AJ Foyt Racing D/H/F 2:42.6519 221.332
24 21 4 Jaques Lazier VIDEOPOKER.COM P/H/F 2:42.7847 221.151
25 5 13W Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing D/H/F 2:42.9534 220.922
26 17T 1 Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing Team Ethanol P/H/F 2:43.3785 220.347
27 31 17W Al Unser Jr. A1 Team USA Geico Dreyer & Reinbold D/H/F 2:44.0925 219.388
28 12 3 Roger Yasukawa Playa Del Racing P/H/F 2:44.5393 218.793
29 88 4 Airton Dare OCTANE Motors/Sanitec/SSM P/H/F 2:45.0091 218.170
30 97 6 Stephan Gregoire Effen Vodka Team Leader Special P/H/F 2:45.5723 217.428
31 61 R Arie Luyendyk Jr. Luyendyk Racing P/H/F 2:46.3952 216.352
32 98 1 PJ Jones CURB Records Special P/H/F 2:46.8091 215.816
33 18 R Thiago Medeiros PDM Racing P/H/F 2:46.8763 215.729
2006 33-Car Field Average: 222.688 mph 2005 33-Car Field Average: 223.895 mph Difference: -1.207 mph
Legend: R=Indianapolis 500 Rookie (5). W=Past Indianapolis 500 Winner
There was no real surprise at Indy after the repeated rain delays finally went away and qualifying got underway -
 |
| Sam Hornish Jr. took the Indy 500 pole. (Photo: Autostock) |
Hornish has clearly been the fastest in the rain delayed two week buildup to qualifying, routinely circulating around the 230 mph (370 km/h) mark every time he was on the track. Beside Hornish on the grid will be teammate Helio Castroneves, who will probably be his biggest challenger next weekend.
"I don't know if anything can compare to this, other than winning the race," Hornish said. "People ask me what it would be like to win this race, but I don't know how to answer that. Hopefully I'll be able to some day."
"Sam was too strong for everybody else out here," previous Indy 500 winner
 |
| Hornish never looked back. (Photo: Autostock) |
Completing the front row of three will be Dan Wheldon.
"They deserve to be where they are," Wheldon said. "They've been very, very powerful this month."
Tony Kanaan led the five car entry of Andretti Green Racing, by slotting into fifth, and rookie Marco Andretti - the fastest of the rookies - will start 10th. Andretti also out qualified his father Michael, who is returning to the cockpit for the first time in several seasons just to take part in the same race as his son. Michael, no doubt a bit rusty, will line up a respectable 13th.
Starting Lineup for 90th running of Indy 500:
SP CAR YR DRIVER CAR NAME C/E/T TIME SPEED
1 6 6 Sam Hornish Jr. Marlboro Team Penske D/H/F 2:37.2155 228.985
2 3T 5W Helio Castroneves Marlboro Team Penske D/H/F 2:37.8893 228.008
3 10 3W Dan Wheldon Target Chip Ganassi Racing D/H/F 2:38.3543 227.338
4 9 3 Scott Dixon Target Chip Ganassi Racing D/H/F 2:38.6457 226.921
5 11 4 Tony Kanaan Team 7-Eleven D/H/F 2:38.7471 226.776
6 4T 3 Vitor Meira Panther D/H/F 2:39.1823 226.156
7 55 2 Kosuke Matsuura Panasonic ARTA D/H/F 2:39.6431 225.503
8 8 11 Scott Sharp Delphi D/H/F 2:39.7720 225.321
9 26 R Marco Andretti NYSE Group D/H/F 2:40.0586 224.918
10 16T 1 Danica Patrick Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent P/H/F 2:40.2319 224.674
11 2 4 Tomas Scheckter Vision Racing D/H/F 2:40.2431 224.659
12 20 2 Ed Carpenter Vision Racing D/H/F 2:40.3224 224.548
13 1 14 Michael Andretti Jim Beam/Vonage D/H/F 2:40.3505 224.508
14 15T 2W Buddy Rice Rahal Letterman Racing Team Argent P/H/F 2:40.4326 224.393
15 90 R Townsend Bell Rock & Republic D/H/F 2:40.4466 224.374
16 7 4 Bryan Herta XM Satellite Radio D/H/F 2:40.5859 224.179
17 27 3 Dario Franchitti Klein Tools/Canadian Club D/H/F 2:41.1857 223.345
18 52 1 Max Papis Cheever Racing D/H/F 2:42.1198 222.058
19 51 13W Eddie Cheever Jr. Cheever Racing D/H/F 2:42.1420 222.028
20 91 R P.J. Chesson Carmelo Hemelgarn Racing D/H/F 2:42.4724 221.576
21 14 5 Felipe Giaffone ABC Supply Co./AJ Foyt Racing D/H/F 2:42.4973 221.542
22 92 1 Jeff Bucknum Life Fitness D/H/F 2:42.5566 221.461
23 41 2 Larry Foyt AJ Foyt Racing D/H/F 2:42.6519 221.332
24 21 4 Jaques Lazier VIDEOPOKER.COM P/H/F 2:42.7847 221.151
25 5 13W Buddy Lazier Dreyer & Reinbold Racing D/H/F 2:42.9534 220.922
26 17T 1 Jeff Simmons Rahal Letterman Racing Team Ethanol P/H/F 2:43.3785 220.347
27 31 17W Al Unser Jr. A1 Team USA Geico Dreyer & Reinbold D/H/F 2:44.0925 219.388
28 12 3 Roger Yasukawa Playa Del Racing P/H/F 2:44.5393 218.793
29 88 4 Airton Dare OCTANE Motors/Sanitec/SSM P/H/F 2:45.0091 218.170
30 97 6 Stephan Gregoire Effen Vodka Team Leader Special P/H/F 2:45.5723 217.428
31 61 R Arie Luyendyk Jr. Luyendyk Racing P/H/F 2:46.3952 216.352
32 98 1 PJ Jones CURB Records Special P/H/F 2:46.8091 215.816
33 18 R Thiago Medeiros PDM Racing P/H/F 2:46.8763 215.729
2006 33-Car Field Average: 222.688 mph 2005 33-Car Field Average: 223.895 mph Difference: -1.207 mph
Legend: R=Indianapolis 500 Rookie (5). W=Past Indianapolis 500 Winner