INDIANAPOLIS – All 35 cars entered in the 105th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have made one attempt through the qualification line, and none have been able to go faster than the first qualifier of the day.
That was 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner and six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, who ran a four-lap average of 231.828 miles per hour around the 2.5-mile oval when qualifications began at 12 noon. Dixon drives the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Thirty-four other car/driver combinations have tried to knock Dixon off the top of the scoring pylon, but have been unsuccessful.
Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport came the closest when he completed a four-lap average of 231.648 mph in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda for Andretti Autosport. Tony Kanaan was third at 231.639 mph in the No. 48 American Legion Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ed Carpenter is currently the fastest Chevrolet, fourth on the grid at 231.616 mph. His GMR Grand Prix winning teammate Rinus VeeKay is fifth at 231.843 mph in the No. 21 Bitcoin Chevrolet. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves is sixth in the No. 06 Honda for Meyer-Shank Racing.
Alex Palou is seventh at 231.145 mph in the No. 10 NTT Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing at 231.145 mph. Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, is eighth at 231.139 mph in the No. 28 DHL Honda for Andretti Autosport. Marcus Ericsson is currently on the bubble to make the Fast Nine in qualifications as the Chip Ganassi Racing driver has completed a four-lap average of 231.104 mph in the No. 8 Honda.
Alexander Rossi, winner of the 100th Indianapolis 500, is the first driver outside of the Fast Nine but many of the drivers already qualified are expected to make additional qualifying attempts to improve their position before the gun is fired to end qualifications at 5:50 p.m. Eastern Time.
While that sets up the battle for the Fast Nine there is also an equally competitive battle at the other end of the grid to get locked into next Sunday’s 105th Indianapolis 500 on Saturday. Positions 10-30 will earn their starting positions Saturday, but the 11th and last row will be determined among the five slowest drivers on Sunday when Last Chance Qualifying runs from 1:15 p.m. ET to 2:30 p.m. ET.
After every driver took a first attempt, the drivers in that Last Chance Qualifying group included Sage Karam, who was bumped after running 229.158 mph; 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power, who was also bumped after four laps at 229.052 mph and Jack Harvey at Meyer-Shank Racing after running four laps at 225.496 mph.
The others at the tail of the field included Charlie Kimball of AJ Foyt Racing (228.401 mph), Simona De Silvestro in the No. 16 Chevrolet for Beth Paretta Racing in a partnership with Team Penske (228.173 mph) and R.C. Enerson of Top Gun Racing in a Chevy (227.283 mph).
Dalton Kellett of AJ Foyt Racing in the No. 4 Chevrolet is currently “on the bubble” as the slowest driver currently in the field.
Drivers are beginning to make their second qualification attempts.