Scott Dixon is a record-setter. He has six NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships to his credit, 51 career INDYCAR victories (third all-time – for the moment), has won the Indianapolis 500 from pole in 2008, one of his – now – five pole positions after taking the fastest Pole Day four-lap record in qualifying for the 106th Indy 500 on Sunday, May 22. His combined speed over four laps was the fastest in history at 234.046 mph, better than the late Scott Brayton’s 1996 blast of 233.718. Amazing that record lasted so long. Arie Luyendyk’s all-time qualifying record, 236.986mph, wasn’t set on Pole Day so doesn’t claim the record.
Dixon led a Chip Ganassi Racing juggernaut in INDYCAR’s contrived two-day qualifying weekend, as all five of the team’s Honda-powered Dallara race cars qualified for Sunday’s 12-driver pole shootout, something neither the vaunted Team Penske nor Andretti Autosport could accomplish. Only Will Power from Team Penske and Andretti’s Romain Grosjean (a race rookie) made that cut, but Ganassi’s regular-season drivers, reigning series champion Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and race rookie Jimmie Johnson, together with Indy 500-only racer Tony Kanaan were part of Sunday’s final qualifying with Dixon.
It was quite an achievement for the team, a goal Kanaan alluded to during their annual “meet the media” session on Fast Friday. Dixon, known as the “Iceman” for his calm demeanor at the racetrack, had shown a bit of his hand during the morning practice session before the first day of qualifying on Saturday. He was second in that session to an acknowledged master of going fast at Indy, Chevrolet racer Ed Carpenter, but was still tenth among the top 12 heading into Pole Day after a rain-impacted first day of time trials.
After a short practice early on Sunday afternoon, where most of the top 12 elected to do a qualifying simulation and then let their Chevy and Honda engines cool sufficiently before the 4PM Fast-12 session, Dixon and his No. 9 team showed their hands, third off the line to take his only opportunity, but fastest of the 12 eligible. He’d be joined in the Firestone Fast Six by three of his four teammates; only Johnson failed to make that cut and will start 12th, the second-quickest race rookie behind Grosjean, who slots into the outside of the third row in ninth place.
Ed Carpenter and his teammate Rinus VeeKay, who earned his first INDYCAR victory in last year’s road-course race here, joined the four Ganassi drivers in the Firestone Fast Six shootout. Those eliminated were the Arrow McLaren SP Chevy-powered cars of Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist, Grosjean, two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato, 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power and Johnson. Shortly before 5:30, as cloud cover came through and temps cooled, the Fast Six took their final tries to gain the No. 1 starting spot.
First Kanaan came through with a 232.372-mph average, then Carpenter hit 233.080, drawing cheers from the crowd. It was Ericsson’s turn and he produced an average of 232.764. VeeKay bettered his teammate at 233.385, but then it was Palou up and he did 233.499. The Iceman was last in the line and with his first two laps over 234 only minor fall-off in his final five miles, Dixon beat them all. His 28th career pole moves him to tenth on the all-time list, joined on this front row by Palou and VeeKay, who are now the fastest trio to ever qualify at this race, with their four-lap average of 233.643 mph, breaking the 1996 record of 233.233. Carpenter, Ericsson and Kanaan comprise the second row of this 33-car grid.
While there are 33 cars in the Indy 500 field, the 33rd car never did effect a qualifying pass, as a mechanical issue was discovered in Saturday morning practice for the No. 25 DragonSpeed Cusick Motorsports Chevy-powered Dallara of Stefan Wilson. Despite not taking his allotted four laps, Wilson will be allowed to practice on Monday and Carb Day, and to take the green flags next Sunday for 200 laps around this historic 2.5-mile oval.
Surprises beyond the first four rows of this grid? Yeah, there’s a few. How about Dale Coyne Racing with HMD’s David Malukas, who lines up 13th, inside the fifth row? The rookie needed two attempts to improve his time and he was one of the few that did, giving him an impressive start in his first 500. Sato’s first (quicker) four laps were disqualified when he failed to use the warmup lane on his cool-down lap, impeding the progress of the following qualifier, Marco Andretti, who had to come back for a second try. Colton Herta, who won the GMR Grand Prix a week earlier, had a poor qualifying run that placed him 25th on this grid and teammate Alexander Rossi’s tough seasons continue with his 20th place qualifying lap.
Saturday’s weather-impacted time trials took their toll on both Andretti and Penske teams, as noted above, but also impacted smaller crews. Sage Karam, who’s done well here with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Chevy-powered cars, is set to take off from 22nd, next to 2020 pole winner and neighbor Marco Andretti’s Honda. Four-time winner and reigning Indy 500 victor Helio Castroneves is way back in the ninth row, having qualified 27th, while two-time winner Juan Pablo Montoya (Chevy) lines up 30th on the grid as he goes for a third Baby BorgWarner trophy of his own.
What’s really amazing is the lack of any spins or significant wall impacts over five days of practice and qualifying, after Wednesday’s practice was rained out. Only a few wall taps have stopped practice, along with track inspections. To date this Indy 500 race meeting has been safe and, yeah, really, really fast. Everyone on the grounds, in these garages can take a bow for that.
Now Dixon has the bragging honors for this week, along with the $100,000 payout for taking top spot for this race a fifth time. What he wants more than anything else, though, is those winner’s laurels, a drink of his favorite milk and a grand celebration with his wife Emma Davies Dixon and their three kids in Victory Lane after a triumphal trip around the track after 200 laps of clean, hard racing. Dixon’s run to pole position was the highlight of Week 1. With hot weather predicted for race day (but no rain, at least with Monday’s predictors), everything could change. Dixon and his Chip Ganassi Racing crew are hoping their proficient preparation and lack of errors prevail next Sunday, but we’ll all have to watch and see.
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