IndyCar Indy 500

Qualifying report

Indy 500: Fast Nine quotes

'What They're Saying' from Indianapolis 500 Pole Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

May 21, 2017, 10:10 PM

Upd: May 22, 2017, 2:13 PM

Polesitter Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda

Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet official qualifying portrait

Ed Carpenter, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet official qualifying portrait

Alexander Rossi, Herta - Andretti Autosport Honda

Takuma Sato, Andretti Autosport Honda

Fernando Alonso, Andretti Autosport Honda

J.R. Hildebrand, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet

Tony Kanaan, Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, Chip Ganassi, Cary Agajanian

Marco Andretti, Andretti Autosport Honda

Will Power, Team Penske Chevrolet

Cla	#	Driver	Laps	Time	Gap	Mph
1	9	Scott Dixon	4	2'35.0630		232.164
"It's an emotional place. We didn't do the practices this morning; we sat those out. So the first time you get in the car is actually when you have to get the job done. The conditions changed; the wind direction was such a big deal. I had to breathe in a couple of times in Turn 2. It was trimmed out. Yesterday in the qualifying line, I was thinking they trimmed too much out. It's nerve-wracking. When you're sitting, ready to go out and someone puts up a big time, hearing the crowd after the run was epic. It's always a good feeling to be here at Indianapolis. When you win the pole, it's not the race win, but obviously it's big on its own. The race is the big one. As you mature, you start to appreciate the history here. I feel very blessed and privileged to have won here once. I come back every year and try to duplicate that. Hopefully we can get a multiple."
2	20	Ed Carpenter	4	2'35.3976	0.3346	231.664
"I heard the crowd, and I knew (Dixon's time) was going to be a big number. Like yesterday, if you'd have told me we'd average what I did, I would've thought it would be the pole. Even what (Ryan) Hunter-Reay did, his time, I thought that wouldn't get beat. I'm happy for the team. We've got a car on the front row, a car on the second row. Fuzzy's Vodka keeps providing for us; the team keeps providing for me. It's nice to have a Chevy on the front row. When I saw Dixon's time, I knew it would be difficult to beat. It was actually better than I thought it was going to be from watching the earlier runs and watching JR's run. We had a little more balance than him going into it, and we were waiting to see if that was the way to go, and it was. That's all she had. I was flat. If we would've trimmed any more than that, we would've started slowing down. I'm content. Would it have been fun to win a third pole? Yes. At the same time, to be on the middle of the front row with two former 500 champions, hopefully, I can convert from the front row this time and claim a 500-mile victory." (On the speeds posted this year): "I think it's awesome. Driving cars fast around here is what this place is all about. I'm excited to see what the car next year is going to do. I hope it's not a drop-off. You hear the crowd when they see those numbers, and I get as excited as they do. I think it's awesome that we're pushing that speed back up, and I hope it continues."
3	98	Alexander Rossi	4	2'35.5163	0.4533	231.487
"Scott (Dixon) had an amazing run, he deserves (pole position). But we're starting on the Front Row and that is great for the team. The NAPA boys did a great job today with the car. From here we focus on race running, we have Monday and Friday to run yet and then we will see what we've got on Sunday."
4	26	Takuma Sato	4	2'35.5981	0.5351	231.365
"We were pushing so hard - Lap 3 and 4 were so on edge and I brushed the wall, but held on. I'm very happy to be in the second row, obviously, the front row would be nicer but this was a great team effort. I am very happy with where we are staring. (The race) will be a different scenario than qualifying but I think we have a strong car in the race situation and hopefully we can prove that."
5	29	Fernando Alonso	4	2'35.6423	0.5793	231.300
"I think today the car was better than yesterday with the balance after the malfunction in this morning's practice. Unfortunately on Lap 2, we had an overboost problem in the last corner so hitting the brakes out of the corner, I think I lost a little bit of speed into the main straight. But it's the way it is - nothing you can change now. The guys had to change the engine in record time, in an hour and a half. I'm happy to be here qualifying. I think we could have easily been fighting for the pole today if we didn't have that problem. At the end of the day, as long as you secure the top nine, it doesn't really make a huge difference for the race."
6	21	J.R. Hildebrand	4	2'35.9191	0.8561	230.889
"Our run was good. I feel like we got almost as much out of it as we could. We had a little bobble on the last lap. Really happy for the ECR guys. Our best starting position this year in what's been a very challenging couple of days. Really happy for our team to get a couple of bowties up there. We're really looking forward to the race. As we've seen, if you look at the statistics, it doesn't really matter where you start, but you always prefer to be in the top couple of rows."
7	10	Tony Kanaan	4	2'35.9601	0.8971	230.828
"We tried to match what we had yesterday for the weather, We overshot a little bit, and that didn't work out for us. We always adjust. I can't really tell you what it is, but we definitely adjusted a few things. We split the strategy between the 9 (Dixon) and the 10 (Kanaan). The 10 didn't go so well, so we're hoping the 9 will go well for us. Either we get it right or we get it wrong, and it was in the middle. But we can win from there."
8	27	Marco Andretti	4	2'36.1998	1.1368	230.474
"(The second lap of the run) is going to haunt me. On Lap 1 you have the new tires so you don't know what the car is going to do on Lap 2, so I adjusted from there. I had to react whereas everyone else that goes after me will be able to react on my second lap and make the necessary adjustments. That's where I'm bummed, but that's what we get for going first - we should have done better yesterday. Wanted to be further up and go for the pole, but I'm really just focused on winning this race... and it's been done from further back than eighth."
9	12	Will Power	4	2'36.3859	1.3229	230.200
"The Verizon Chevy felt really good again today. We don't have quite enough speed, but that's not the whole equation here. It's a finicky place that always has a surprise or two. I feel good about our reliability and durability for a long race. Those things are part of it, too. To win the race; you have to finish the race. We'll work on some race trim tomorrow and Friday and we'll all find out what's going to happen in a week."

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