Persistent rain at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday forced the postponement of qualifications for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 until Sunday.
Saturday had been scheduled as the first day of qualifying for the May 24 Indy 500. After the session had begun at 12:25 p.m. ET, just two drivers -- Carlos Huertas and Ryan Hunter-Reay -- were able to make a four-lap qualifying run around this 2.5-mile track. Hunter-Reay, who won the Indy 500 for the first time last year, posted an average speed of 229.845 mph, while Huertas was clocked at 228.235 mph. There speeds were deleted after IndyCar Series officials called off qualifying.
"The pressure piles on a little bit, but it's part of it," Hunter-Reay said of the postponement. "You just have to wait for it, be patient and keep your thoughts cool and calm and collected and get on with the job. It's not a big deal. You want to just get on with it. Unfortunately, that's just the way it goes sometimes."
Three-time IndyCar Series champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon posted a first-lap speed of 231.357 mph when the yellow flag was displayed for precipitation. The rain intensified from there, and IndyCar made the call to reschedule qualifying for Sunday just after 2 p.m.
The revised May 17 qualifying schedule includes each of the 34 entries making a one four-lap qualifying attempt (10 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET), followed by the "Fast Nine Shootout" (1:45 - 2:30 p.m.), in which the top-nine cars return to determine positions 1-9 (the first three rows) for the Indy 500. From 3 - 3:45 p.m., positions 31-33 will be decided in a 45-minute session, with multiple attempts allowed time permitting. The 500-mile race will feature a starting field of 33 cars. One driver will fail to qualify.
Prior to Sunday's qualifying, teams will practice from 8 - 8:40 a.m.
In Saturday morning practice, three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves recorded the fastest lap in the session and for the month of May at this track at 233.474 mph. On Wednesday, Castroneves, who had recently turned 40 years old, escaped injury when he was involved in a spectacular crash during Indy 500 practice. His Team Penske car hit the wall just past turn 1 and then flipped around in the air before it landed upside down on the track and rolled over back on its wheels.
"That 233 mph number was pretty cool, but it was with a little bit of help," Castroneves said after Saturday's practice. "The (No. 3 Team Penske) guys have really done an amazing job over the last couple of days since the flip. To lose a day and still be on top of the practice speeds today is a testament to how hard they worked. The weather, there is nothing we can do about the weather. We'll just come back tomorrow and see what's in store."
Castroneves is attempting to join A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears and Al Unser as record four-time winners of the Indy 500. Castroneves' last victory in this prestigious race occurred in 2009, doing so from the pole position.
Ed Carpenter will try to win the Indy 500 pole for a record third year in a row. In 2014, Carpenter earned the top starting spot for this race with a four-lap average of 231.076 mph.
"Days like today are hard," Carpenter said of the weather conditions. "It stinks for all of the fans. I feel like the series is just in a funk as far as weather. It seems like it rains every important day or it's forecasted to be a bad weather day.
"I really hope this all moves out, and it's a beautiful day tomorrow where we can put on an awesome show for the fans. One thing about today being delayed is tomorrow's schedule and activities are going to be intense. There's going to be a lot of pressure. Everyone gets one shot to put it in the Fast Nine, and that's it."
According to the National Weather Service, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the Indianapolis area for Sunday morning and afternoon.
[SportsNetwork.com]
