INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Felix Rosenqvist is still atop the board in qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, while Scott Dixon will go for his third consecutive pole and a record-tying sixth of his career when the final round is held later Sunday in a Fast Six shootout.
Dixon's four-lap average of 233.430 mph was well off the speed of Rosenqvist, who went out last among the fast 12 and laid down a 234.081 for the powerful Arrow McLaren team. Dixon also trailed Santino Ferrucci, who continued this sublime week for underdog A.J. Foyt Racing, and Rinus VeeKay, who was third-quickest for Ed Carpenter Racing.
They'll be joined by Pato O'Ward, who gives Arrow McLaren two shots at the pole, and Alex Palou, who joins Dixon for Chip Ganassi Racing's two chances at the first starting spot for the May 28 race. The Fast Six has four Chevrolet drivers and two Honda drivers, and it is comprised of four different IndyCar organizations.
“Probably the last three laps I was hanging on pretty tight there,” said Dixon, who set the pole record a year ago with a four-lap run of 234.046 mph, and would tie Rick Mears with his sixth pole.
“There's definitely some cars out here that seem to be carrying a ton of speed, so we're trying to find some way to gain some down here.”
Alexander Rossi was the fastest of those that failed to make the fast six, putting him seventh on the grid for the May 28 race. He'll be on the inside of Row 3 along with Takuma Sato and Tony Kanaan, who will start ninth in what he says is his final Indy 500.
The others that failed to advance to the pole shootout were defending Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, who will start 10th for the strong Ganassi contingent, rookie Benjamin Pedersen — another pleasant surprise for the Foyt team — and Will Power, the lone Team Penske driver to make the Fast 12 from Saturday's qualifying runs.
“All weekend we've been struggling to do four laps. It's been an issue pretty much every day,” Ericsson said. “This morning we did three pretty good laps (in practice) and had a moment. I did stay flat out for four laps but just had too much sliding.”
VeeKay had his own moment during practice when smoke came out of the back of the No. 21 car. The engineers from his Ed Carpenter Racing team determined it was a failed header, and that no damage was done to the engine. They felt confident sending him onto the warm, sun-splashed track for the hour-long qualifying session.
“This morning was a bit tough. A bit tough. We had some issues,” VeeKay said, “but the 21 crew, they gave me their A-game. We even had time to spare. The engine felt great. The car felt great. All I had to do was stay flat-out for four laps.”
That's what Ferrucci did, too. He posted the early target of 233.911 mph for the Foyt team, which has become the feel-good story of Gasoline Alley this week. A.J. Foyt lost his wife of 68 years, Lucy, last month, and the 88-year-old Foyt thought about skipping out on May in Indianapolis, where he's one of four four-time winners of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
Foyt decided to come, though, and has been treated to some of the fastest laps around the 2.5-mile track by his own team. He watched the Fast 12 session inside a closed garage and asked that all interview requests be held until the end of the day.
But when Ferrucci returned to the garage to see Foyt after his qualifying run, he was followed by an entourage of well-wishers that included former Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George and Jim Campbell, head of Chevrolet's racing program.
“That's the fastest I've ever been for four laps,” said Ferrucci, who nearly clipped the wall on his first lap, moments after his team told him over the radio: “Remember we have to race this thing. Let's not do anything dumb.”
Ferrucci never slowed down and finished behind only the late flyer by Rosenqvist on the qualifying chart.
“We're going to try everything we can at this point,” Ferrucci said. “I'd love to see an A.J. Foyt car on the pole.”
A Foyt car has not advanced into the qualifying shootout rounds for the Indy 500 since the format was introduced in 2010.
A.J. Foyt Racing has 12 front-row starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the last one in 2001 with Robby Gordon. A Foyt car last won an Indy 500 pole in 1998 with Billy Boat. They fielded three cars in the Indy 500 a year ago, and J.R. Hildebrand was the highest qualifier at 17th.
Foyt himself won four Indianapolis 500 poles — all while he was the team owner. He's the first driver to ever win four Indy 500s, a club that only added its fourth member in 2021 when Helio Castroneves won his fourth.
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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed.
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