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The final instalment of The Roar’s car-by-car preview of the 100th Indianapolis 500 takes us to the kings of last weekend’s pole qualifying, the six fastest drivers in their four-lap qualifying run.
Row 2
Starting sixth: Will Power (Team Penske – Chevrolet)
The Queenslander will be out for a measure of revenge this year, after narrowly losing a terrific late-race duel with eventual winner Juan Pablo Montoya twelve months ago. It was a fairly quiet week of practice for the 2014 IndyCar Series champion, but Power flexed his muscle in qualifying, and is the highest of Team Penske’s four cars.
A win for the Toowoomba native would undoubtedly rank as one of the great sporting achievement by any Australian. And, you know, it could realistically happen. Here’s hoping!
Starting fifth: Carlos Muñoz (Andretti Autosport – Honda)
Let’s not forget that Muñoz won Rookie of the Year honours at Indianapolis in 2013 with a huge run to finish second. That’s no easy thing as a rookie.
He’s since won an IndyCar Series race at Detroit last year, and, like all of his Andretti teammates, showed considerable speed across the entire week of practice and qualifying. Muñoz would surely like his chances from the middle of the second row.
Starting fourth: Townsend Bell (Andretti Autosport – Honda)
One of the huge stories of the month. Bell, a sports car racer and IndyCar analyst for NBC, has had a giant May, at or near the top of all practice sessions, and he backed it up in qualifying, putting his Andretti Honda on the second row of the grid.
Fast with and without the tow, Bell could write an incredible chapter in Indianapolis 500 history if he’s able to claim a win on Sunday.
Row 1
Starting third: Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport – Honda)
The 2014 Indianapolis 500 champion (who is also an IndyCar Series champion) spearheads the Andretti Autosport charge for the hundredth running, and there are precious few in the IndyCar paddock who would begrudge the Floridian a second victory. After all, he’s a wonderful ambassador for the sport, and if IndyCar is going to regain what is lost during the divisive IRL-CART split, it needs American’s winning races and championships with regularity.
Based on both practice and qualifying, RHR is a serious chance on Sunday. Look out for that yellow DHL car up the front.
Starting second: Josef Newgarden (Ed Carpenter Racing – Chevrolet)
The Next Big Thing in IndyCar racing, and an American, Newgarden hails from Tennessee, which is best known as being NASCAR country, but he has taken to open wheel racing instead, and we’re all very fortunate. Last year was a breakout year, with multiple victories and a charge towards a series championship.
Off-season turmoil with his team resulted in a slow start, but Newgarden’s qualifying run on Sunday was a showcase of absolutely brilliant driving, and he was desperately unlucky to be bumped from pole at the very last second by James Hinchcliffe.
If Newgarden can find victory lane on Sunday, it would be a massive deal for the sport, and exactly the sort of narrative the IndyCar Series folks would love to be able to push.
Starting first: James Hinchcliffe (Schmidt Peterson Motorsports – Honda)
Of all the stories this May, Hinchcliffe’s is the best and most meaningful. The likeable Canadian nearly died in a practice crash a year ago, and has rebounded in incredible fashion to claim pole position with a run for the ages, his four-lap average of 230.760mph just fractionally quicker than Newgarden’s at 230.700mph.
You couldn’t help but be completely thrilled for Hinchliffe – not to mention Sam Schmidt and the entire team – last week, seeing the emotion of what he’d been through over the last year all come out as he was mobbed by his team and his parents. It’s the sort of redemption story that makes sport so great. Imagine, then, what a win would do?
The job is only half done, and Hinchliffe is likely to be the first guy to tell you that. 500 miles around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an eternity, in which plenty can happen, but there’s no doubt that Hinch is in the best position to start the race.
The early mission is a simple one for the Canadian – get through the first few corners, settle into race rhythm and rely on a top-notch crew and a Honda engine that’s been remarkably stout this month to do the rest.
Seeing Hinchcliffe win it all on Sunday would be absolutely incredible. And, he really has a chance.
The Roar will be on the ground at Indianapolis across the weekend.
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