Scott Dixon, racing for the Target Chip Ganassi IRL team, is your pole sitter for the upcoming Indy 500. Scott took the front spot with a 4-lap average of 226.366 MPH, about 0.5 MPH faster than last year's pole sitter. Slotting in behind Dixon is his teammate, Dan Wheldon, just a fraction slower at 226.110 MPH.
The first 22 slots in the 32-car field have been decided. Dixon and Wheldon will be followed by Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, Danica Patrick, Tony Kanann and Marco Andretti as the top six. The final 11 slots will be decided this Saturday and Sunday. The 92nd Indy 500 takes place on Sunday, May 25.
[Source: AP]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Robert @ May 13th 2008 6:08PM
Is this 500 laps of an oval? or a race worth watching?
Combija @ May 13th 2008 6:28PM
Both.
Combija @ May 13th 2008 6:29PM
And it's 200 laps for 500 miles.
Robert @ May 13th 2008 6:57PM
I live in the UK i wouldn't know the specifics of it
4agze @ May 13th 2008 6:17PM
who?
CrazyCreg @ May 13th 2008 6:43PM
The field is actually 33 drivers and only 11 have already been set. Second day of qualifications were rained out on Sunday.
DemaSRV @ May 13th 2008 7:03PM
Little late news ehh?
Cmon, you should've posted this monday at the latest! It's the greatest spectacle in racing
DemaSRV @ May 13th 2008 7:21PM
also, as stated above the second set of 11 has not yet been decided. GET WITH IT AUTOBLOG. How can you guys screw this up?
scott @ May 13th 2008 7:35PM
How can anyone not know what the "Indy 500" is? Even in the UK... It has to be ranked with 24 hours of lemans and Monaco GP, etc. for most famous races in the world.
tankd0g @ May 13th 2008 8:32PM
Because it's been nothing but a parade of rookies since the Indy Car split and usually won by someone not even competeing in the IRL championship. Might as well be watching Na$car.
wslcrew @ May 13th 2008 8:43PM
What makes LeMans24h and Monaco Grand Prix special is that it's not only the competetion of driving skills but also technological advances. Add to the fact that neither driving 24h in 8.5mi circuit nor 150mph in the streets of monaco isn't in the same league as driving around the oval for a couple of hours.
I've tried to watch Indy500 for a few times but it's as lame as Daytona500.
scott @ May 14th 2008 11:58AM
Agreed the technology isn't as good as F1, but at least there is passing... Even if you think it is boring now, it used to be the biggest race in the world and it's been running for 92 years...
Brando @ May 13th 2008 10:22PM
I love comments by people like wslcrew who, by their comments, show their lack of racing knowledge. Do you have any idea the amount of focus and concentration it takes to drive 500 miles at 200+ miles an hour? Obviously not. Here's an idea...go try it in a simulation like Indy Car series 2005 (last 500 simulation published to date). Turn off all the driving aids and set it for full race distance. I guarantee you wouldn't last 2 laps. Now imagine it in real life...and then imagine yourself recuperating at the hospital in Indy because that's where you'll be. While your there, you could read up on the rich tradition of the 500. I grew up 50 miles from the track and believe me there's nothing like seeing and hearing 33 Indy cars come around the 4th turn onto the straightaway towards the strip of bricks at full throttle. Even if you did, I'm not sure you could even appreciate the magnitude of the moment. These are some of the bravest, skilled drivers on the face of the planet barring F1 drivers. So before you go making ridiculous comments about things you know nothing of, try thinking of what it must REALLY be like. Junior.
Combija @ May 13th 2008 10:48PM
No one is taking anything away from the drivers. I'm a fan of the race myself, however, I must admit that the lack of innovation and variety in engine and chassis manufacturers have made this race and the series in general rather dull.
Again, I'm not doubting the skill, focus, or bravery of an Indy 500 driver. Unfortunately, it takes more than that to entertain and bring excitement to a sport.
Alex @ May 14th 2008 12:36PM
The lack of a variety of engines and manufacturers is what draws me to watching the IRL. There's much more passing and intensity involved with races coming down to the last lap. Look at how the 2007 season ended between Scott and Dario!
Formula 1's 2007 was also an awesome nail-biter between the Lewis and the Iceman but much of the time it's the manufacturers with the most money, like Ferrari and Mclaren-Mercedes who get the top spot. But don't get me wrong, F1 is still the pinnacle of motorsports.
Shado @ May 14th 2008 2:48AM
The lack of engine and body variety is what makes it exciting. Rather than engineers making the perfect car that is leagues ahead of the competition, each car is basically the same so it puts more emphasis on the drivers' skills. The F1 teams that win the races today win because of work done by people you have never even heard of that was completed years ago. Indy is about excellent drivers racing competitive cars, not trained monkeys doing parade laps in cars that completely destroy the competition. No contest racing is boring to me.
Smeagle @ May 14th 2008 6:11AM
Perhaps it's just a matter of taste? I personally prefer LeMans or F1 but I can watch anything that involves somthing with 4 wheels travelling at high speed... Even Nascar
Combija @ May 14th 2008 10:04AM
I believe Smeagle is right. It's certainly a matter of taste. Yes, it's exciting to watch drivers racing each other in equal machines (SpeedCar, Champ Car, IndyCar, GP2).
However, I'm the type that looks forward to a new manufacturer entering Le Mans, a small team like Super Aguri upsetting the factory Honda in F1, or cars in two different classes fighting for an overall win in the ALMS.