Category: NTT Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 25, 2022) – Thirteen of INDYCAR’s top pit crews will compete for more than $100,000 in prizes as the Ruoff Mortgage Pit Stop Challenge returns to Miller Lite Carb Day on Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The traditional Carb Day competition will be held for the first time since 2019, when the crew of Arrow McLaren SP’s Marcus Ericsson was victorious. Ruoff Mortgage, which serves as the primary partner of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES’ Fastest Seat in Sports, will extend its INDYCAR SERIES involvement by serving as the event’s sponsor.

“What better way to welcome back fans to Miller Lite Carb Day than to bring back the Ruoff Mortgage Pit Stop Challenge,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing is a team sport, and this contest showcases how important pit stops are to helping their team win the Indy 500 on Sunday.”

Participating pit crews – representing seven different teams – qualified for this year’s Ruoff Mortgage Pit Stop Challenge via pit stop performance in NTT INDYCAR SERIES races since the 2021 Indy 500, their ranking in the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES entrant standings or as a one-off Indianapolis 500 entrant.

Crews will compete head-to-head in single-round eliminations for the first three rounds of the competition in which they are required to change four tires and simulate refueling.

The top three ranked squads – top-seeded No. 2 Team Penske, second seed No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing and third seed No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing – earned byes to the quarterfinals.

In the championship round, the last two teams will meet in a best-of-three series, with teams alternating lanes in the first two races.

The winning crew and driver will share a $50,000 bonus, custom-designed rings from Jostens and a variety of other prizes.

First Round (Team listed first has lane choice)

#12 Team Penske (Will Power) vs. #10 Chip Ganassi Racing (Alex Palou)

#5 Arrow McLaren SP (Pato O’Ward) vs. #23 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Santino Ferrucci)

#26 Andretti Autosport with Curb-Agajanian (Colton Herta) vs. #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Jack Harvey)

#24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing (Sage Karam) vs. #7 Arrow McLaren SP (Felix Rosenqvist)

#20 Ed Carpenter Racing (Conor Daly) vs. #28 Andretti Autosport (Romain Grosjean)

Quarterfinals (Team listed first has lane choice unless noted)

Q1: #2 Team Penske (Josef Newgarden) vs. Power/Palou winner

Q2: O’Ward/Ferrucci winner vs. Herta/Harvey winner (Fastest first-round time has lane choice)

Q3: #9 Chip Ganassi Racing (Scott Dixon) vs. Karam/Rosenqvist winner

Q4: #15 Rahal Letterman Racing (Graham Rahal) vs. Daly/Grosjean winner

Semifinals (Fastest quarterfinal time has lane choice)

S1: Q1 winner vs. Q2 winner

S2: Q3 winner vs. Q4 winners

Finals (Best-of-Three Series)

S1 winner vs. S2 winner

Team Penske leads the Challenge with a combined 17 wins. Helio Castroneves is the winningest driver in the competition with eight titles.

Coverage of the Ruoff Mortgage Pit Stop Challenge begins at 2:30 p.m. (ET) and will be available on Peacock Premium.

INDIANAPOLIS (Wednesday, May 25, 2022) – WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil will make his return to The Racing Capital of the World as grand marshal of the Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light on Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

O’Neil, who took part in pre-race festivities last year, will address Race Day’s biggest party from the Snake Pit stage before the Green Flag waves for the start of the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.

“The Snake Pit is returning in style with an all-star lineup ready to celebrate one of Race Day’s loudest and most unique traditions,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “The atmosphere will be electric, and Titus is the perfect person to help us amp up the energy in Turn 3 from start to finish.”

Said O’Neil: “Having the opportunity to return to this racing spectacle at full capacity as Snake Pit grand marshal is truly an honor. I fully expect to not only be overtaken by the revelry of this event but also contribute to the energy and excitement of the Snake Pit as race fans from all different backgrounds descend upon Indianapolis. It’s going to be electric!”

A WWE Hall of Famer, former WWE Tag Team Champion and the first-ever 24/7 Champion, O’Neil has flattened many a WWE Superstar since emerging in NXT in 2010, and he brings that same determination to his many commitments outside the ring.

O’Neil is an accomplished athlete, philanthropist and entertainer who has a heart for youth and the community. He was a USA Today Parade All American in high school football before playing college football at the University of Florida. His football career took him to stops professionally in the NFL and AFL before transitioning into professional wrestling.

Outside of the ring, his passion has helped thousands of kids and raised thousands for scholarships and millions for non-profit organizations such as the United Way, Susan G. Komen and the Special Olympics.

As part of the Indy 500 Snake Pit, Superstar DJ and producer Martin Garrix will headline a stellar lineup of global electronic music artists, including deadmau5, Galantis, Steve Aoki and Yellow Claw. Performances begin early in the morning in the infield adjacent to Turn 3 of the IMS oval.

General admission and VIP tickets for the Snake Pit are on sale for $75 and $200 at www.ims.com. VIP amenities will include access to a raised viewing platform, a private cash bar and private air-conditioned restrooms.

All Snake Pit ticketholders must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid Indy 500 general admission or reserved seat ticket. Ticket holders should be prepared to show proper identification to enter the concert.

Packages that include Race Day general admission tickets are available. A package featuring general admission to the Indianapolis 500 and Snake Pit is $120, while a race general admission and Snake Pit VIP package is $245. Prices increase on Race Day.

NBC’s live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts at 11 a.m. (ET) Sunday, May 29.

Visit ims.com to purchase tickets for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 29 and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.

16 Chevrolet-powered entries set for ‘Greatest Spectacle in Racing’

DETROIT (May 25, 2022) – Chevrolet is enjoying one of its best starts to an NTT INDYCAR SERIES season so far this year. What could make it better? Try another victory in the Indianapolis 500 and the sweet taste of winning at the Brickyard.

A total of 16 Chevrolet-powered entries – led by Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus Veekay on the front row – will follow the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pace car driven by Sarah Fisher to the start line and take the green flag for Sunday’s race on NBC and virtually every major sports channel around the world. Already with four victories in six races, Team Chevy would like nothing better than to win the Indy 500 for the fourth time since 2012 and capture its 100th victory in the V6 era of INDYCAR racing.

“The NTT INDYCAR SERIES races at some of the best tracks and puts on some of the best events in all of motorsports,” said Rob Buckner, Chevrolet Program Manager for INDYCAR. “But there isn’t anything that compares to the Indianapolis 500. That’s especially true if you are fortunate to win it, which we have done multiple times with our twin-turbo V6 engine. After months of hard work and hundreds of laps in the lead-up to Sunday, our teams are prepared and ready.

“Winning the Indy 500 is an incredible feat in and of itself. But to have the chance to make this year’s running the 100th INDYCAR victory for the Chevrolet V6 engine is an even more special opportunity. We’ve already won races this year and lead the Engine Manufacturer Championship. We’d like nothing better to hit the century mark with our fifth Indy 500 win since 2012.”

Two Team Chevy drivers – Team Penske’s Will Power and Arrow McLaren SP’s Juan Pablo Montoya – know what it’s like to kiss the yard of bricks and take the traditional winner’s drink of milk in Victory Lane. Montoya, driver of the No. 6 McLaren Chevrolet, is a two-time winner having claimed victory in 2000 and 2015. Power will try to win with his No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet and add to his triumph in 2018.

For the second year in a row, Veekay will be on the front row Sunday in his No. 21 Bitcoin Racing with Bitnile Chevrolet after setting the third-fastest time in qualifying. Teammate and team owner Ed Carpenter will start fourth.

While at the Indianapolis 500, Team Chevy fans can enjoy all that the Chevrolet display, located near the Pagoda plaza, has to offer. Included in the display activities will be six Q&A sessions with some of the star Chevrolet drivers throughout Friday.

• 9:30-9:45 a.m.: Ed Carpenter Racing – Ed Carpenter, Rinus Veekay and Conor Daly

• 9:45-10:00 a.m.: Arrow McLaren SP – Pato O’Ward, Felix Rosenqvist and Juan Pablo Montoya

• 1:30-1:45 p.m.: DragonSpeed/Cusick Motorsports – Stefan Wilson

• 1:45-2:00 p.m.: Dreyer & Reinbold Racing – Sage Karam and Santino Ferrucci

• 2:00-2:15 p.m.: AJ Foyt Racing – Dalton Kellett, Kyle Kirkwood and JR Hildebrand

• 2:15-2:30 p.m.: Juncos Hollinger Racing – Callum Illott

The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 a.m. Sunday. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include:

• 2023 Corvette Z06

• Corvette Stingray R concept

• Corvette Stingray

• Chevrolet electrical models Bolt EV, Bolt EUV and Silverado EV

• Additional Chevrolet products such as Blazer RS, Silverado 2500 HD, Silverado 1500 ZR2, Trailblazer ACTIV, Silverado 1500 MCM LT Trailboss, Traverse High Country, Tahoe Z71 and Camaro ZL1

• A cutaway chassis of the 2023 Corvette Z06 and IndyCar showcar

• An opportunity to receive a 2022 Chevrolet Racing t-shirt

Chevrolet and the NTT INDYCAR Series continue the 2022 season with the Indianapolis 500 at 12:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 29 from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race will air live on NBC, the Peacock streaming service and SiriusXM IndyCar Nation (Channel 160) beginning at 11 a.m. ET. Live timing and scoring will be available at racecontrol.indycar.com.

TEAM CHEVY QUOTES

JOSEF NEWGARDEN, NO. 2 SHELL CHEVROLET, TEAM PENSKE: “I’m very excited to get to the ‘race’ part of this month. I think we have really strong racecars, especially with Team Chevy. They’ve really backed us tremendously this season and we feel really confident we can win this race together. With their support and the Shell Fuel Rewards car, I think we can challenge for the win. It’s going to be a long day. We need to be methodical about the way we move forward. I think patience is going to pay off. It’s the same game every year. We have to get to the finish and we have to position ourselves in the final stint. If we’re in position, then we’ll look to capitalize on a victory together with everybody.”

SANTINO FERRUCCI, NO. 23 PALERMO’S CHEVROLET, DRYER & REINBOLD RACING: “I’m very excited about Sunday’s race, especially after running in race trim. Dreyer & Reinbold Racing always puts together a strong race car. That is one of the reasons I came to the team this year. While we thought we would be a little stronger in qualifying, starting on the outside of the fifth row is not a bad position for the race. We have a good strategy for adjustments in the race and we will make another small change in ‘Carb Day’ practice. It looks like the weather will be a little warmer for Sunday and could play into our hands. We worked early last week on race settings, and I’m pleased how things went for our No. 23 car. Now, we’ll be ready to move to the front of the field when the green flag drops.”

SAGE KARAM, NO. 24 AES INDIANA CHEVROLET, DRYER & REINBOLD RACING: “It is hard to believe that this race will be my ninth 500. And to be honest, this year’s No. 24 car might be my best in race trim. We felt good in Monday’s practice running on full tanks and in traffic. That is all we concentrated on during the two hours, ‘How was the car in traffic?’ We came into last week’s practice runs as prepared as our team has ever been after the April two-day test. We learned a lot about the car then. And we continued to translate that info into this month’s runs. Qualifying was a little wild with weather changes and the wind moving around so much. Looking on Sunday’s weather, it could be pretty warm, which I like. Our car has performed well in the races here when we get hotter track temps. So we are ready for Sunday’s race.”

BY THE NUMBERS: Chevrolet in INDYCAR

· 1: Chevrolet’s position in the INDYCAR Engine Manufacturer standings after three races

· 2: Consecutive front-row starts in the Indianapolis 500 for Rinus Veekay of Ed Carpenter Racing

· 2: Team Chevy drivers in this year’s race who have won the Indy 500: Juan Pablo Montoya (2000 and 2015) and Will Power (2018)

· 2: Indianapolis 500 rookies in Chevrolet-powered entries: Kyle Kirkwood for AJ Foyt Racing and Callum Illot for Juncos Hollinger Racing

· 4: Wins at the Indianapolis 500 for Chevrolet-powered teams since 2012

· 4: Consecutive victories by Chevrolet to open the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin won the pole and race at St. Petersburg. Penske teammate Josef Newgarden won at Texas and Long Beach, and Pato O’Ward was victorious at Barber Motorsport Park for Arrow McLaren SP

· 6: Different Chevrolet drivers to win races dating back to the start of 2020. Scott McLaughlin was the most recent at St. Petersburg

· 6: Number of Manufacturer Championships in the NTT INDYCAR Series since 2012

· 6: Number of Team Chevy Driver/Entrant championships since 2012

· 9: Wins from pole by Will Power with Chevrolet power since 2012, most by any driver

· 13: Consecutive seasons with at least one win by Will Power, including past 10 with Chevrolet

· 18: Wins by Roger Penske-owned entries in the Indy 500 since 1972

· 25: Wins by Will Power since 2012. All have come with Chevrolet, giving him the most of any driver with same manufacturer

· 39: Pole starts by Will Power since 2012 in a Chevrolet-powered car, most of any driver

· 99: Chevrolet victories in NTT INDYCAR SERIES since 2012

· 108: Earned poles by Chevrolet since 2012

· 170: NTT INDYCAR SERIES races as V6 engine supplier since 2012 return to INDYCAR

Chevrolet in the 2022 Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

Chevrolet has a storied history with Indianapolis Motor Speedway as an engine manufacturer, provider of the pace car, entrant and even drivers.

Chevrolet was co-founded in 1911 by Louis Chevrolet, the year of the inaugural 500-Mile Race. He competed in the ‘500’ four times, with a best finish of seventh in 1919. His brother, Arthur, competed in the 1911 and 1916 races and his other brother, Gaston, won in 1920 and finished 10th in 1919.

Louis Chevrolet was also the owner of the 1921-winning car driven by Tommy Milton.

The Louis Chevrolet Memorial is located just west of the entrance to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Inscribed on the pedestal that holds a bust of Louis Chevrolet is his motto “Never Give Up.”

Wins (11)

1988: Rick Mears

1989: Emerson Fittipaldi

1990: Arie Luyendyk

1991: Rick Mears

1992: Al Unser, Jr.

1993: Emerson Fittipaldi

2002: Helio Castroneves

2013: Tony Kanaan

2015: Juan Pablo Montoya

2018: Will Power

2019: Simon Pagenaud

Wins by other General Motors brands (5 – Oldsmobile)

1997: Arie Luyendyk

1998: Eddie Cheever

1999: Kenny Brack

2000: Juan Pablo Montoya

2001: Helio Castroneves

Winning team owners with Chevrolet entries this year

Roger Penske: 18 – first in 1972, last in 2019

A.J. Foyt: 3 – driver-owner in 1967, ’77; owner in 1999

Front-row starters since 2012 with Chevrolet entry

2022: Third – Rinus VeeKay

2021: Third – Rinus VeeKay

2019: First – Simon Pagenaud. Second – Ed Carpenter. Third – Spencer Pigot

2018: First – Ed Carpenter. Second – Simon Pagenaud. Third – Will Power

2017: Second – Ed Carpenter

2016: Second – Josef Newgarden

2015: First – Scott Dixon. Second – Will Power. Third – Simon Pagenaud

2014: First – Ed Carpenter. Third – Will Power

2013: First – Ed Carpenter. Second – Carlos Munoz. Third – Marco Andretti

2012: First – Ryan Briscoe. Second – James Hinchcliffe. Third – Ryan Hunter-Reay

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

INDIANAPOLIS (Tuesday, May 24, 2022) – Miles Teller, star of blockbuster action movies and character-driven independent films, will serve as honorary starter for the 106th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, waving the green flag Sunday, May 29 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Teller stars as Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, son of the beloved “Goose,” in Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick” with Tom Cruise, the sequel to “Top Gun.” The film will be released nationwide May 27. He also can be seen in the making of “The Godfather” series, “The Offer,” for Paramount+.

“Miles is no stranger to action-packed roles, and waving the green flag for the 33 drivers racing for history will provide him with a similar adrenaline-fueled experience,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “We’re happy to welcome him to ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Racing’ for a day he’ll never forget.”

This summer, Teller will also appear in the science-fiction thriller “Spiderhead,” an adaptation of a George Saunders short story that first was published in The New Yorker and was later included in the author’s book “Tenth of December.”

In 2014, Teller starred opposite JK Simmons in the Sony Pictures Classics critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated drama, “Whiplash.” The hit film received the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award at Sundance and the Deauville Film Festival, and landed Teller a Best Actor nomination at the 2014 Gotham Awards.

Teller began reaching critical success after starring in the James Ponsoldt film, “The Spectacular Now,” for which he won the Dramatic Special Jury Award for Acting at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. He made his feature film debut in 2010 in “Rabbit Hole,” after being picked for the role by co-star Nicole Kidman.

Live coverage of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge starts at 11 a.m. (ET) Sunday, May 29 on NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network.

Visit ims.com to purchase tickets for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and for more information on the complete Month of May schedule at IMS.

INDIANAPOLIS (Monday, May 23, 2022) – Alex Palou finished a close second in the 2021 Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge and qualified second Sunday for this year’s race, but he jumped to the top spot in practice Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, continuing a magical Month of May for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou led with a top lap of 229.441 mph in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. He was the pacesetter of four Ganassi team cars in the top five.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon, who earned the NTT P1 Award for his fifth Indy 500 pole Sunday, was second at 229.000 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and “500” rookie Jimmie Johnson was third at 228.467 in the No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato was the only non-Ganassi driver inside the top five, fourth at 228.381 in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda fielded by Dale Coyne Racing with RWR. Marcus Ericsson rounded out the top five at 228.017 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, as Honda-powered drivers swept the top five spots on the 2.5-mile oval.

Chip Ganassi Racing drivers occupied four of the top six spots in qualifying, with all five of its drivers in the top 12 of the starting grid for the 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge this Sunday (11 a.m. ET, NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo, INDYCAR Radio Network).

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden was the fastest Chevrolet-powered driver, sixth at 226.962 in the No. 2 Shell Team Penske Chevrolet.

Veteran Dalton Kellett became the first driver during “500” practice or qualifying this month to make significant contact with the wall. At 2:27 p.m., Kellett did a half-spin in Turn 1 and made heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier with the left side of his No. 4 K-LINE/AJ FOYT RACING Chevrolet. The car incurred heavy damage, but Toronto-area native Kellett was unhurt in the accident.

All 33 drivers in the starting field participated in the session, which featured plenty of traffic. The field combined to turn 2,602 laps in just two hours, with Sato leading the laps completed column with 106.

The 2.5-mile IMS oval will stay quiet until Friday, when the Miller Lite Carb Day practice takes place from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. It’s the final session before “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday.

CHEVROLET RACING IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING FULL PACKAGE
MAY 22, 2022

RINUS VEEKAY PUTS CHEVROLET POWER ON FRONT ROW FOR 106TH INDIANAPOLIS 500
SEVERE WEATHER COMPLICATED FAST FRIDAY

RINUS VEEKAY POSTS THIRD-FASTEST FOUR-LAP AVERAGE QUALIFYING SPEED TO PUT CHEVROLET ON FRONT ROW FOR THE 106TH INDIANAPOLIS 500 ON SUNDAY
BOSS AND TEAMMATE ED CARPENTER WILL START FOURT
A TOTAL OF 16 CHEVROLET-POWERED DRIVERS WILL START

INDIANAPOLIS (MAY 22, 2022) – And…now we race. After an exciting Top-12 qualifying round, followed immediately by a record-breaking Firestone Fast Six, the field is now set for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500. Team Chevy’s Rinus VeeKay laid down the third fastest time and will start on the outside of the first row with a four-lap average of 233.385 MPH.

The driver of the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team with BitNile Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet will lead a 16-car contingent of Chevrolet 2.2 liter V6 twin turbocharged powered drivers in Sunday’s 106th Indianapolis 500.

VeeKay’s boss and teammate Ed Carpenter also transferred from the top-12 to the Firestone Fast Six. Behind the wheel of the No. 33 Alzamend Neuro Chevrolet, Carpenter laid down the fourth fastest four-lap average of 233.385 mph to nail down the inside of the second row.

Scott Dixon won the pole with the second fastest four-lap average in track history – 234.046 mph. Alex Palou will start in the middle of the front row. The second row is completed by Marcus Ericsson in the middle and Tony Kanaan outside.

The remaining Team Chevy drivers from the Top-12 flight were:

Pato O’Ward, No.5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – Seventh

Felix Rosenqvist, No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet – Eighth

Will Power, No. 12 Verizon 5G Team Penske Chevrolet – 11th

Romain Grojean, Takuma Sato, will start ninth and 10th with Jimmie Johnson starting 12th.

The remaining 11 Chevrolet-powered drivers start as follows:

Josef Newgarden 14th

Santino Ferrucci 15th

JR Hildebrand 17th

Conor Daly 18th

Callum Ilott 19th

Sage Karam 22nd

Scott McLaughlin 26th

Kyle Kirkwood 28th

Dalton Kellett 29th

Juan Pablo Montoya 30th

Stefan Wilson 33rd

The 200-lap 106th running Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge around the famed 2.5-mile oval is scheduled to take the green flag Sunday, May 29th at 12:45 pm EDT with flag-to-flag coverage on NBC.

TEAM CHEVY QUOTES

RINUS VEEKAY, NO. 21 BITCOIN RACING TEAM WITH BITNILE CHEV/ROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING: “I’m very happy with qualifying. Looking at yesterday, I think I and many people expected me as a hot prospect for the pole. I gave it all I had out there. We could’ve maybe found some speed to get second in qualifying, but Scott (Dixon) was just very fast and a little bit out of our league! I’m very proud that Ed (Carpenter) and I are very fast. Fastest Chevy in Indy 500 qualifying, third year in a row. Happy me!”

ED CARPENTER, NO. 33 ALZAMEND NEURO CHEVROLET, ED CARPENTER RACING:

“We’re in a really good spot for next week. Not ultimately where we wanted to be, but at the same time, it’s great that Rinus is starting third, then fourth for me! That’s the same as last year, so I’ve got a little deja vu here. It’s great to be able to put some Chevrolets in the fight and show off the hard work and dedication of the ECR crew and have a BitNile and an Alzamend Neuro up front. We’re in a good spot for next Sunday and we can do work from there!”

PATO O’WARD, NO. 5 ARROW McLAREN SP CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN SP:

“I was extremely happy with my car man. I think it’s probably the best balance that we’ve had in qualifying. We need to dig into what really happened and why we randomly just lost speed from one day to another. It’s the same on the 7 side. We’ll just look at that, but the 5 guys did a great job. They gave me a great car. We just kept getting better and better, so I’m really happy and this is a great position for the race. It’s so, so long; 500 miles. Yeah, I’m not worried. This is a great spot to work from.”

FELIX ROSENQVIST, NO. 7 VUSE ARROW McLAREN SP CHEVROLET, ARROW McLAREN RACING SP:

“Mixed feelings I’d say. I don’t think we could have been in the top-six today. I think Pato (O’ward) showed that. We had some issue this morning. We lost a lot of speed and kind of have to go to plan C into qualifying to change all of our gears and everything to match the lower speed that we suddenly had. We still don’t know why we lost speed, but we are pretty happy to be P8 instead of P12 I’d say. That’s kind of what it felt like when we started the day. It was a good run. I think we did everything we could with our run and honestly pretty gnarly, so good fun. Yeah, third row. I mean you can win from there, we’re good.”

WILL POWER, NO. 12 VERIZON 5G TEAM PENSKE CHEVROLET:

“Really stoked to get the Verizon 5G Chevrolet in the Top-12. I would love to make a run for the pole, but we are so much better than we were last year, we will focus on improving our race car and be ready for Sunday. We have strong Chevy power so I’m looking forward to a good race.

Rinus Veekay

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everybody. Wrapping up qualifying for the 106th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Again, Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, and Rinus Veekay make up the front row.

Joined as well by Rinus VeeKay, drives the No. 21 machine for Ed Carpenter Racing.

Just some opening thoughts, and I’ll begin with this. So many accolades coming with today’s qualifying run, but we can confirm that this is also the quickest front row in Indianapolis 500 history with a four-lap average amongst the three at 233.643 miles an hour. That just edges out the 96 front row at 233.233 miles an hour. Pretty fast, right? Congratulations.

Rinus, we’ll start with you. You’re the one paying attention. Just your thoughts on being back in the front row. Obviously, a second front row for you in the Indianapolis 500.

RINUS VEEKAY: Very proud to be in the front row again. Haven’t qualified worse than fourth in my three qualifying attempts at the 500, so very proud of that, especially at my age.

Yeah, I think as a team, we maximized everything we had. We made all the right decisions, and I had the best car I’ve had in qualifying weekends during the Fast 6 qualifying, so that shows how on point we were today. The car was fast.

Q. How do you go out there and go 233, 234 miles an hour?

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, I was actually pretty nervous for today. I knew there was, well, many people counted on me to go for the pole position, so we were very fast yesterday. Of course, a bit lucky with the draw and driving in cold conditions, but, yeah, having to go two times today was not ideal.

The first run just, like Scott’s, was very much on the limit. I could stay flat, but turn four was, yeah, very close to disaster, but stayed flat. Then we changed the car. Took some downforce out for the Fast 6 and really matched the balance of how I liked it. I was more comfortable in my Fast 6 run than my Fast 12 run.

Q. One more for Rinus. How do you break through that gaggle of Ganassi guys and win the race?

RINUS VEEKAY: Well, try to count on my experience that I got in Texas and in the race here last year. Of course, I was very pumped leading the race last year, and I think the second or third lap, but it really only counts at lap 200, so really I think we have to make sure we stay out of trouble, stay in the top five always, and yeah, just make sure we save some cars for the end.

Q. Real quickly, for Rinus. When you see those numbers pop up for him and you are sitting there, because you’re not racing against each other. He is out there running; you guys are watching. What is it like, I guess, to know you can’t go back out there and do it again?

RINUS VEEKAY: It’s unique about Indy 500 qualifying. I think really after my run and knowing Scott wasn’t going to go out, I expected him to improve my time. And, yeah, seeing his first lap, I knew it was going to be very, very hard for him to actually make a mistake and finish and qualify behind me.

Q. For all three of you: There were two eight-minute “work periods” with a two pray lap in between. How much were you able to adjust your cars from the first run to the second run to fine-tune them that much more to the Nth-degree?

RINUS VEEKAY: I think we made some minor changes. Really some balance changes, but nothing crazy on the car. We knew what we had was pretty good. We didn’t have to step too far away from what we had, so we basically tried to straighten out the balance a little bit, and that’s exactly what we’ve done.

ALEX PALOU: (Speaking Spanish).

Q. I have one question for Rinus. If you could for the benefit of the assembled media, could you pronounce your full name and the name of your hometown?

RINUS VEEKAY: So my full name is Rinus van Kalmthout, and the name of my hometown is Hoofddorp.

THE MODERATOR: That might be the easiest question of the month. Well done.

RINUS VEEKAY: I knew that just from when I could talk.

Q. The format of having to do two four-lap runs in basically less than two hours to win the pole, it seemed like that was somewhat born of there being 33 cars and no bumping, but now that you guys have done it, even if they had more than 33 cars, should they keep this kind of format?

RINUS VEEKAY: I think it’s around even. Everything has its positive and negative sides, but I think it definitely brings more excitement, especially when there’s no bump day, but I think for the drivers it’s more nerve-wracking. If I could choose, I would go back to fast lane qualifying.

Q. Obviously, got a question for the young man from the village in the Netherlands. Rinus, second front row start in a row. Your third time in the Fast 9. Is there anything you learned from the first two times in terms of process and mental prep to get yourself ready and in the zone for today and those very important qualifying runs?

RINUS VEEKAY: I think I definitely have learned from my past two qualifying runs in the previous years. Of course, I have kind of done this before, and I have had a very sketchy moment last year in 2021.

It’s not going to be easy to qualify high up the order, so you’ve got to be at the edge, and sometimes people go over the edge to find the sweet spot. I think I felt really comfortable finding that sweet spot. I was never this encouraging of a team to go further on trimming, and I think confidence-wise it definitely felt very cool in the car.

THE MODERATOR: We’ll wrap things up. I’ll throw out one more stat for everyone. We’ve been crunching the numbers. Based on the 32 qualifying speeds this year, this is also the fastest field in Indianapolis 500 history. Just eclipsing last year’s speed. This year’s speed average 231.023 miles an hour. Last year was 230.294.

A little bit of history this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Congratulations to the fastest front row in 500 history. Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, and Rinus VeeKay. Thanks, everyone.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

120569-1-1878 2022-05-23 00:06:00 GMT

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INDIANAPOLIS (Sunday, May 22, 2022) – Scott Dixon further cemented his legend as one of the greatest-ever INDYCAR SERIES drivers, earning his fifth career Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge pole Sunday with the fastest four-lap average speed for a pole sitter in the century-plus history of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

As the last driver on track in the Firestone Fast Six, six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Dixon delivered the drama with a four-lap average speed of 234.046 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon, from Auckland, New Zealand, earned a $100,000 for the NTT P1 Award and is just one shy of four-time Indy winner Rick Mears for the most poles in “500” history.

“That’s what this place is about; it’s so amazing,” Dixon said. “It’s crazy. This PNC Bank No. 9 crew and Honda, they brought it today. Just so happy for everybody.”

Dixon’s run broke the all-time pole record speed of 233.718 set in 1996 by Scott Brayton. Arie Luyendyk set the all-time four-lap qualifying average speed record of 236.986 in 1996, but his run came on the second day of qualifications and wasn’t eligible for the pole.

Chip Ganassi Racing earned its first 1-2 start at Indianapolis since 2008 – when Dixon earned his sole victory in the race from pole and Dan Wheldon started second – as reigning series champion Alex Palou qualified second at 233.499 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Dixon and Palou led four Ganassi drivers in the Firestone Fast Six final qualifying session.

“To get five of our cars into the fast 12 and four into the (Firestone Fast) Six, I hope Chip has a smile on his face.,” Dixon said. “That definitely deserves a smile.”

Rinus VeeKay took the last spot in the front row for the second consecutive year, qualifying third at 233.385 in the No. 21 Bitcoin Racing Team with BitNile Chevrolet fielded by Ed Carpenter Racing.

This is the fastest front row in Indy 500 history, with an average speed of 233.643, breaking the record of 233.233 set in 1996.

ECR owner-driver Ed Carpenter will start fourth in the No. 33 Alzamend Neuro Chevrolet after his run of 233.080.

Chip Ganassi Racing put four of its five drivers in the first two rows. Marcus Ericsson will start fifth after a run of 232.764 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, with 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan qualifying sixth at 232.372 in the No. 1 The American Legion Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

The third and fourth rows were set during Top 12 qualifying, the first time-trial session of the afternoon.

Row three will consist of Pato O’Ward (seventh) in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet, Felix Rosenqvist (eighth) in the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet and Romain Grosjean (ninth) in the No. 28 DHL Honda. Formula One veteran Grosjean will be the highest-starting and fastest “500” rookie in the field.

The fourth row features two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato (10th) in the No. 51 Nurtec ODT Honda, 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power (11th) in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and “500” rookie Jimmie Johnson (12th) in the No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Dixon opened the two rounds of qualifying today by leading the Top 12 qualifying session, for the 12 quickest drivers during qualifying Saturday, with a four-lap average speed of 233.510. VeeKay was second at 233.429.

Johnson produced the biggest show for the fans – and elicited the most gasps from pit lane – during Lap 1 of his four-lap run. His car veered toward the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2, and he narrowly avoided contact with a major power slide at 230 mph, keeping control of his machine and finishing his run.

“Just trying to find that right balance in the race car,” Johnson said. “These guys are so good at what they do. In these trickier conditions, I just need more experience.”

Up next is a two-hour practice session for all 33 starters from 1-3 p.m. (ET) Monday, with live coverage on Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Then it’s on to the final practice before the race, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, May 27 on Miller Lite Carb Day.

The 106th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 29, with live coverage starting at 11 a.m. on NBC, Telemundo Deportes on Universo and the INDYCAR Radio Network.