Indianapolis, Ind. — Indy 500 qualifying saw its first true “Bump Day” since 2011, today. The top of the speedway chart is the secondary story, with two cars — both driven by fan favorites — failing to make the field of thirty-three.
Drivers James Hinchcliffe and Pippa Mann find themselves on the outside looking in, for different reasons. After rain twice halted qualifying earlier in the day, Hinch went out to try and make the field and experienced a major wobble in his car, forcing him to return to pit lane for repairs. But the gun that marks the end of qualifying would sound before his #5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports car could make another attempt. Asked about speculation that his team may still secure a spot for him in the 500 by “buying a ride” the Canadian driver indicated he would be open to the prospect — saying, “I’m here to race.” The most recent precedent for such a move in IndyCar is from 2011. Then, Michael Andretti’s Andretti Green Racing did the same for Bump Day victim, Ryan Hunter-Reay.
For Pippa Mann, a part-time driver that competes only in the Indy 500 each year, missing “the show” was for an entirely different reason. At a tearful post-race press conference the 34-year-old British driver said her Dale Coyne Racing team worked late into the night last night, but simply could not find the speed for her car.
As for the fastest cars of the day, three-time winner Helio Castroneves put together the fastest four-lap average early in the session, at 228.919 miles per hour. Indianapolis native, Ed Carpenter, was second-quickest at 228.692 mph, and Frenchman Simon Pagenaud was third fastest at 228.304 mph. The top nine qualifiers today are locked into starting in the first three rows, but will now compete in a single-attempt shootout on Sunday for their starting order. The rest of that top nine are: Will Power, Sebastien Bourdais, Spencer Pigot, Josef Newgarden, Scott Dixon, and former IndyCar star Danica Patrick — who’ll be making her first Indy 500 appearance since 2011.
The rest of the field (positions 10-33) are also guaranteed to start somewhere in rows four through eleven, and will likewise compete again Sunday to determine their position on the grid.
Qualifying resumes Sunday at 2:45 p.m. at The Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The 102nd running of The Indianapolis 500 is Sunday, May 27th on Country 103.9, WRBI.