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Written by:
Jeff Olson
Senior writer, RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com/speedtv
Senior writer, RACER Magazine http://www.racer.com/speedtv
05/10/2008 - 05:54 PM
Indianapolis, Ind.
Scott Dixon and Target Chip Ganassi Racing played their cards perfectly on Pole Day. (LAT photo) ยป More Photos
The drama of the day came down to two teammates and an owner eager to start the Indianapolis 500 from the pole position and not afraid to gamble to get it.
Scott Dixon withdrew a record-setting run to regain the pole position Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, then withstood the challenge of teammate Dan Wheldon, who himself withdrew a front-row spot to run for the pole as the final minutes ticked away. In the end, Dixon unflappably handled the drama to win the pole for the 92nd running of the Indy 500.
“Among the drivers, this means a lot,“ Dixon said. “If you talk to the drivers out there, they’ll tell you how on the limit you are (for qualifying at Indy). I don’t think the general person out there realizes that stuff. Between the small group of drivers, it means a lot. You’re right on the limit and giving it your all. It’s definitely right at the top of the list of accomplishments.“
Wheldon tried to top Dixon’s four-lap average of 226.366 mph in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara-Honda but came up just short with a run of 226.110 mph in the No. 10 Ganassi Dallara-Honda. Team Penske teammates Ryan Briscoe and Helio Castroneves will start third and fourth, respectively, followed by Andretti Green Racing teammates Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti.
It is Dixon’s third pole of the season, following those at Homestead-Miami
Above all, it was the team‘s most dominating and gutsy Indy qualifying performance on record.
“It’s easy to make calls that other people think take courage or big balls or whatever you want to call it,“ Ganassi said. “It’s easy to make those calls when you’ve got great cars and great drivers and a great team behind you. We’ve been playing poker here for a lot of years. Sometimes you’re holding all the aces and sometimes you’re bluffing. It just so happened today that we had a good hand. We had all the aces.”
Wheldon withdrew his third-place starting position with 21 minutes left in the session to challenge Dixon for the pole. Wheldon’s first lap was better than Dixon’s four-lap average, but the ensuing three laps dropped his average just below Dixon’s. However, Wheldon’s effort was fast enough to move him past Briscoe into second place on the starting grid.
“To be one and two is a pretty impressive feat,” Wheldon said. “I’m a little disappointed for myself, but the biggest thing is to be happy for the team. They did a terrific job.”
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