By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. In the midst of a tumultuous year, with the pandemic wreaking havoc on lives across the country, the 104th Indianapolis 500 is not only a welcome diversion, it is absolutely necessary. When it was announced that Roger Penske had bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR, I know racing enthusiasts of all stripes were pleased. We all looked forward to see how "The Captain" would transform The Speedway with his trademark vision and detail-oriented execution. And then the pandemic hit, and Roger and his group have had to scramble nonstop to bring about this race that will go off next Sunday, almost three months later than scheduled.
First, there were going to be fans, then there would be a limited number of fans, and finally, the decision was made to go with no fans in attendance. That was a huge blow and something that Penske & Co. wanted to avoid at all costs. And then in an unprecedented move, Roger made the regrettable decision to cut the huge Indianapolis 500 purse in half. Through it all, the team owners, drivers, sponsors and INDYCAR's NBC television partners have stayed the course in support of the long-term health of the sport. And we should all be thankful this is the case.
But thankfully, the on-track story at The Speedway quickly became the story, as Marco Andretti fought challenging, windy conditions and stood on the gas in his No. 98 Andretti Herta Autosport U.S. Concrete/Curb Honda V6 Turbo/Dallara and captured the pole for the the 104th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge with a blistering four-lap average speed of 231.068 mph. It will be the first time in 33 years that an Andretti will lead the field to the start of the "500" since his grandfather Mario did it in 1987.
Andretti was the last driver to go out in the Fast Nine Shootout on Sunday and just edged Scott Dixon (No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing PNC Bank Honda V6 Turbo/Dallara) for the pole. Dixon's four-lap average was 231.051 mph. Takuma Sato (No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Panasonic/PeopleReady Honda Turbo V6/Dallara) completed the all-Honda Front Row with a speed of 230.725 mph, as Honda totally dominated qualifying by powering eight of the first nine starters. The one bright spot for Chevrolet was 19-year-old rookie Rinus VeeKay (No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Sonax Chevrolet Turbo V6/Dallara) who stunned observers with his terrific qualifying performance that was good for the fourth starting position with an average speed of 230.704 mph.
Before you start thinking that it's going to be a Honda runaway in the race, the open practice session after qualifying - with teams flaunting their race day set-ups - indicated that the "500" was going to be a different story, with Chevrolet and Honda teams running very close together in speed (although Marco was quickest again). I expect that next Sunday's Indianapolis 500 will be a competitive shootout that will see incredible passes and a battle between at least ten drivers for the win. But don't be surprised if it comes down to two drivers in particular: Marco Andretti and Scott Dixon.
It has been over 100 years for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" and each new Indianapolis 500 brings new stories and adds new chapters to a glorious history that has endured over time. I look forward to it continuing for years to come.
And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
(Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR)
Marco Andretti will start from the pole for the Indianapolis 500, the first time in 33 years that an Andretti will lead the field to the green in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
(Photo by Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
The Front Row for the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 (R to L): Marco Andretti, pole position (231.068 mph); Scott Dixon (231.051 mph); and Takuma Sato (230.725 mph).
(Photo by Chris Jones/INDYCAR)
Needless to say, a win by Marco would be fantastic for the sport - and the Andretti family.