20 May 2018

Dixon 8th fastest at Indy

12:56 pm on 20 May 2018

The Auckland motor racing driver Scott Dixon remains in contention to claim pole position for next weekend's Indianapolis 500.

Dixon was eighth fastest in today's qualifying session.

Scott Dixon 2008 Indy 500 winner.

Scott Dixon 2008 Indy 500 winner. Photo: PHOTOSPORT

"It was much better today out there overall for the whole team. The car really felt good today and I was comfortable - I was feeling a lot better than yesterday too, but we're just still lacking some speed to match the tops cars right now in qualifying. The team has been working very hard to make the most out of it and we'll see what the conclusion of qualifying brings tomorrow."

The top nine fastest times from today will stage a shootout tomorrow for pole position.

Dixon won North America's most famous race in 2008.

Three-times winner Helio Castroneves topped qualifying speeds while Danica Patrick assured herself of a spot in the final race of her career.

Brazilian Castroneves, winner in 2001, 2002 and 2009, powered his Penske to a four-lap average speed of 228.919 mph during a morning run as he prepared to chase a fifth Indy 500 pole.

The top nine fastest times from Saturday will stage a shootout on Sunday for pole position.

Patrick will be among those nine as the only woman in the field sneaked into the Fast Nine at ninth at 227.610 mph.

Team Penske have three of the top four positions heading into tomorrow's shootout, Castroneves, Frenchman Simon Pagenaud third and Will Power fourth.

Former pole winner Ed Carpenter broke up the group, finishing second fastest.

Castroneves, who has moved over to race sports cars for Roger Penske and no longer competes full time on the IndyCar circuit, signalled he is ready to fight for an elusive fourth win.

In more than a century of racing at the famed speedway only three men - A.J. Foyt, Al Unser Sr. and Rick Mears - have finished the 500 on Victory Lane four times and with a win next weekend Castroneves would become the first non-American to join that exclusive club.

With 35 cars battling for 33 spots on the starting grid, Bump Day was filled with tension, drama and a one big shock as Canadian James Hinchcliffe failed to qualify.

Hinchcliffe, who after a near-fatal crash in qualifying for the 2015 race came back to grab pole in 2016, was left frustrated sitting in the cockpit of his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda as the clock clicked down, denying him one last attempt at qualifying.

"It's devastating in every way possible," Hinchcliffe said. "We have three cars in the show but unfortunately the fourth one didn't make it but we win as team and lose as a team.

"It is crazy to be here after where we were two years ago. We'll learn from this.Gǥ

There was also disappointment for Briton Pippa Mann, who got out ahead of Hinchcliffe for her final shot but could not coax enough speed out of her Dale Coyne Racing Honda to make the field.