Will Power proclaimed the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet ready for the arduous Indianapolis 500 Mile Race following a final 60-minute practice session in which the reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion recorded the fastest lap at 229.020 mph.
Power, who won the Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 9 from the pole, is seeking his first victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on May 24.
“There’s quite a few good cars out there that are going to make their way to the front. I think our plan is just to try to stay up there all day,” said Power, who qualified second May 17 with a four-lap average speed of 226.350 mph. “In this session, you’re pretty well set with what you’re going to run. It’s just making some tweaks here and there and practicing pit stops.”
The 33 starters turned 1,195 laps without incident in preparation for the 200-lap race May 24 on the 2.5-mile oval. The session included Tristan Vautier driving the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda. The 2013 Verizon IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year was confirmed earlier in the morning to fill in for Carlos Huertas, who was not medically cleared to drive by INDYCAR because of an inner ear condition.
“It has been a roller coaster of emotions,” said Vautier, who qualified the No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda in place of JD Davison, who had a sports car commitment in Canada. “With one hour of practice, we made the most out of it we could and we’ll be ready for the race.”
The top four qualifiers for the race were the top four in the practice session. Scott Dixon, who earned the Verizon P1 Award for the pole position May 17 in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, was second on the speed chart (228.5785).
Tony Kanaan, who will mark his 300th Indy car start in the race, was third (228.490 mph), and Simon Pagenaud was fourth quick (228.458) in the No. 22 Avaya Team Penske Chevrolet. Pagenaud will start on the outside of Row 1 and Kanaan qualified fourth in the No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet.
Takuma Sato, who qualified 24th in the No. 14 ABC Supply Co. AJ Foyt Racing Honda, was fifth fast (228.242). The crew of the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet of Verizon IndyCar Series championship points leader Juan Pablo Montoya, the 2000 Indy 500 winner, worked through a boost sensor issue for much of the session. He turned a fast lap of 226.022 mph.
The ABC telecast of the Indianapolis 500 starts at 11 a.m. (ET) May 24.
