Indianapolis – Danica Patrick was the fastest driver Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, but she wasn’t fast enough to win the pole for the Indianapolis 500 on May 29.
That honor went to Tony Kanaan because Patrick, a 23-year-old rookie, bobbled slightly in the first turn of her qualifying lap.
Kanaan held onto the top spot throughout the first-of-its-kind qualifying session, and at the end of the day was still thinking about how close Patrick came to making some of the biggest news in the track’s history.
No woman has won the pole at Indy. Patrick ended up fourth, which is the best starting position for a woman (Lyn St. James started sixth in 1994).
“I still thought she had it,” said Kanaan, whose 4-lap average was 227.566 mph, slower than all but one of Patrick’s qualifying laps.
“She really did a great job, and that save, wow, now that was a save.”
Patrick had mixed feelings.
“I feel like I wasted a pole car,” she said. “But then again, maybe I saved it.”
Patrick conceded that she drove the Rahal Letterman Racing car a bit too hard into the first turn, and the back end wiggled on her. She knows she was lucky to keep it pointed straight. The lap ended up being 224.920 mph, easily her slowest.
“I’m surprised the lap was as good as it was,” said team owner Bobby Rahal, the Indy 500 winner in 1986. “She was out of the throttle three times.”
Said Patrick: “It was just a little unstable. We were walking all over the track.”
Patrick’s fastest lap was her last one, a 227.860 that was the day’s best during qualifying. In the morning practice, she produced the month’s best lap at 229.880 to become the fastest woman in Speedway history. Sarah Fisher ran a lap of 229.675 in her 2002 qualifying run, which concluded with a four-lap average of 229.439.
Patrick practiced later in the afternoon but could not duplicate her speed. Each lap was a tick below Kanaan’s average, and team officials decided against withdrawing her car for another try, as was allowed for the first time Sunday.
Patrick wasn’t happy with the decision, but no woman has ever started this race in a better position.
Patrick was easily the star of the Speedway’s show on a day that turned out better than expected. The new format called for 22 positions to be settled, and there were 25 drivers making attempts on a cold day.
Sam Hornish Jr., Dario Franchitti and Helio Castroneves qualified their cars only to withdraw them later in a bid to improve their starting positions.
Hornish’s decision turned out to be the wisest. He went from a speed that would have ended up 12th on the grid to No. 2, his first front-row starting spot at Indy.
For the first time since 1991, the front row is a collection of former Indy-car champions (Kanaan, Hornish and Sharp).
The track will be closed today and Tuesday. Practice resumes Wednesday with the final two rounds of qualifications this weekend.
