Indianapolis 500 Mile Race qualifications were revamped for 2014 to provide more intrigue for viewers and spectators over two days and additional incentive for entries.
Both were realized May 17 as 33 entries made a total of 71 four-lap qualifying attempts in Round 1, with multiple attempts to either crack into or defend their place in the Fast Nine Shootout that will determine the Verizon P1 Award winner May 18 in Round 3. Qualifiers 10-33 also will make another 10-mile run in Round 2 to determine their starting position in the May 25 race. All times/speeds posted May 17 will be erased.
Click it: Round 2 qualifications order
“Every time you get the front row here, at least for the first qualifying, it’s great," said Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indy 500 winner who has started the race from the pole four times. "It was a great battle. Every time we went out there we improved and we hope to continue that for (May 18). When things are new you don’t know what to expect. I was just kind of like excited to find out what’s going to happen but it turned out to be not bad."
ABC will televise qualifications from 1-3 p.m. (ET). Additional coverage is on www.watchespn.com from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and IMS Radio Network coverage is augmented by real-time Timing & Scoring on www.indycar.com and the INDYCAR 14 app. The IMS Radio Network broadcast also can be heard on network affiliates, XM 209 and Sirius 213.
Incentive for entrants and drivers:
Points: Thirty-three points were awarded May 17 to the fastest qualifier (Ed Carpenter) down to one point for 33rd (Buddy Lazier). On May 18, nine points will be awarded to the Verizon P1 Award winner down to one point for ninth in the Fast Nine Shootout. Corresponding points are awards to the entrants.
Pits: Pit selection for the race -- an important and prized commodity -- will be reflective of starting positions.
Prestige: The Verizon P1 Award winner will received a $100,000 bonus in addition to the championship points accrued over the two days. The other front-row starters will earn $30,000 (second) and $25,000 (third).
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race Round 2 Qualifications 101
Group 1 (Positions 10-33) .... 11 a.m.
* All May 17 speeds/times are erased and positions 10-33 will re-qualify to determine starting position.
* Order will be the reverse of May 17 rankings.
* All entries will make one attempt.
* Lineup will be determined based on fastest four-lap average during the session.
Top Nine Shootout ... 2 p.m.
* The top nine entries will run in reverse order based on May 17 rankings.
* All entries will make one attempt.
* At the end of the session, the entries are ranked 1-9 based on their four-lap average during the session.
The order: JR Hildebrand (230.027), Josef Newgarden (230.033), Simon Pagenaud (230.070), Marco Andretti (230.134), Will Power (230.323), James Hinchcliffe (230.407), Helio Castroneves (230.432), Carlos Munoz (230.460), Ed Carpenter (230.661).
"Everybody’s got one shot at it," Carpenter said. "It just comes down to the engineers and the drivers making the right decision, believing in it and going out a laying down four good ones."