Motorsports

Kanaan plays it cool amid Indy chaos

The veteran earns the 500 pole as some try three times and Danica Patrick qualifies fourth.

By Times Staff
Published May 16, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS - Tony Kanaan, a well-known garage jokester, got serious Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The prank-playing Brazilian didn't fool around in going out early in the day and grabbing the pole for the May 29 Indianapolis 500 in his No.11 Dallara-Honda.

His four-lap average speed was 227.566 mph.

In doing so, he spoiled Danica Patrick's fairy-tale first trip to Indy. Fans had waited to see history made at Indy as rookie Patrick attempted to become the first woman to claim the pole for the world's most prestigious race.

Patrick qualified her No.16 Rahal Letterman Racing entry fourth, on the inside of the second row, at 227.004 mph, after scaring herself when the car got loose on the first lap of her qualifying run.

Two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves, who had qualified his No.3 Team Penske fourth, withdrew the attempt and made a late charge at the pole with minutes remaining in qualifying. The gamble backfired, handing Patrick, who had been fifth fastest, the fourth spot, as Castroneves settled for fifth at 226.927.

"I would not be sleeping tonight if I didn't try (the final run)," Castroneves told the Detroit Free Press .

Kanaan's best starting position at Indy was in 2003, when he qualified second and finished third. Kanaan is the defending Indy Racing League champion and was second in last year's 500.

In his second attempt of the day, Sam Hornish of Team Penske qualified second at 227.273, and Scott Sharp, who took the day's first run, was third fastest at 227.126.

"I'm pleased with my run," said Kanaan, who drives for the powerful Andretti Green Racing team. "We had a chance to try the car in the morning, and I liked it."

He still had a nervous day, waiting out all of the drivers, some making two or even three attempts.

Patrick sought driving immortality Sunday. Except for the big wiggle in her car at the beginning of her run, she might have achieved it.

"Just got loose and almost spun," Patrick said. "It was frustrating, as I really wanted the pole. I am a little disappointed. I feel I had a car capable of winning the pole and we didn't."

Patrick managed to correct her Panoz-Honda and keep it off the wall.

Earlier, her father, T.J., wanted her to go back out and turn a quicker speed. Her mother, Bev, who at the start of the day would have been happy for her just to make the field, also thought her daughter should take another crack at the pole.

In the end, Patrick and team owner Bobby Rahal, winner of the 1986 Indy 500, thought better of it, accepting the second row starting position.

"I was pretty adamant about going out for a second qualifying attempt," Patrick said. "Thank goodness Bobby and Scott (Roembke, team manager) were able to be the voice of reason. Looking back now, I am so glad we didn't throw this time away because the practice laps we ran later would have put us even farther back on the grid."

Before Patrick, the best qualifying effort by a woman at Indy came in 1994, when Lyn St. James put her Lola-Ford Cosworth into the field in sixth at 224.150. St. James finished 19th in a race won by Al Unser Jr. Next best was Sarah Fisher, who qualified ninth in 2002 at 229.439, still the fastest four-lap average by a woman at IMS. Fisher finished 24th that year.

Pole qualifying was postponed Saturday because of rain. A small crowd watched Sunday's qualifying on a cool, mainly overcast day. Twenty-two spots in the field were filled with Alex Barron the slowest at 221.053.

The final 11 spots will be filled Saturday, then the slowest qualifiers can be bumped Sunday.

Dario Franchitti, one of four full-time drivers for Andretti Green, needed three chances to land in the sixth spot at 226.873. A fuel-system problem cut short his first attempt, and the team withdrew his second (226.475).

Kanaan was penalized in morning practice for failing to recognize the yellow flag for debris on the track. He ran 228.920 before the incident and was forced to park the car for the remainder of the session.

Australian Ryan Briscoe, driving for Chip Ganassi, spun on his second lap in Turn 1, hit the wall and almost rolled his Panoz-Toyota.

"I turned into 1, and it felt good," said Briscoe, who walked away unhurt. "But in mid corner, I picked up a gust of wind, and it loosened up the rear, and she went around."

Though he practiced later Briscoe will have to wait until Saturday to try to make the field again.

Sharp, who was on pole in 2001 for Kelley Racing, drives the No.8 Panoz-Honda for Fernandez Racing.

"The car was pretty edgy," he said. "It's a bit of a handful, so I don't think I'm dying to do that again."

[Last modified May 16, 2005, 01:22:06]