INDIANAPOLIS —
The field is full for the Indianapolis 500.
The final nine spots in the lineup were filled in the second day of qualifying Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Three-time winner Helio Castroneves won his second straight pole on Saturday and will be in the No. 1 slot for the race. Joining him in the front row will be Team Penske teammate Will Power and former winner Dario Franchitti.
In the back row will be rookie Takuma Sato, Tony Kanaan and rookie Sebastian Saavedra.
Other winners in the field are Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon. Four women are in the lineup for the first time in history.
Qualifying began at noon in sunny, warm conditions and the field was filled in less than an hour with one driver — Sato — bumped from the field. He had been involved in an accident during practice on Saturday.
Bruno Junqueira turned his first laps of the week in the No. 33 FAZZT Race Team car and was fastest in the early qualifying with an average of 225.662 miles per hour. Alex Lloyd was second with 224.783 mph.
“I think maybe I ran six laps total. Last year, I did maybe 12 or 14 laps. Next year, I think I am going to go directly to the car for qualifying,” said Junqueira.
John Andretti was first out and qualified for his 11th 500 and Sarah Fisher made it, becoming the fourth woman driver in the lineup.
Fisher had not had great speeds in practice. “I'm glad we were able to get in the 224s [224.434]. I think it will stick,” she said, and it did. She will start 29th.
Jay Howard qualified a Fisher Racing car early but was bumped in the evening. Veteran Paul Tracy also qualified early, but his car was withdrawn when he was on the bubble and his final qualifying attempt ended after two laps.
Andretti is driving the No. 43 car entered by Richard Petty and Andretti Autosport.
“I'm really proud of what the whole Window World team did at Andretti Autosport. Every time I go out, the car is exactly what they say it is going to be,” said the Hoosier native.
Saavedra was on the bubble when the early qualifying ended and he brought out a yellow late in the afternoon when he made contact with the wall. He was bumped in the final hour of qualifying but made it back again and survived attempts to knock him from the field.
One driver change was made. Foyt Racing said Jaques Lazier would be in the No. 41 car instead of A.J. Foyt IV, who said he felt uncomfortable in the car.
Lazier qualified the car in the final hour of activity and bumped Saavedra in the process.
He said fighter Evander Holyfield is one of the sponsors. “I am working with Alka-Pure and we're trying to do something positive. Jaques is a seasoned veteran and [Foyt] is giving him a great opportunity,” said Holyfield.
The day began on an ominous note for Andretti Autosport. Kanaan hit the wall in the second turn in the 11T car. He hit the wall Saturday at the start of his qualifying attempt.
He qualified the rebuilt car in the last hour of practice with an average of 224.072 mph.
Qualified drivers will have one final chance to practice in Carb Day runs on Friday. The race will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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Who's in, who's out: Field’s set for 94th running of Indianapolis 500
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