DIXON, WHELDON HIT THE TARGET IN INDIANAPOLIS 500 QUALIFYING

 SUBSCRIBE TO RSS FEED

SEND TO FRIEND

Brisbane-born Kiwi Scott Dixon and his Target Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Dan Wheldon have survived the drama of Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to qualify 1-2 respectively for the 92nd Running of the Indianapolis 500.

Dixon, who was fifth on the starting grid mid-afternoon, pulled his qu=lified time from his first attempt and put in another four-lap effort around the historic 2.5-mile oval.

Minutes later, he had taken the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by=AutoZone from the grasp of Sydney's Ryan Briscoe of Team Penske with a 226.366 mph average.

The speed held up as eight other drivers made qualifying attempts in t=e final two hours, including Wheldon, who was 0.256 mph off of Dixon's pace.

The pole is Dixon's 11th in his IndyCar Series career, but his first=at the Indianapolis 500 in six starts. The honour comes with a $100,000 cheque from PEAK Motor Oil.

Wheldon had earned the third starting position on the grid, but at 5:3= p.m., he waved it off to challenge Dixon for the pole. Although he fell short of the pole, Wheldon took second, knocking Briscoe to the outside of Row 1 to third.

Although missing out on the potential pole position, third is the Aust=alian's best Indy 500 starting position and equal best starting position this season (Briscoe started third at Homestead-Miami Speedway).

Helio Castroneves, a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500, will sta=t fourth, while Andretti Green Racing teammates Danica Patrick and Tony Kanaan qualified fifth and sixth, respectively.

Row Three will be occupied by Marco Andretti, Vitor Meira and Hideki M=toh, who is the highest-qualifying rookie, while Ed Carpenter will start 10th and Tomas Scheckter 11th.

Qualifying for positions 12-22 is scheduled for May 11, while position= 23-33 will be filled on May 17, with Bump Day on May 18 (all dates US Eastern).

The month of May festivities will culminate with the 92nd running of t=e Indianapolis 500 on May 25 (USET). The event is a major stop in the 2008 IndyCar Series calendar - a schedule that is the most diverse in world motorsports.

The 2008 schedule will take the teams and drivers to short ovals, supe=speedways, and road and street courses including the Gold Coast Indy 300 which is regarded as a ‏crown jewel' in international motorsport.

The future of the Gold Coast Indy 300 was recently secured for at leas= another six years with a deal being reached with the new-look IndyCar Series and V8 Supercars Australia.

Now regarded as one of the world's iconic motorsport events, the Gol= Coast Indy 300 will now continue until and including 2013 with major plans already underway for a massive 20th anniversary celebration in 2010.

With 96 hours of non-stop excitement over October 23-26 as the Gold Co=st comes alive to the sound of the IndyCars burning up the track and Australia's own V8 Supercars scorching around one of the most famous beach-side cities in the world, the event is the hottest ticket in town.

Tickets are now on sale for the Gold Coast Indy 300 with ticket option= to suit everyone's needs. Four day Grandstand passes are available for those who prefer to watch the racing from the comfort of their own reserved seat or for those who prefer to wander around and soak up the atmosphere then a four day, weekend or single day General Admission pass might be more their style. For more information on ticket options go to www.indy.com.au. For information on Corporate Hospitality packages please call our Sales Team on (07) 5588 6800.

WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY…

Scott Dixon ˜ Target Chip Ganassi Racing #9 Honda/Dallara/Fires=one
‘It hasn't really sunk in yet,’ said Dixon, who has two poles and=one victory in 2008.

‘It means a lot ˜ it is not just for me, though. I think a lot o= it, and I think (team owner) Chip (Ganassi) and probably (team managing director) Mike (Hull) and (chief mechanic) Ricky (Davis) have touched on it already, but it's the hard work that goes into it. Indy, for our team, I think our development and working toward this race started well early in the winter.

‘I think Chip and Mike and all the guys in the team are adamant on p=tting up a strong fight for this year's ‏500.' ’

Dan Wheldon ˜ Target Chip Ganassi Racing #10 Honda/Dallara/Fire=tone
‘It was just a lot of hard work and effort by everybody at Target Ch=p Ganassi Racing, and that is a relatively good run,’ said Wheldon.

‘The Indianapolis 500 is the biggest race in the world, and I would=certainly take the race win over the pole, but, at the end of the day, it is something to be proud of.

‘I have been fortune enough to win a championship and a Indianapolis=500, I won Honda's first race in Japan, so the pole would be nice, but I am not taking the pole if it takes away from the race stuff. I would much rather win the race.

‘I don't think we got everything (out of the car), but the car was=definitely fast. The guys have worked really hard to give Scott (Dixon) and I really fast cars. We have been close to pole in the past at Indianapolis, leading into Pole Day, but when it has become Pole Day we have not been so competitive. It is good to show we are competitive.’

Ryan Briscoe ˜ Team Penske = #6 Honda/Dallara/Firestone
(On qualifying on the pole, only to fall to second to Scott Dixon minu=es after):
‘I turned around, and Dixon was taking (the pole) away from me. As=de from that, I thought I had a really good run,’ said Briscoe.

‘The car was balanced really well for the downforce level we trimmed=out to, and it was a solid gain, for sure.

‘Dixon put out a pretty quick time there, so we have a little bit of=work to do. From what I did this morning, I'm happy with the gains we made in that second run, and I guess now we'll just look at everything closely and see if we can get any more speed out of the car.

‘We need to see what we can do to get those extra tenths of a mile a= hour out of it to get the pole.’

PEAK MOTOR OIL POLE AWARD PRESENTED BY AUTOZONE POST-QUALIFYING N=TES:
- Scott Dixon won the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by AutoZone=and its $100,000 prize.
- Dan Wheldon and Ryan Briscoe qualified on the PEAK Front Row and ea=ned $25,000 and $10,000, respectively.
- Camping World presented $10,000 to Ricky Davis, chief mechanic on S=ott Dixons's No. 9 pole-winning car.
- Toro presented a tractor to Target Chip Ganassi Racing for winning =he pole.
- This is Dixon's 11th career IndyCar Series pole and his third thi= season. He also won the pole at at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Kansas Speedway.
- This is Dixon's first pole at the Indianapolis 500. His previou= best was fourth in 2003, 2006 and 2007.
- This is Target Chip Ganassi Racing's 17th pole in the IndyCar Ser=es and its third in 2008. This is the team's third pole at Indianapolis. Bruno Junqueira won the pole for the team in 2002, and Arie Luyendyk won the pole in 1993.
- Dan Wheldon tied his best qualifying effort at the Indianapolis 500=2E He also qualified second in 2004.
- This is the first time teammates have qualified 1-2 for the Indiana=olis 500 since Team Penske's Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves in 2006.
- Ryan Briscoe earned his best starting position at the Indianapolis =00. He qualified fifth last year with Luczo Dragon Racing. Briscoe's best start this season was third at Homestead-Miami.
- This is the fourth consecutive season that a Team Penske driver has=qualified on the front row for the Indianapolis 500.
- Hideki Mutoh is the highest-qualifying rookie in the field (ninth).=Marco Andretti qualified ninth as a rookie in 2006, the last time a rookie qualified in the top 10 at Indianapolis.
- There were 23 successful qualifying attempts today and eight unsucc=ssful attempts.
- Helio Castroneves, who is celebrating his 33rd birthday today, qual=fied in the top five for the fourth consecutive year. He qualified fourth.
- Danica Patrick has qualified in the top 10 for all four of her Indi=napolis 500s. She qualified fifth today.
- Tony Kanaan qualified sixth, his first time outside of the top five=in his seven years at the Indianapolis 500. He has started on the pole once, started second twice and fifth three times.
- Marco Andretti earned his best Indianapolis 500 starting position, =eventh. He has started ninth in each of the last two seasons.
- Vitor Meira qualified in the top 10 for the fourth time in six Indi=napolis 500s. His eighth-place starting position is his best qualifying effort since starting eighth at Watkins Glen last season.
- Ed Carpenter earned his best starting position for the Indianapolis=500, 10th. In four previous races, his best start was 12th in 2006. Carpenter has qualified in the top 10 in three consecutive IndyCar Series races.
- Tomas Scheckter qualified 11th at the Indianapolis 500 for the thir= time in his career. In six previous 500s, Scheckter has started 10th three times, 11th twice and 12th once.
- Andretti Green Racing placed its four cars in the top nine starting=positions. Last year, the team also had four cars in the top nine, and five cars in the top 11.

2008 IndyCar Series Points Standings - After Race 4
1. #3 Helio Castroneves 144
2. #9 Scott Dixon 138
3. #10 Dan Wheldon 135
4. #11 Tony Kanaan 129
5. #7 Danica Patrick 110
6. #8 Will Power 97
7. #26 Marco Andretti 95
8. #5 Oriol Servia 93
9. #20 Ed Carpenter 90
10. #06 Graham Rahal 88

2008 Bombardier Rookie of the Year Standings - After Race 4
1. #8 Will Power 97
2. #06 Graham Rahal 88
3. #27 Hideki Mutoh 87
4. #36 Enrique Bernoldi 84
5. #33 EJ Viso 83
6. #02 Justin Wilson 71
7. #24 Jay Howard 62
8. #34 Franck Perera 56
9. #19 Mario Moraes 53
10. #96 Mario Dominguez 35

92nd INDIANAPOLIS 500 ‏Month of May' SCHEDULE
All Times US Eastern
‏Second Day' Practice
Sunday 11 May 2008
10:15am ˜ 11:15am

‏Second Day' Qualifying
Sunday 11 May 2008
12:00pm ˜ 6:00pm

Practice
Wednesday 14 May 2008
12:00pm ˜ 6:00pm

Practice
Thursday 15 May 2008
12:00pm ˜ 6:00pm

Practice
Friday 16 May 2008
12:00pm ˜ 6:00pm

‏Third Day' Practice
Saturday 17 May 2008
10:15am ˜ 11:15am

‏Third Day' Qualifying
Saturday 17 May 2008
12:00pm ˜ 6:00pm

‏Bump Day' Practice
Sunday 18 May 2008
10:15am ˜ 11:15am

‏Bump Day' Qualifying
Sunday 18 May 2008
12:00pm ˜ 6:00pm

Miller Lite ‏Carb Day'
Friday 23 May 2008
11:00am ˜ 12:00pm

Checkers/Rally's Pit Stop Challenge
Friday 23 May 2008
1:30pm ˜ 3:00pm

92nd Indianapolis 500
Sunday 25 May 2008
1:00pm US Eastern

AUSTRALIAN TV SCHEDULE
Monday 26 May 2008
ESPN
2:50am AEST

AUSTRALIAN TV REPLAY
Monday 26 May 2008
ESPN
7:30pm AEST

ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
92nd Indianapolis 500
Venue: Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Type: 2.5 mile oval ˜ 9 degree banking
Distance: 200 laps ˜ 500 miles/804.67km

INDYCAR SERIES RECORD BOOK
Defending Race Winner: Dario Franchitti
Defending Polesitter: Helio Castroneves
Will Power: Indianapolis Motor Speedway debut