INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in 33 years, an Andretti will start from the pole during the Indianapolis 500.
Marco Andretti, the last driver to make a qualifying attempt in Sunday’s Fast Nine Shootout for the 104th Indianapolis 500, knocked Scott Dixon off the pole with a four-lap average of 231.068 mph in the No. 98 US Concrete Honda.
Andretti, who last won an NTT IndyCar Series race in 2011 at Iowa Speedway, did something his father, Michael, never accomplished by winning the pole for the Indianapolis 500.
Marco Andretti’s grandfather, Mario Andretti, won the pole for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 while driving for Newman-Haas Racing. Marco Andretti was two months old when that happened.
“I called him before I was walking out of Gasoline Alley and he said, ‘The wind will scare you, but it will never crash you,’” Marco Andretti recalled. “It’s the best seat in the house. Speed is always great hear and clean air is also so good here.
“Man, this is just so cool. I’m so excited.”
Marco Andretti’s team owner is also his father and the two shared a hug on pit lane on a sunny and windy day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“Fantastic, it was unbelievable, he didn’t take his foot off the throttle and he did a hell of a job,” Michael Andretti said. “He saved the day. The first three runs for Andretti Autosport were disappointing, but he pulled us through. I’m really proud of him.”
Marco Andretti dug deep to win the pole after it appeared Dixon was going to win the pole when he made his four-lap attempt midway through the Fast Nine.
Dixon ran a four-lap average of 231.051 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda as the fifth driver to make a qualifying attempt. The Fast Nine was in inverse order to the nine fastest qualifying averages from Saturday’s first round.
“I know what this place means to his family,” Dixon said. “Marco, he can get some bad rap from some people, but he is such a nicer person and he is a big talent. It’s very easy to get sidetracked. His dedication and the family and Mario are a living legend.
“It’s nice to break up the Andretti party, but we will focus in on the race and see what we can do.
“I’m really proud of our crew and everybody at Honda has done an amazing job. We are all focused on this weekend.”
Dixon is the winner of the 2008 Indianapolis 500. Takuma Sato, the 2017 Indianapolis 500 winner, qualified third and will start on the outside of row one after a four lap average of 230.725 mph.
Nineteen-year-old rookie Rinus VeeKay qualified fourth at 230.704 mph in the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet – the only Chevrolet driver in the Fast Nine. Andretti Autosport’s Ryan Hunter-Reay was fifth at 230.648 mph in the No. 28 DHL Honda. He was second-fastest in Saturday’s round of qualifications. Another Andretti driver, James Hinchcliffe, was sixth in the No. 29 Genesys Honda at 229.870 mph over four laps.
Spain’s Alex Palou, another rookie, was seventh at 229.676 mph in the No. 55 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing with Team GOH. Graham Rahal’s No. 15 Honda was eighth at 229.380 mph, with Alexander Rossi ninth in the No. 27 NAPA Auto Parts Honda at 229.234 mph over four laps.