INDIANAPOLIS – Winless since 2011, Marco Andretti has endured years of frustration in the NTT IndyCar Series. He is often fast on Friday, but nowhere on Sunday.
Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Andretti was spectacular.
In the first round of qualifications for the 104th Indianapolis 500, Andretti made his qualification attempt at the hottest time of the day and recorded the best four-lap average of any driver. Andretti’s four-lap average was 231.351 mph in the No. 98 US Concrete Honda.
That means the grandson of 1969 Indianapolis 500 winner Mario Andretti and the son of racing great Michael Andretti will be the last driver to make an attempt in Sunday’s Fast Nine Shootout that will determine the winner of the Indianapolis 500 pole.
“It’s one day,” Marco Andretti said. “I know how this place is, right? It’s almost like starting over every day. That’s what we’ll do. We’ll start over tomorrow and we’ll hopefully just continue the speed and continue to improve.
“It’s always good to be quick. Horsepower is a big thing around here. The good thing about today is the pit selection, we get to pick first. That actually makes a difference in the race, if you pick the right position.
“I think the first one it’s always what Honda is going to bring, whatever we can do when the tires are new. The last two, it’s what we get paid to do. We were all over the tools. We were a bit neutral in the last two laps. I think there’s speed in that if we can fix the balance, slide a little bit less the last two laps. Might be some speed in that as well.
“Hopefully we can make the right move when it counts.”
Andretti led a 1-2-3-4 sweep for Andretti Autosport in Saturday’s qualifications. Teammate Ryan Hunter Reay, the 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner, was second with four laps at 231.330 mph, followed by 2015 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi’s 231.268 mph effort and 2016 Indianapolis 500 pole winner James Hinchcliffe’s 231.195 mph run.
Despite making his attempt as the 28th driver on the track, when the conditions were the hottest, Andretti delivered in a big way.
His first lap was a blazing fast 232.177 mph around the 2.5-mile IMS oval.
“It freaking blew me away, I’ll tell you,” said Marco’s father and team owner, Michael Andretti. “That first lap was amazing. We were all shocked by it. Those last two laps, he was driving the heck out of it. It was really loose, but he hung with it.
“He has a lot of laps around here, but he needed all that experience to do what he did today. I couldn’t be happier right now.”
Even when his team drew 28th in the qualifying order, Marco Andretti was confident his car still had the speed.
“I wasn’t worried,” Marco Andretti said. “I knew if we executed, we would be top nine contenders, which is the goal of today. After tonight, ninth place is equal to me. But then I think P1, I’m not sure about that.
“It made me feel good. Made me feel if we can replicate it tomorrow, find a little bit, we can capitalize.”