Indy 500 Qualifying Results 2019: Final Times from Saturday's Session
Spencer Pigot topped the standings at the end of the first day of qualifying for the Indy 500.
The Ed Carpenter Racing driver shone early in the day, posting a rapid average pace of 230.083 miles per hour to go top of the time sheets. Tucked in behind him are a trio of Team Penske drivers, with last year's winner Will Power in second.
Further down the field, McLaren's Fernando Alonso had another eventful day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He struggled for consistency with the car and was pushed out of an automatic qualification spot on the final run of the day.
Here is a look at how things are shaping up ahead of what will be a tense day of racing on Sunday and an intriguing race on May 26.
Driver – Team, Engine – Speed (miles per hour)
1. Spencer Pigot – Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet – 230.083
2. Will Power – Team Penske, Chevrolet – 230.081
3. Simon Pagenaud – Team Penske, Chevrolet – 229.854
4. Josef Newgarden – Team Penske, Chevrolet – 229.749
5. Colton Herta – Harding Steinbrenner Racing, Honda – 229.478
6. Ed Jones – Ed Carpenter Racing Scuderia Corsa, Chevrolet – 229.44
7. Ed Carpenter – Ed Carpenter Racing, Chevrolet – 229.349
8. Alexander Rossi – Andretti Autosport, Honda – 229.268
9. Sebastien Bourdais – Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan, Honda – 228.8
For the results in full visit the IndyCar website.
Recap
The Fast Nine will now battle it out on Sunday to see who starts in pole position, while the Last Row Shootout will see those outside the top 30 seek to secure one of the final three spots. Any drivers who finish lower than 33rd will not take part, and with rain forecast for Sunday, it's set to be an intriguing second day of qualifying.
Pigot was the quickest of the big names on Saturday, as he set a blistering benchmark. Sportscaster Dave Griffiths was impressed with how well he was able to perform early in the day:
The Californian is unlikely to have things all his own way in the Fast Nine Shootout, though, as there are a trio of Team Penske drivers in hot pursuit of him.
Power's average pace was a minuscule 0.002 miles per hour slower than Pigot's over the course of the four laps, as he was the only other man to break the 230 mark. As the defending champion, the signs are that he is going to be tough to beat again.
Power's team-mates Simon Pagenaud and IndyCar Series leader Josef Newgarden were third and fourth, respectively.
One of the scariest moments of the day came for James Hinchcliffe, who crashed in the afternoon:
While the team did well to get Hinchcliffe back out on track, he wasn't able to secure qualification and will need to produce something special in the Back Row Shootout.
With plenty of the drivers higher up the field content with their places, the battle to get into the top 30 is what caught the attention late day.
Alonso's efforts caught the attention of plenty. The Spaniard suffered a puncture, before eventually putting himself in the top 30 later in the day; in a big blow for the McLaren, Alonso was quickly bumped out of the automatic qualifying spot by Pato O'Ward.
Per Andrew Benson of BBC Sport, things then got worse for the former Formula One driver:
Alonso was able to pull out a fine performance later in the session, nudging up into a provisional 29th place. As the time remaining ticked into single figures, the Spaniard was on the bubble in 30th position.
Agonisingly for Alonso, the last man to finish a lap in the session—Graham Rahal—pushed the McLaren man into 31st position, and he now faces the possible ignominy of not even making it to next Sunday's Indy 500.