New century, faster speeds

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 is embarking on its second century much as it did its first: Nobody really knows what to expect in next weekend’s race.

Pole-winner Scott Dixon posted the fastest four-lap qualifying average at Indy in 21 years Sunday. But with the first rows filled by three race winners, three 500 runnerups and a two-time Formula One champion, picking a favourite is anybody’s guess.

“I think the hardest part of the week leading up to the 500 is you’re basically trying to predict things,” Dixon said. “Everybody asks you how do you think you’re going to do, how is the race going to go? It’s so hard to talk about the race continuously before you’ve even done it. You know, you have to be positive, but there’s always some doubts in your mind.”

This year is particularly confounding after Dixon qualified with a four-lap average of 232.164 m.p.h. — the fastest attempt since Arie Luyendyk’s track record 236.986 in 1996.

Many around the track, including second-place qualifier Ed Carpenter, think increasing the speeds is long overdue and something fans have been craving.

“It’s cool to see the speeds going back up, to hear the crowd roar when Scott did those laps, when everyone put up big times” Carpenter said Sunday. “It’s part of the mystique of this place is pushing the limits of the cars and us as drivers. So I enjoy that part of it. It’s thrilling when it goes well and when it goes poorly like we saw (Saturday’s crash), but that’s part of what makes IndyCar special.”

But even with one of IndyCar’s best career drivers leading the way, there are no sure things at Indy.

Dixon won after claiming his first Indy pole in 2008. Two years ago, after getting his second, the New Zealander finished fifth because of an overheating car. He’s the fifth driver in race history with three pole wins and now faces a 33-car field with talent, experience and fast cars.

Carpenter, a two-time Indy pole winner, will start from the inside of the front row after going 231.664.