Dixon blazes to Indy 500 pole with record 234-mph run
Not much rattles The Iceman at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, not even record speeds.
Scott Dixon smashed the Indianapolis 500 polewinning record with a breathtaking qualifying run of more than 234 mph. His hands were shaking when he climbed from his car following his first run Sunday, but the New Zealander was unbothered and went back out for a breathtaking final run.
His four-lap average of 234.046 mph around Indianapolis Motor Speedway gave Dixon the fifth Indy 500 pole of his career.
He’ll lead the field to green next Sunday in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“That’s what this place is about, the ups and downs that you have just in one day, it’s crazy,” Dixon said. “I think that’s kind of what we all secretly thrive on, right? To live on that edge is an amazing feeling and when you do nail it, that’s what it’s all about. Days like these are amazing.”
Considered the best driver of his generation, Dixon’s average broke Scott Brayton’s polewinning record of 233.718 mph set in 1996. Arie Luyendyk holds the fourlap qualifying record of 236.986 mph, also done in 1996, but not in a run for the pole.
Dixon’s qualifying run was the second fastest in 106 runnings of the most prestigious race in the world.
Dixon’s first lap was an eye-popping 234.437 mph and drew a roar from the fans. His second lap was 234.162 and wife Emma bent over the pit wall in amazement, her hands covering her mouth. Dixon’s drop-off from there was was miniscule: his fourth and final lap was 233.726 as his consistency gave Chip Ganassi Racing its seventh Indy 500 pole.
“The first number does mean a lot, and when I saw 234, it was ‘OK, this is going to be a good run,’” Dixon said. “But you’re busy, you’re consumed. Gone on the early years of just hitting the apexes and
enjoying the speed.”
Dixon also started from the pole in 2008 when he scored his only Indy 500 win, as well as 2015, 2017 and last year.
Ganassi advanced all five of his drivers into the two-round qualifying shootout to determine the starting order for the first three rows for next week’s race. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson needed a massive save in the first turn of his first lap and didn’t advance out of the round of 12.
But Dixon did, along with his other three Honda-powered teammates. That made it Dixon, reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou, Marcus Ericsson and Tony Kanaan in a head-to-head “Fast Six” shootout against Chevrolet-powered teammates and
Ed Carpenter Rinus VeeKay.
“This is what real competitors want, true competitors want this,” Ganassi said before the session. “This is a moment made for champions.”
The 21-year-old VeeKay on Saturday posted the third-fastest qualifying run in track history but didn’t have enough for Dixon’s big, big laps. Palou, who averaged 233.499, qualified second alongside his teammate and VeeKay was third at 233.385.
FORMULA ONE
Nothing was going right for Max Verstappen at the Spanish Grand Prix at Montmelo, Spain: The wind had blown his car off
course, his Red Bull was struggling, and top rival Charles Leclerc seemed headed for a sure victory.
His fortunes turned when Leclerc lost power and his Ferrari suddenly sputtered to a near stop.
Then Verstappen’s own Red Bull team intervened by ordering Sergio Perez to get out of Verstappen’s way. The reigning Formula One champion went from from minimizing damage Sunday to winning the race and reclaiming the points lead.
“Not an easy start to the race, but we turned it around,” Verstappen said after his fourth win of the season, third consecutive.
Then the Dutchman thanked Perez, who might have won himself but settled for second when Red Bull issued team orders.
“He is a great teammate,” Verstappen said.
Perez took over the lead after Leclerc, who started from the pole and led the first 27 laps, lost power.
But with 17 laps remaining, Red Bull told him to get out of Verstappen’s way.
“It’s unfair but OK,” said Perez, who was denied the ability to race for his third career F1 victory.
The stakes were too high for Red Bull and Verstappen, who trailed Leclerc by 19 points ahead of the race but now holds a six-point advantage in defense of his first world championship. Perez, who registered the fastest lap Sunday, is third in the standings and 19 points behind Leclerc.