Drivers adjust to new format

Fastest nine Saturday fight for pole Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS — Helio Castroneves has a fairly straightforward approach to qualifying for the Indianapolis 500. He leaves the strategy up to his bosses at Team Penske: owner Roger Penske and president Tim Cindric.

“I am just going to make sure my car is good,” Castroneves said.

Based on the way speeds sat at the end of practice yesterday, Castroneves’ car is very good, the fastest ( 227.166 mph) on the lot heading toward the primary phase of qualifying on Saturday for the Indianapolis 500.

But notice the words primary phase because time trials for this year’s race have been modified like nothing seen in the previous 97 editions of the race.

“Tim and Roger will have a little meeting so that they understand more the format,” said Castroneves, whose three Indy 500 victories and four poles for the race top the list among those competing here this year. “For me, it’s just a matter of understanding what the car is doing.”

As for the format: On Saturday, the drivers will make four- lap solo qualifying runs on the 2.5- mile oval and can take as many as three shots at it, time and weather permitting, to set the top 30.

On Sunday , the top nine will compete again, one at a time from slowest to fastest, to determine the pole- sitter for the May 25 race and the starting order for the first three rows. The fast- nine approach had been used the past several years, but never on a separate day.

Early on Sunday, the cars that were in positions 10 through 30 after the first phase will return to make solo runs in reverse order to determine the grid for rows four through 10.

Then, the three cars for the last row will be determined in an open qualifying format, giving a car or cars that could not take part on Saturday another chance to make the 33- car field. It also will allow for some bumping, though as of yesterday there were just a tidy 33 car- driver combinations taking part in practice.

“It’s not that complicated,” said last year’s pole- sitter, Ed Carpenter, the only team ownerdriver in the field, who had the secondfastest lap yesterday ( 226.257).

IndyCar has spiced the situation by making Saturday well worth the effort for the regulars in the series from a points perspective. Although only one point is awarded to the pole- sitter for regular- season races, 33 will go to the driver who is the fastest on Saturday, with the points descending down to one to the driver who is 33rd fastest.

“It is the same for everyone,” said Castroneves, who has no trouble with the modified points system. “We are trying to make the three ( big- oval) races distinguished from the other races, which is why they create this type of challenge.”

But what won’t be different is the angst that drivers deal with in making the four- lap solo qualifying runs.

“We’re definitely going to go for it Saturday and for Sunday,” Castroneves said. “So, phew, that’s going to be nerve- racking, I tell you.”

Saturday night could prove to be the toughest part, he said.

“I don’t think that I am going to have much sleep,” Castroneves said. “Or, I don’t think nine guys are going to have much sleep.”