TAGLIANI WINS INDY POLE

            TAGLIANI WINS INDY POLE

By Joe Shivak

 

Indianapolis, IN ( May 21 )……..Alex Tagliani proved he is for real by winning the top starting position for the Indianapolis 500 to be held on Memorial Day.  Known as “Tag” , he becomes the first ever Canadian driver to start from the Indy pole, after setting a provisional speed early in qualifications on Pole Day and then backing that effort up in the “Fast Nine “ shootout late in the day with an average of 227.472 in his Sam Schmidt Motorsports #77. 

            Tagliani had set the pace late in the week when he was a top the speed charts in a week which saw rainy weather limit track time for all drivers.  The pole position has generally been a constant struggle between the two top respected Indy Car teams of Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi, who’s team drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti shared the front row through the first provisional qualifying session. Those standing would change late in the afternoon during the Fast Nine segment which determines the official starting grid.  Each of the fastest nine drivers was required to re-qualify with another four lap attempt.  Dixon  was able to secure his second starting spot, however Franchitti had a problem on his final lap when his car ran out of fuel and he coasted into the pit area.  He was then relegated to the 9^th position in the field.  A very disappointed Franchitti got out of his car and walked back to the garage area still wearing his helmet and without speaking to anyone. He is the defending race champion and two time  winner at the Brickyard. His three lap average was over 227 mph and had a shot at taking the pole away from Tagliani.

 

            The Lachenaie,  Quebec Canada resident who speaks three languages ( English, French and Italian ) explained the team’s pole effort, “Well, you know, it's difficult to explain. A lot of sacrifice and tears and pain through my career, but you know, I think for this team, just the fact that everybody is still intact, and they accepted my offer to be part of this adventure last year, and they take the risk to lose credibility if the driver is no good and if the resources are not there; and for Joe Atkins from Bowers & Wilkins after a 20-minute phone call, he said, 'OK, I'll sponsor you,' and he got hooked to be the sponsor of this team; and for Sam that looked at it and said this is an entity that is good and deserves to continue; and just for the boys. Like I'm at the shop most every day, and I see how much passion they have to build this car. You know, it's good already. We sit on the top most of the week, but every time you go into our garage, you know, they always do something on it, and I think that shows how much they care and how much they want to have results.

So like I said, it's very difficult to explain, but to do it here at this particular time, you know, the 100th anniversary, if you participate in the 100th, you didn't do the first one and you won't do the 200th, so this just happens once.”

 

            Car owner Sam Schmidt was equally as excited by the accomplishment, “ Yeah, I mean, I'm rarely at a loss for words, but this has been difficult ever since it happened to put it into words. I mean, California grew up watching Rick Mears and just dreamed about coming to this place and then was fortunate -- my dad was actually a team owner here for the Donald Davidsons of the world in 1978 and '79, and they didn't have any great success, and then started coming here, drove here in '97 and '99. It's truly huge. Whether it's the 100th anniversary, whether it's the adversity that this team has overcome and Alex has overcome personally, whatever, I mean, it's just really, really large. “

 

            Andretti Autosport failed to qualify any of their four drivers into the 24 spots locked in on Pole Day.  Not able to find enough speed were drivers Marco Andretti, Mike Conway, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Danica Patrick. They will have a chance on Bump Day Sunday which is the second and final qualifying day. 

 

            Also struggling to find speed was last year’s pole winner, Helio Castroneves.  The Brazilian missed out on an unprecedented third straight pole award and wasn’t fast enough to make the top nine shootout spots.  The Penske driver qualified 16^th, his worst starting spot in 11 career races here.  His teammate, Ryan Briscoe crashed in a practice session and will have to qualify on the second day.  The final nine positions of the 33 starting field will be filled before the gun sounds at 6:00 pm ending this year’s qualifying.

 

            The Peak Pole Award is worth $100,000.  Joining Tagliani and Dixon on the front row will be Oriol Servia.  Scott Speed was the only driver who practiced who failed to make a qualifying attempt.  Speed, one of eight rookies,  could not find enough speed in practice, with his best times in the low 220 mph range. The former NASCAR and F-1 driver publicly voiced his displeasure with his team engineer.