Saturday afternoon’s qualifying for the Edmonton Indy was fast and furious. Then the rain came.
Ryan Hunter-Reay came away with the pole for tomorrow’s event, race number 11 of 15 on the IndyCar schedule. The driver that has won the last three races proved today that when you’re hot, you’re hot. Although he will incur a 10-spot grid penalty and start 11th, he did add another point to his championship lead.
The first group put up some impressive numbers, as Will Power led the way, with Tagliani, Sato, Briscoe, Dixon, and Pagenaud. Group two got off to a quick start as the threat of rain became a primary concern for the teams. The transfer spots from group two went to Hunter-Reay, Hinchcliffe, Franchitti, Castroneves, Rahal, and Viso.
Just as the second group concluded qualifying, the rain started coming down. It was raining hard for a few minutes, before it tapered off. Both Dixon and Castroneves had some slippery moments in knockout qualifying. The rain drops held off for the rest of qualifying.
The Firestone Fast Six drivers included Sato, Castroneves, Briscoe, Franchitti, Tagliani, and Hunter-Reay. Will Power and Scott Dixon did not advance, and will start seventh and eight tomorrow.
Franchitti will start alongside Hunter-Reay on the front row. Row two belongs to Briscoe and Sato. Row three will be Tagliani and Castroneves.
The green flag for the Edmonton Indy is set to drop at 2:45 Eastern on Sunday. Coverage provided by NBC Sports Network begins at 2pm.
Born and raised 30 miles west of the greatest race track in the world.
Chad Smith
