Tony Kanaan contemplates life on the racing edge. Winning the Indy 500 pole was nerve wracking enough. Now, thanks to the new qualifying format, it’s worse.
“Before, only a couple of guys would be stressed out at the end of the day,” the veteran driver said. “Now, we’ll have nine guys stressed out. It’s going to make our day a lot longer.”
Indy 500 officials will debut the new format on Saturday. The nine fastest cars will have a 90-minute shootout for the pole. The pole prize was increased from $100,000 to $175,000.
For the drivers, the money is nice. The drama, not so much.
“Qualifying is the most stressful day of the month for all of us,” Kanaan said, “and mentally (the new format) requires a lot more. You used to do the four (qualifying) laps while hanging on for your life, you put it in the field sixth and think, ‘That’s it. I’m happy. I’m going home.’ Now, you have the risk to lose that spot and start ninth.”
Officials changed the traditional qualifying format—each driver could take as many as three four-lap runs—to boost interest and excitement. Kanaan said it will do that, and more.
“Qualifying-wise, I think it’s great. It adds to it.
“If I’m ninth and I think I have a shot to be sixth, which would mean moving up a row, then I’m going to do it. But if I just move up to seventh, what’s the point? I’m only moving from outside (of Row 3) to the inside, why take the risk?
“The people who are going to suffer are the guys at the edge, which you’re going to have plenty of because of the tight field. They’re going to wonder, ‘Can I do it again?”’
Kanaan’s speedy Thursday (he had the fastest practice lap at 226.775 mph) didn’t convince him he could win the pole over Team Penske drivers Helio Castroneves, Ryan Briscoe and Will Power, and Team Ganassi drivers Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti.
“I don’t see anybody besides the three Penske and two Ganassi guys to be on the pole,” Kanaan said. “Unless somebody finds something between now and Saturday, I think we’re going to see that they’re going to play between themselves.”
Castroneves has the fastest lap this month with Sunday’s 227.046 mph effort. Dixon led the practice field on Tuesday (226.549) and Wednesday (226.971).
Castroneves is the defending champ and a three-time winner. Dixon won in 2008. Kanaan has never won the Indy 500, but is a perennial challenger.
“It’s going to be very interesting on Saturday,” Kanaan said. “It’s a very tight field.”
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