MAY 16, 2005

Kanaan on pole, Patrick fourth

Tony Kanaan took pole for the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, the qualifying for the event having been delayed from Saturday because of heavy rain. Kanaan lapped the Brickyard at 227.566mph to become the fourth Brazilian in succession to be on pole for the 500. The Andretti Green Racing driver will share the front row with Sam Hornish Jr (227.273mph) and Scott Sharp (227.126mph).

Danica Patrick was the highest placed rookie, as she has been since the start of the action, and qualified fourth with an average of 227.004mph, despite having a first lap that was only 224.920 after a wobble in the first turn. She came back with a series of laps in the high 227s but was frustrated, having lapped the speedway in the morning session at 229.880mph. Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was fifth place with 226.927mph.

The top 10 is completed by Dario Franchitti, 226.873mph, Vitor Meira, 226.848mph, Kosuke Matsuura, 226.397mph, Buddy Lazier, 226.353mph and Tomas Enge, 226.107mph.

Patrick becomes the fourth woman to qualify for the 500 but beats the best grid position of sixth, achieved by Lyn St. James in 1994.

The only major accident on Sunday was rookie Ryan Briscoe who crashed between Turns 1 and 2 but was uninjured.

Twenty-two cars qualified on Sunday, leaving positions 23 to 33 available next Saturday. Next Sunday will be Bump Day when the non-qualified runners will have a chance to get into the field. Anyone who is faster than the slowest qualifier will move into the final grid position or higher depending on who else has qualified that day.