INDIANAPOLIS - The second day of qualifying is underway for the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil but while the first four cars out to qualify - Pippa Mann, Gabby Chaves, Max Chilton and Buddy Lazier - have done so without incident, Alex Tagliani was not so lucky.
The Canadian veteran and 2011 polesitter in the No. 35 Alfe Heat Treating Special Honda for A.J. Foyt Enterprises lost control through Turn 4, spun around, and then hit the attenuator at pit-in.
It will mean Tagliani is set to start from the rear of the 33-car field for next week’s Indianapolis 500. Tagliani’s Saturday speed, since deleted as all Saturday speeds are, but for your reference was 224.507 mph.
He has been checked, cleared and released from the infield medical center.
The team had made significant setup changes overnight following a frustrating Saturday for both Tagliani and Jack Hawksworth’s teams. Takuma Sato had ended 17th on Saturday.
While there’s frustration and angst for Tagliani, there’s jubilation in Scott Dixon’s camp, after the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet crew has completed a Herculean effort to change engines on his car in just over an hour. The process usually takes multiple hours because the engine is a bespoke part of the chassis; it’s not a straight drag-and-drop as in past years.
The Fast Nine Shootout comes following the conclusion of qualifying for spots 10-33.