Photos: Emotions run high during Indy 500 qualifying
How much was on the line during Sunday’s qualifying for the Indianapolis 500? Just take a look at these photos and see.
Danica Patrick was set to qualify when the skies opened and rain poured down on the track. For a few hours, Patrick didn’t know if she’d get the opportunity to qualify. If the rain didn’t stop,
she would not have gotten into the 95th running of the Indy 500. But it did, Patrick got her shot and got in. She’ll start in the ninth row.
Thirty-three drivers qualify for the Indy 500. Ryan Hunter-Reay was No. 33 as the clock counted toward 6 p.m. ET, when qualifying officially ended. With just over a minute to go, he was still in the race. Then teammate Marco Andretti took the track and Hunter-Reay was left to watch.
Marco Andretti put himself in the race with his first qualifying effort. But with just over four minutes to go, he got bumped out by Alex Lloyd. Andretti, sitting in his car, could only hope that he’d get another shot. For a moment, it didn’t look like it would happen as James Jakes took the track. But when officials called off Jakes’ qualifying run because he was too slow, Andretti got one more shot. And he made the most of it, qualifying 28th.
And then there was Pippa Mann, who was just happy to qualify for her first Indianapolis 500.
