Wheldon to Start Sixth for Centennial Indianapolis 500

Wheldon to Start Sixth for Centennial Indianapolis 500

Topics: Dan Wheldon, Indianapolis 500

Wheldon to Start Sixth for Centennial Indianapolis 500

Andrew Herta
Bryan Herta Autosport
May 21, 2011

100th Anniversary Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race: May 29 – 200 Laps – 2.5-Mile Oval
Broadcast: ABC 12:00 pm EDT Live

Trackside Report May 21, 2011
Wheldon to Start Sixth for Centennial Indianapolis 500 Dan Wheldon will make his ninth career start at the Indianapolis 500 from the outside of Row Two after qualifying this afternoon which culminated in an exciting Fast Nine shootout. The result is the sixth top-six qualifying effort at the Speedway for the 2005 Indianapolis 500 winner, who has finished second the past two years. Wheldon, who entered the Fast Nine fourth on the provisional grid with a four-lap average of 226.300 mph, was able to slightly better his speed and improve to a 226.410 mph average in the BHA/Curb-Agajanian entry.

Fast Nine Qualifying Results:
1. Alex Tagliani 227.472 mph
2. Scott Dixon 227.340 mph
3. Oriol Servia 227.168 mph
4. Townsend Bell 226.887 mph
5. Will Power 226.773 mph
6. Dan Wheldon 226.490 mph
7. Buddy Rice 225.786 mph
8. Ed Carpenter 225.121 mph
9. Dario Franchitti No Speed*
*Didn’t complete qualifying attempt

Dan Wheldon, #98 William Rast/aigo/Curb/Big Machine Forsythe Solutions Dallara/Honda/Firestone:
“This result is a testament to the team. Bryan Herta Autosport has done a phenomenal job for me all month. The group that they put together in terms of personnel and sponsors like William Rast has, for me, been a pleasure to be a part of. We are excited that we qualified well. Perhaps we tried to go for it a bit too much [in the Fast Nine] and cost ourselves a place or two, but I think in the race we will be incredibly strong. “We are obviously collaborating with Sam Schmidt Motorsport and for them to achieve a pole against people like Roger Penske and Chip Ganassi is a heck of a performance and they should be very, very proud.”

Bryan Herta, Team Co-Owner:
“This was an excellent result for everybody on the William Rast/BHA/Curb-Agajanian car. I couldn’t be happier with the second row. Dan did a tremendous job. We have a great car, a great driver and a great team and we are looking forward to showing up next week and trying to win this thing.”