Andretti leads Andretti Autosport front row sweep at Pocono

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July 7, 2013 in Motorsport

Andretti leads Andretti Autosport front row sweep at Pocono

Andretti Autosport, an IZOD IndyCar Series team with deep roots at Pocono Raceway and in Pennsylvania, swept the front row for the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco on July 7.

Marco Andretti obliterated the track record of 211.715 mph set by Emerson Fittipaldi on Aug. 19, 1989, with a two-lap average speed of 221.273 mph in the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet. Reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was .1404 of a second back in the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet, and James Hinchcliffe was third (220.431 mph) in the No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

The last time a team swept a three-car front row in an Indy car event was the 1988 Indianapolis 500 with Penske Racing's Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser. Andretti and teammate Carlos Munoz earned front-row starts in the 97th Indianapolis 500 in May.

Andretti, third in the championship standings, desperately wants to earn his third career victory. Doing so at his "home race" (he's from Nazareth, Pa.) would be special. The Andretti family history at "The Tricky Triangle" includes Marco's grandfather, Mario Andretti, winning the 1986 Indy car race in which his father, Michael, won the pole. Mario won the pole for the 1987 race shortly after Marco was born.

Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, the lone driver with the opportunity to collect the $1 million Fuzzy's Triple Crown bonus for sweeping races this season at Indianapolis, Pocono and Auto Club Speedway, will start fifth in the No. 11 Sunoco "Turbo" car for KV Racing Technology-SH Racing.

Andretti Autosport's E.J. Viso, driving the No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA Citgo car, made contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier on his second qualifying lap. He was checked at the infield care center and cleared to drive. Alex Tagliani's No. 98 Barracuda Racing also made contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier on his first qualifying lap. He was checked and cleared to drive.

Ryan Briscoe, who was competing in an American Le Mans Series race in Connecticut, did not make a qualifying attempt in the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car.

A three-wide start for the first Indy car race at Pocono since 1989 will be implemented on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, which includes a 3,740-foot frontstraight. The race is 160 laps.

Also on July 6, Carlos Munoz reclaimed the Firestone Indy Lights championship points lead by breezing to victory in the Pocono 100.

It was the third victory of the season for Munoz, driving the No. 26 Dialy-Ser car for Andretti Autosport, and fifth overall (second on an oval). He's led all the race laps in the victories. It also was the third victory in five starts from the pole this season for the 21-year-old from Colombia.

Including bonus points for the Sunoco Pole Award and leading the most laps on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, Munoz takes a four-point lead over Sage Karam into the race next week on the streets of Exhibition Place in Toronto.

Behind Munoz, who won by 16.2247 seconds, Karam in the No. 8 Schmidt Peterson with Curb-Agajanian battled teammate Gabby Chaves for second in the final 10 laps of the caution-free race. They traded second place four times, with Karam overtaking Chaves' No. 7 car in Turn 1 on Lap 39. Chaves crossed the finish line .7280 of a second behind Karam.

DAY 1 NOTEBOOK:

This is the first open-wheel event at Pocono since 1989.

Pocono hosted Indy car races from 1971-89, with drivers such as A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Al Unser, Mario Andretti and Johnny Rutherford capturing victories. Danny Sullivan won the last Indy car race at the Tricky Triangle, in 1989.

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Marco Andretti led the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test on Thursday, July 4 with a top lap of 40.7308 seconds, 220.963 mph in the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet.

2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan was second at 40.9460, 219.802 in the No. 11 Sunoco "Turbo" KVRT-SH Racing Chevrolet. Kanaan can continue on the path to a $1 million bonus this weekend by winning the second of three legs of the Fuzzy's Triple Crown.

Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner and current IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Helio Castroneves was third at 219.123 mph in the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.

***

Carlos Munoz led the Firestone Indy Lights Open Test on Friday, July 5 at 47.9518 seconds, 187.688 mph in the No. 26 Dialy-Ser car for Andretti Autosport.

Points leader Sage Karam was second at 187.548 in the No. 8 Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian car. His teammate, Gabby Chaves, was third at 186.187 in the No. 7 Schmidt Peterson c/w Curb-Agajanian car.

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2013 Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan will earn a $250,000 bonus if he wins the Pocono Indy 400 fueled by Sunoco and remain eligible for a $1 million bonus awarded by Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka for the Fuzzy's Triple Crown.

Any driver who wins the Indianapolis 500, Pocono Indy 400 fueled by Sunoco this weekend and the MAVTV 500 on Oct. 19 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., will earn a $1 million bonus. Any driver who wins two of the three races will earn $250,000.

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2013 Indianapolis 500 pole winner Ed Carpenter met with the media this morning.

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): (Preview this weekend): "It seemed like we had pretty good speed at the test the other day. You never know. I think it's going to be a lot like Indianapolis, who picks the right level of downforce, who picks the gearing right. The way the wind is blowing, a tailwind coming out of Turn 3, is going to make it tricky. Just like the way I felt at Indy, I thought we could be anywhere in the top 10. It's just the way the series is now." (About Butler University basketball coach Brad Stevens becoming head coach of Boston Celtics. Carpenter is a Butler graduate, Butler basketball season-ticket holder and close friend of Stevens): "I still think about it a lot. I watched his press conference yesterday. He did a great job, as he always does. I'm eager to see who the next Butler coach is. I feel great for Brad. It's a great opportunity for him. It's become my second-favorite NBA team now." (Comparing Indianapolis Motor Speedway to Pocono): "Here the straightaways are a little different. The corners are a little different. The duration of the corners are different. Gearing for Indy is easier. Here, with the different length straightaways, different-shaped corners, it's hard to have as many options to cover as many conditions. I think gearing and getting it right for conditions for two laps is going to be a big part about who comes out on pole." (Are you shifting gears on track here?): "I've done some laps single-speed, new tires, but with the way the wind has been blowing, we'll be using at least two tops gears, maybe three. There's a downshift out of one, then you upshift for the long front straightaway. Maybe other guys will do it another way." (Did you do any computer sims of Pocono to prepare for running here?): "I didn't. We tested here twice now. iRacing is really good. But it doesn't have the new car there yet. I just used the experience with the two tests, and I was here for the announcement for the new race last fall and got out on the track that day. Mario (Andretti) was here, and I picked his brain a bit. It's always awkward going to a new track." (About excitement building for this event): "It's been great working with the family here and connecting the dots between our two families. There's quite a bit of history going through the generations. It's been great working with Brandon and Nick. It appears there's a great fan base here. When I walked into the garage this morning, there already were a few hardcore fans here, which I thought was great for an early Saturday." (About Turn 1 at Pocono): "It's an awesome corner. It's more daunting than Turn 1 at Indy, in my opinion, with the banking and the speed, it's hard to be fast and consistent. A lot of drivers are enjoying running at this track, and Turn 1 is one of the main reasons, in my opinion. The speed of the lap, your overall speed, is going to be determined by how you get through Turn 1. But with racing, how you get through Turn 3 in traffic is going to be very important." (About any bumps in track): "I don't think there's a bad bump anywhere here. I wouldn't call anything here bumpy, certainly not what it used to be, from what I've heard."

***

All 24 cars that participated in the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test on Thursday, July 4 posted lap times better than the track record of 42.510 seconds, 211.715 mph set by Emerson Fittipaldi on Aug. 19, 1989.

Marco Andretti of nearby Nazareth, Pa., topped the speed chart with a lap of 40.7308, 220.963.

***

Andretti Autosport drivers Marco Andretti, James Hinchcliffe, Ryan Hunter-Reay and E.J. Viso met with the media this morning.

E.J. VISO (No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA Citgo Chevrolet): "It's fun. First time I drove into the track, my GPS said Andretti Drive. It was pretty cool. I know what history means. This is the first time for Marco to be at this track. This track has a lot of history for the Andrettis. It's fun. I'm pretty new to American racing history, but little by little, I'm catching up. It's pretty amazing being with this team and being next to original champion. Pocono is an amazing track. Really fast, every corner is different. There is a big contrast when you're driving."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): "I think the season is wide open. I think the season is going to come down to the last race again. You really don't know who is going to win each race. It's a mystery every weekend. You've really got to be on top of your game to score maximum points." (About ESPY nomination for Driver of the Year): "The ESPY's, it's a huge honor. Going up against Tony Kanaan and the Brazilian contingent. It's very cool just to be nominated. It goes to show how much work went into last year and our championship."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet): "A lot better than last year for me. I really worked on my consistency. Where I really struggled last year have been my best results this year. Good start here this weekend. We're going to have to see what happens." (Are you concerned about three-wide start?): "No, this straightaway is pretty long, and I'm all about tradition. Hopefully we can get this sorted before we get to Turn 1." (About this track being near home of Nazareth, Pa.): "Obviously, we're going to have nice hometown support. We just need to do everything in our power to be in contention when it counts." (About studying prior Indy-car races at Pocono): "I didn't look back and study religiously. It's been so long ago. I think it's going to produce an awesome race."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet): (About season to date): "It has been a very up and down. The highs, very high. The lows ,very low. The wins are nice, but we're still fourth in points. If you look at our results outside of the top 10, it's a miracle we're fourth in points." (About coming to this race after dominant victory at Iowa): "It's nice coming into a race weekend off a performance like that, but in two days, it won't mean anything." (About winning on an oval for first time at Iowa): "It's a huge part. To be successful and to be a champion in IndyCar, you have to be able to perform on different racetracks. Right after (street-course win) St. Pete, I had the goal to win on an oval to prove we could be competitive on all tracks."

***

IZOD IndyCar Series officials announced the following team will receive a 10-spot grid penalties for the race Sunday for an unapproved engine change:

#9 Dixon (Rule 15.5.1)

15.5.1. (Minimum mileage): Engine was changed before minimum mileage threshold ("Change-Out Mileage") of 2,000 miles.

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES PRACTICE:

At 10 a.m., the ambient temperature was 78 degrees with a relative humidity of 62 percent and winds from the south at 9 mph. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 107 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

10 a.m. - GREEN. #7 Sebastien Bourdais first on track.

10:32 a.m. - YELLOW. Tow-in for #12 Power, who stopped on back straightaway between Turns 2 and 3. Team reports possible electrical problem, as car is stuck in gear.

10:46 a.m. - GREEN.

11 a.m. - CHECKERED. End of session. #25 Marco Andretti was fastest at 221.883.

***

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, a four-time Indy-car winner at Pocono, is at home in Houston recovering from left hip replacement surgery July 1. Doctors told Foyt, owner of the No. 14 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing car driven by Takuma Sato, it would be six to eight weeks before he can travel.

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Ryan Briscoe will complete a unique "double" of racing in the Northeast this weekend.

Briscoe will miss practice and qualifying for Panther Racing today at Pocono due to competing in the American Le Mans Series race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut. Briscoe took the top qualifying spot for the P2 class with a track-record lap in an HPD ARX-03b for Level 5 Motorsports.

He will start last in the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet in the Pocono INDYCAR 400 fueled by Sunoco on Sunday due to missing qualifying today. But Briscoe will be hard to miss anywhere in the field due to a special red, white and blue National Guard livery in honor of the Fourth of July weekend that also highlights the 150th anniversary of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Panther hosts many Medal of Honor Recipients as part of its "Operation: Hire Our Guard" veteran employment program, and former Marine Capt. James E. Livingston, who received the Medal of Honor for his heroic efforts in the Vietnam War, will be a guest of the team this weekend.

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Pocono Raceway is one of the most unique tracks in worldwide motorsport. Details about "The Tricky Triangle:"

Length: 2.5 miles

Turn banking and radius: Turn 1, 14-degree banking, 675-foot radius; Turn 2, 8 degree-banking, 750-foot radius; Turn 3, 6-degree banking, 800-foot radius.

Straightaway length: Front straight, 3,740 feet; Back straight (between Turns 1 and 2), 3,055 feet; Short straight (between Turns 2 and 3): 1,780 feet.

Track width: Varies between 60 and 100 feet.

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The Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco will be broadcast live at noon (ET) on ABC, the IMS Radio Network and SiriusXM 211, with in-car camera coverage and other data available on the INDYCAR 13 smartphone and tablet app.

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At 12:15 p.m., the ambient temperature was 80 degrees with a relative humidity of 61 percent and winds from the south at 10 mph. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 114 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

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Vintage Indy cars are on display today behind the pit area. The display was organized by Gary Mondschein of nearby Brodheadsville, Pa., who is president of the vintage division of the American TQ Midget Racing Association.

One of the cars on display is the first open-wheel race car that Mario Andretti drove, a three-quarter midget built in 1950. It is on loan from the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing in York Springs, Pa.

Several of the vintage cars will pace the Firestone Indy Lights and the IZOD IndyCar Series races this weekend at Pocono.

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At 1:15 p.m., the ambient temperature was 81 degrees with a relative humidity of 61 percent and winds from the south at 10 mph. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 119 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

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Each IZOD IndyCar Series qualifier will take the green flag on the second time by the flag stand. Qualifying position is based on the average speed of two laps.

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: E.J. Viso has been evaluated and released without injury from the infield care center. He is cleared to drive.

E.J. VISO: "I was stuck in my second qualifying lap. The rear of the car stepped out. I controlled it for a little bit, and it stepped out again. That second time there was nothing I could do. I would like to review what happened."

***YELLOW. #98 Tagliani crashes in Turn 1 on first lap. Tagliani brushed SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 1 with right side of car. Car then did three-quarter spin to the left exiting Turn 1 and hit inside SAFER Barrier with rear of car before stopping on back straightaway. Tagliani climbs from car with assistance from Holmatro Safety team.

#25 Marco Andretti wins pole with two-lap average speed of 221.273 mph.

***

Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Alex Tagliani has been evaluated and released without injury from the infield care center. He is cleared to drive.

***

POCONO INDYCAR 400 FUELED BY SUNOCO QUALIFYING NOTES:

This is Marco Andretti's second Verizon P1 Award this season. He also won the pole at Milwaukee.

Andretti Autosport drivers Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe swept the three front-row starting spots, respectively. The last time a team swept a three-car front row in an Indy-car event was the 1988 Indianapolis 500, when Penske Racing teammates Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser qualified first, second and third, respectively.

Marco Andretti became the third member of his family to win an open-wheel pole at Pocono Raceway. His father, Michael Andretti, won the pole in 1986 at 205.724 mph. His grandfather, Mario Andretti, won the pole in 1987 at 200.915.

Marco Andretti set a Pocono Raceway track record with his two-lap average qualifying speed of 221.273 mph. The previous record was 211.715, set over one lap by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989.

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POCONO INDYCAR 400 FUELED BY SUNOCO QUALIFYING QUOTES:

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet): "We've been battling understeer in Turn 1 all week long and all week in testing. I told my engineer if we have to lift in Turn 1, we're going to be slow. And then I was loose. I had a big moment in Turn 1 and had to lift. Andretti Autosport, 1-2-3, it's incredible. It's Pocono, Andretti on pole, Andretti Autosport on front row - you couldn't write a better story than that." (About importance of mechanical grip): "Paramount. This place is tricky. It has earned its name. It's not a marketing ploy. That's an earned reputation. Trying to balance the setup with high banks of Turn 1 and flat of Turn 3 is incredibly difficult."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet): "I always know my teammates are going to be strong. I got everything out of it. I knew I was going to be pleased with the result. In IndyCar racing these days, there are five guys who get it right. But I lucked out today. It all came together. It was going to be all about balance. We were really focusing on all details in practice." (About this track): "It's tremendous. I've taken a huge liking to this place the second I rolled off here at the first test. I think this place was built for Indy cars, and vice-versa." (About race): "I think it's going to be a little bit like Indianapolis, right place at right time, timing your passes. You really have to be smart. You have to be more than just alongside. You can't go two-wide in Turn 2." (About being third member of family to win pole at Pocono): "It means a lot to me. This is the first place where, besides Milwaukee, I was able to get a pole where they did. But tomorrow is the one we want. That would be icing on the cake. My first goal is tomorrow. I really want to get this monkey off my back. I want to get the wins coming. We need to close the gap, first and foremost, on the points lead." (Is there extra pressure because you're on pole at home race?): "Definitely, because if you look at my worst finish (this season), I swept that weekend until that point, too. We're up to the task. We just need to execute."

TONY KANAAN (No. 11 Sunoco "Turbo" KVRT-SH Racing Chevrolet): "It was OK. Our first time out here. I'm impressed with the number of people out here today. They don't call it The Tricky Triangle for nothing." (Going for pole?): "I was, and it didn't stick. When I came here last week, and I did my first 20 laps, I said there's no way we're going flat in Turn 1 here. And obviously we did. It's exciting." (About what it will take to beat Andretti Autosport): "It's a 400-mile race. The Andretti guys were strong for the entire season. If you look at their Indy 500 effort, I don't expect anything less. I don't think I had anything for him today for pole. This race is a 400-mile race. I don't think you can pick a favorite yet. They did a great job putting three cars in the top three. But it's a 400-mile race." (About three-wide start): "I think it's part of the Triple Crown thing. We only do it once per year. Being in a 400-mile race, I hope we respect each other. This straightaway, it's longer than Indy. It's wide. I don't see a problem doing it. But it's definitely going to be different. We can't get greedy. We have to respect each other. It's going to be difficult. My boss tells me all the time, that's why I get paid the big bucks." (About loss of speed in qualifying lap): "I think I came up to speed too quick. My fault. The Sunoco car is pretty good this weekend, so we're going for the Triple Crown. I'm excited to be here at Pocono; it's my first time. It's nice to see how many race car fans we have in this part of the world. I'm glad you guys are here, and we'll go for it tomorrow, for sure."

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda): "The car was pretty good. We spent a lot of time working on the race car and getting enough miles in so we could mileage-out the engine and put a fresh on in for warm-up tonight and the race tomorrow. Overall, I think we're reasonably happy with our qualifying effort. The car slid a little bit, in Turn 3 on my first timed-lap, so I think that cost us a little speed heading into the second lap. We'll see where we end up in the starting lineup and have a good 400-mile race tomorrow."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): "It was a great one for Andretti Autosport. It's 400 miles. We got quailing out of the way. It's going to be a long race. We have to go against Penske, Ganassi and, of course, a big challenge from teammates. After that we got going, we get to racing." (About Marco Andretti winning pole): "It's definitely good. This is Andretti's backyard, with Marco on the pole. The three-wide start will look pretty cool." (About teamwork): "We meet as a team. Andretti Autosport is really open that way. We go over everything from every session and what we're going to do the next session. We're constantly talking as a group about what we can do better. Each driver likes something different in a race car, and that's where we go our own way." (About Turn 1): "Tagliani crashed because he understeered into the gray. Viso got loose early in the corner. This place is tricky in general. This place is tough. It's more thinking. You have to be so on top of your race tools in the car. As the wind shifts and changes, and you get into one car, two cars in traffic, the place is always changing. When you're running, you're changing gears. It's a busy lap here. Short of Milwaukee, it's the busiest lap. You're moving things around, trying to keep up with the balance of the car."

TRISTAN VAUTIER (No. 55 coastal.com Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda): "Being back at a superspeedway here in Pocono feels like being back at Indy, and I still have a lot to catch up on. It was so helpful to have a full test day here in Pocono to prepare for this race, though. This is a tricky place because it feels like you're on two different tracks with how different these turns are. We got a decent run in though for qualifications, and now we have to put our heads together and make sure we have a strong race tomorrow."

WILL POWER (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet): "It was a good job by the Verizon team in qualifying. I think our setup was spot on, and we were looking good on the first lap. And I thought we had a chance at pole, but then we had overboost going into Turn 1 on the second lap, and the penalty for that was big and it cost us our chance. Still, qualifying in row two is a good place to be. I like this track here at Pocono; it's pretty challenging. I think it's going to be a good race tomorrow. It's a very long race, and you can definitely pass at this place, so it should be really fun to watch."

HELIO CASTRONEVES (No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet): "First of all, I have to say thanks to the fans for coming out and supporting us. It was great to see so many enthusiastic people here today, and they're really excited about IndyCar. Good job by the promoters and everyone here at Pocono Raceway. Now, qualifying sixth is pretty good for the Hitachi Team Penske car. Maybe we were a little too conservative in our qualifying setup, but that's OK. I know the car has been very fast and very smooth all weekend, and I think we will be strong for the race. This track is very interesting, and it's going to be pretty exciting starting three-wide on Sunday. We're looking forward to a good race and hopefully a strong finish in the Hitachi Chevrolet."

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 67 SFH Racing/Rotondo Weirich Honda): "Pocono is definitely a tricky one. I think we've laid a good foundation for all the testing that we've done. We've learned a lot around this place, and I think we understand what we want in the race. We just have to keep a cool head, and I think we can definitely come out of here with a great result."

SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda): "We qualified close enough up to the front that we should be able to move up throughout the race and not fall too far behind. Passing may be difficult here, but we'll know for sure tomorrow. There's one-and-a-half grooves here at Pocono so you can try the outside of the middle groove and be aggressive, but we'll just have to see how much luck guys have doing that. My car has great balance, and I feel confident that we'll have a car that can climb through the pack tomorrow."

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): "It wasn't a good day for us. We have a lot better car than where we just qualified. We have a lot of work to do now. And it will be hard. That's because it is hard to pass here. I am disappointed, to say the least. It will be challenging for the race. Just like Indianapolis, track position will be very important. We just didn't have enough grip to get through the corners the way I wanted. I will have to work on getting a good start to make up some spots early. This place is tricky , just like the nickname says. With three different turns, it takes a balancing act to get the car as good as possible. We will analyze our data from today and get a good game plan for the race."

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Energizer Honda): "We had really good balance with the Energizer car here in Pocono today. We're close to the same aerodynamic setup as Scott (Dixon) with the car, but just 3 miles per hour slower for whatever reason. We're obviously asking Honda why that is right now, and I'm pretty frustrated with that right now. I'm just trying to work as hard as I can. The Target team is working as hard as ever, too, and my frustration doesn't lie with them. It's been pretty tough."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "I think that qualifying run was about what we thought it would be, which was a few miles per hour off of the Chevrolet. The other manufacturer is fast, but we have a good car, and I love the balance of it. We're trimmed as much as we can be and we just put in the latest Honda engine. I can feel some difference in it but not enough to be where we need to be right now. This is such a cool place here in Pocono, and I really love driving this track. The fans are amazing, and I'm looking forward to a competitive event tomorrow. I hope we put on a great show for all these people."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): "Very satisfied with what we achieved. There was almost nothing left, so the engineers and boys did a great job to put it all together considering we only had one qualifying sim in practice and a relatively short preparation time for the new track. I enjoyed the lap. It was a very busy lap because here Turn 1 and Turn 3 is so different balance you get, so you use the tools in to the maximum. So you get a lot of great feeling when you're done. I'm really looking forward to the race."

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS (No. 7 Dragon Racing Chevrolet): "We are pretty happy on our qualifying after a bad morning practice session. We didn't feel comfortable trimming the car out, so we just stayed where we knew we would stay flat for the two qualifying laps. We knew it was not going to put us in the top five, but at least it's a decent qualifying. Now we can try to make the car a little better for the race, and we will see what we can get."

SEBASTIAN SAAVEDRA (No. 6 Dragon Racing Chevrolet): "Very disappointing qualifying session on my side. I'm pretty sure we could have done a lot better, but we had a mechanical failure. The throttle sensor destroyed our run as soon as we left the pits. Now we need to focus putting together a fast race car and go from there. Tomorrow will be a long race, so we will see what we can do."

JAMES JAKES (No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts Honda): "We struggled a little bit generally to find the balance. It's strange because when we came here for the test day, we were pretty happy, but obviously with the track temperature and the air temperature creeping up, it's changed the car. We will work on the race car in the final practice, and hopefully that will put us in good shape for tomorrow. This morning Turn 3 was giving us trouble, but in qualifying it was Turn 1, but that's the nature of this place. I guess that's why they call it The Tricky Triangle, because it's always changing and it's fun to be out there with the three different corners. No corner is the same, so trying to get the car sorted out for all three is pretty tough."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15 Midas/Big O Tires Honda): "I'm proud of our Midas guys; they've been working awfully hard. Handling-wise, we made a lot of gains. To be honest, I thought the balance in qualifying was pretty good, but we hit the hard limiter on the front straight, which all but ends your run, and unfortunately that killed our first lap. I think we probably could have run a mid-18 (second lap) if that had happened, but unfortunately we didn't. Our race car is pretty good, but our qualifying car seemed to be our weakness here. But we will go out there and pound around tomorrow and hopefully make up some spots. It's going to be tough to pass here tomorrow with the aerodynamic setup that we have and with the tire grip that we have available to us."

SIMONA DE SILVESTRO (No. 78 Nuclear Entergy Areva KVRT Chevrolet): "It was a really good qualifying effort for us. I think we might have had a little bit more, but we can be pretty happy, especially when I look at where we started this weekend. We've been struggling on the ovals, especially the last two races, but so far the car's been awesome. I'm pretty happy; the Nuclear Clean Air Energy car has been pretty quick. It's been a lot of hard work, but we took it step-by-step. Huge thanks to the team for that. We've really leaned on Tony (Kanaan) and tried to learn as much as possible because he's really fast around here. I think we have a really strong race car, so hopefully we should be OK in the race. We're toward the front, which is where we were hoping for. We should be able to go forward from there."

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YELLOW. #98 Tagliani crashes in Turn 1 on first lap. Tagliani brushed SAFER Barrier exiting Turn 1 with right side of car. Car then did three-quarter spin to the left exiting Turn 1 and hit inside SAFER Barrier with rear of car before stopping on back straightaway. Tagliani climbs from car with assistance from Holmatro Safety team.

#25 Marco Andretti wins pole with two-lap average speed of 221.273 mph.

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Medical update from Dr. Michael Olinger, INDYCAR medical director: Alex Tagliani has been evaluated and released without injury from the infield care center. He is cleared to drive.

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POCONO INDYCAR 400 FUELED BY SUNOCO QUALIFYING NOTES:

This is Marco Andretti's second Verizon P1 Award this season. He also won the pole at Milwaukee.

Marco Andretti set a Pocono Raceway track record with his two-lap average qualifying speed of 221.273 mph. The previous record was 211.715, set over one lap by Emerson Fittipaldi in 1989.

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POCONO INDYCAR 400 FUELED BY SUNOCO QUALIFYING QUOTES:

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IZOD INDYCAR SERIES FINAL PRACTICE:

At 5:30 p.m., the ambient temperature was 83 degrees with a relative humidity of 55 percent and winds from the south at 8 mph. Skies were partly cloudy. The track temperature was 112 degrees, according to Firestone engineers.

Fastest lap, morning practice: #25 Andretti, 221.883 mph.

Pole speed, two-lap average: #25 Andretti, 221.273 mph

5:30 p.m. - GREEN. #3 Helio Castroneves first on track.

6 p.m. - CHECKERED. End of session. #25 Marco Andretti fastest at 219.120.

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