Qualifying for the 107th Indianapolis 500 is under way, and Day 1 of qualifying was completed on May 22, 2021. Felix Rosenqvist of Arrow McLaren clocked an average speed of 233.947 mph over four laps, earning him first place and putting him in the lead for Sunday’s NTT P1 Award. Rosenqvist was followed by his Arrow McLaren teammate Alexander Rossi, who finished with a speed of 233.528 mph, while Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing came in third, and Rinus VeeKay of Ed Carpenter Racing claimed the fourth spot. Rosenqvist’s four-lap average speed is the third-fastest in the history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Swede dominated on the first day of qualifying runs and will be heading into Sunday’s Fast 12 qualifications with immense confidence.
Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Chevrolet made for a dominant presence during the first day of qualifying runs at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500. Arrow McLaren ended the day on top, after putting both Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi in the top two spots. A.J. Foyt Racing surprised everyone on Day 1, with both Santino Ferrucci and Benjamin Pedersen securing spots in Sunday’s Fast 12, with the team’s presence putting them among the top names of the day. Team Chevy has made remarkable improvements this year, with Chevy drivers filling four of the top six spots in Sunday’s Fast 12. In contrast, Honda’s streak of sweeping the pole and taking seven of the nine front-row spots for the past seven years looks to be broken this year.
Both teams and drivers have been facing a tricky track, with changing weather conditions, soft-compound tires, and wind gusts affecting car performance. Despite the challenges faced, drivers and teams performed exceptionally well on Day 1 of Qualifying, making it look like Sunday’s Fast 12 qualifications will undoubtedly be a fascinating contest. Day 2 qualifying will consist of two sessions for the top 12 cars, with the first setting the grid positions 7-12, and the second round settling the pole and remaining spots 2-6.
Drivers deeper in the field are vying for a spot on the final row, with Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan facing a tough challenge, with only one of their four cars being in the mix. The IndyCar teams’ focus during the testing was on trialing a variety of aero combinations to create better racing conditions and provide more technical options. New parts have also been made available for the event this year as IndyCar aims to create even closer races. All drivers passed the required refresher tests and rookie orientation programs and are eligible to compete in May’s races.
The qualifying rounds will be held on May 22 and 23, and the Indy 500 will take place on May 30, 2021. The race will feature 34 cars attempting to make the 33-car field, creating a little added drama for the qualifying sessions. Three former race winners are set to start among the field, headlined by Scott Dixon, Helio Castroneves, and Juan Pablo Montoya. The 107th Indy 500 can be watched on NBC, Universo, Peacock, SiriusXM, and IndyCar Radio.
The best bets for the 2023 Indy 500 indicate Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward as the front runners. Peacock, the supported streaming service, lets viewers live-stream thousands of hours of shows and movies, including live sports, NBC events, WWE, Premier League, and Sunday Night Football, among others, for $10 a month. An option to purchase an ad-free subscription by adding $5 a month is available, which comes with benefits like local NBC channel access and downloading select titles to watch offline.
In conclusion, Day 1 of qualifying runs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 saw impressive performances, mainly by Arrow McLaren, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Chevrolet drivers. Felix Rosenqvist’s clocking of the third-fastest four-lap qualifying run in Indy 500 history has put him in the lead for Sunday’s NTT P1 Award and instilled immense confidence in him ahead of the Fast 12 qualifications. Teams and drivers will focus on their winning strategies on Day 2, with Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan, who faces a challenging scenario, looking to put forth to their best efforts to claim a place in the finals. The world waits with bated breath for Sunday’s Fast 12 qualifications to see which driver goes ahead to claim the pole position in the 107th Indy 500.
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