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7:35 PM Qualifying has just started and
I'm going to do a running commentary. The first car out was Alex
Barron, and my thinking is that he will be in trouble, because
he will have to "eat" all that Hoosier rubber. As it
turned out, every car after Barron was faster, even Ed
Carpenter. Barron was 1 mph slower than his best in practice.
Carpenter ended up 2 mph better than his personal best of the
day. Following those runs, Manning also posted a personal best
speed before Hornish put the Penske Dallara on the temporary
pole. Two drivers later it was Buddy Rice, trying for his third
pole position in 6 races that displaced Hornish. Anthony Foyt
posted a customary low number before Mark Taylor wowed us with
an outside pole run. Watching him, I was amazed by his turn
speed, and even commented on it to Dan from TSO. Then up jumped
the "170" and I knew why. Tora Takagi again showed
that he must like RIR, he is in 4th position as I type this.
Vitor Meira became the 7th car to surpass the early running duo
of Barron and Carpenter. Meira held 4th place until Tomas
Scheckter bested him, moving into 4th.
Well, I called another one,
sitting in the Media Center when Helio went out I said
"look at that corner speed!" Everyone looked up to see
Helio become one of several drivers to wrest the pole from
drivers that went out before them. My next comment said it all,
"when they "turn in and stick like an F1 car, look for
a fast lap." I wondered what Scott Dixon had been hiding
when he went out to run? Just another one-seventy, but no better
than 7th. Felipe Giaffone and Greg Ray provides late-run
fireworks as darkness fell and their titanium rub strips lit up
the track. Helio's top speed held up. With Castroneves, Rice and
Taylor in the top three, there were 2 Chevy's in the top ten,
both from Panther Racing, and again Toyota and Honda split the
remaining 8 spots.
There is plenty of grip in this
track, I expect a far better race than the Richmond fans have
seen in the past, and those haven't been short on the excitement
meter. This is a wrap for me, as I will now take a busman's
holiday and watch the USAC cars.
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