Indianapolis---Rain washed out the scheduled first day of qualifying on Saturday for the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500.
The persistent showers mean Sunday will be busy on the 2.5 mile (4 Km) oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where all 34 entries will make one four-lap qualifying attempt, and the fastest nine will then battle in the "Fast Nine Shootout" to settle the first three rows of the starting grid for the May 24 race.
Two drivers -- 2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay and Carlos Huertas -- posted qualifying times on Saturday, but Hunter-Reay's 229.845 mph effort and Huertas' 228.235 mph -- were both deleted as the weather prevented other drivers from pursuing qualifying laps.
Despite the weather, morning practice times were fast. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves of Brazil clocked a lap of 233.474 mph -- the fastest at the iconic speedway since Eddie Cheever Jr's lap of 236.103 mph in the 1996 race.
That same year, Dutch driver Arie Luyendyk set the one- and four-lap qualifying records (237.260 mph and 237.498 mph).
Castroneves is vying this month to join US racing legends A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears as four-time Indy 500 winners.
The Brazilian is also in contention for some pole history. Wiith top qualifying efforts in 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010 and is one of three drivers with four poles, alongside Foyt and Rex Mays.
A fifth pole position this weekend would put him second among all-time pole winners, one behind Mears' six.
Castroneves has already had a scare at the speedway this week, his Penske flipping backwards end-over-end after he brushed a wall in practice on Wednesday.
Castroneves escaped injury, as did American Josef Newgarden who also went airborne in a practice crash on Thursday.
AFP
