Pigot tops first Indy 500 qualifying, Alonso misses certain race cut
Ed Carpenter Racing's Spencer Pigot edged Penske's trio of drivers to top Saturday's qualifying session for the Indianapolis 500, as James Hinchcliffe and Fernando Alonso missed the cut

Under the Indy 500 qualifying format, all 36 entrants are permitted a four-lap run of the 2.5-mile circuit, and then had the opportunity to improve on their time, across a seven-hour session, with the order in which the drivers run being decided by a random ballot.
Pigot was the second driver to complete a run in the optimal early conditions and produced an average speed of 230.083mph, leaving him just 0.002mph clear of 2018 winner Will Power.
Power was the only driver other to finish their qualifying effort in the 230mph range, as his team-mates Simon Pagenaud and Josef Newgarden capped a strong day for the regular Penske racers by taking third and fourth.
Harding Steinbrenner Racing's Colton Herta had already secured a berth in the Fast Nine but he improved late on to take fifth, in front of Ed Jones.
Three-time Indy 500 polesitter Ed Carpenter, 2016 victor Alexander Rossi and Sebastien Bourdais were the final drivers to qualify for Sunday's Fast Nine session.
In drama at the rear of the field, Hinchcliffe lost the rear end of his Schmidt Peterson Motorsport-run car through Turn 2 on his first run and careered into the wall in a hefty impact, but he was able to walk away from the wreckage uninjured.
Hinchcliffe climbed into the team's back-up car but his subsequent efforts were insufficient and he faces the prospect of competing for the last row, 12 months after missing the cut.

Alonso and McLaren struggled for speed throughout the day, with the double Formula 1 world champion's initial qualifying effort hampered by a cut on his right-rear tyre.
After having his practice time shortened by a crash and an electrical issue, Alonso flirted with the lower reaches of the top 30 as the day progressed.
But as the final laps were completed he ended up only 31st, with late surges from JR Hildebrand and Graham Rahal sealing Alonso's fate.
Alonso and Hinchcliffe will return to compete for the final three spots on the grid, where they will face competition from Patricio O'Ward, Sage Karam - who brushed the wall on his first run - Max Chilton and Kyle Kaiser.
Should rain disrupt proceedings on Sunday then Bump Day will be postponed until Monday.
If the anticipated inclement weather does strike Indianapolis on Sunday then Saturday's results will instead determine the front three rows of the grid for next weekend's race.
Marco Andretti made a few attempts at demoting Bourdais from the Fast Nine but fell short and will front the fourth row of the grid, with positions 10-30 now locked in.
Conor Daly was 11th, ahead of three-time winner Helio Castroneves, with F1 convert Marcus Ericsson the highest-placing rookie in 13th spot, five positions in front of reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.
First qualifying speeds
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Speed |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Spencer Pigot | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 230.083 |
2 | Will Power | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 230.081 |
3 | Simon Pagenaud | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 229.854 |
4 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 229.749 |
5 | Colton Herta | Harding Racing | Dallara/Honda | 229.478 |
6 | Ed Jones | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 229.440 |
7 | Ed Carpenter | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 229.349 |
8 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 229.268 |
9 | Sebastien Bourdais | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 228.800 |
10 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Herta | Dallara/Honda | 228.756 |
11 | Conor Daly | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 228.617 |
12 | Helio Castroneves | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 228.523 |
13 | Marcus Ericsson | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 228.511 |
14 | Takuma Sato | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 228.300 |
15 | James Davison | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 228.273 |
16 | Tony Kanaan | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 228.120 |
17 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 228.104 |
18 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 228.100 |
19 | Oriol Servia | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 227.991 |
20 | Charlie Kimball | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.915 |
21 | J.R. Hildebrand | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.908 |
22 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 227.877 |
23 | Santino Ferrucci | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 227.731 |
24 | Matheus Leist | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.717 |
25 | Jack Harvey | Meyer Shank Racing | Dallara/Honda | 227.695 |
26 | Jordan King | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 227.502 |
27 | Ben Hanley | DragonSpeed | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.482 |
28 | Zach Veach | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 227.341 |
29 | Felix Rosenqvist | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 227.297 |
30 | Pippa Mann | Clauson-Marshall Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.244 |
31 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.224 |
32 | Patricio O'Ward | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 227.065 |
33 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 226.956 |
34 | Sage Karam | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 226.951 |
35 | Max Chilton | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 226.934 |
36 | Kyle Kaiser | Juncos Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 225.918 |

Alonso tops final six-car pre-qualifying Indy 500 practice
Fernando Alonso: Indy 500 failure to qualify could be 'deserved'

Latest news
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Chip Ganassi Racing team was strong again in the Indianapolis 500, with poleman Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou leading almost three quarters of the race between them. But when dominator Dixon was penalised for pitlane speeding, ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson stepped up to score the biggest win of his career and seize the IndyCar points lead
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential
Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise
How Ganassi's relentless new champion outfoxed IndyCar's best
IndyCar sophomore Alex Palou stunned by overcoming team-mate Scott Dixon and the rest of a white-hot field in 2021. He was consistently fast and crucially showed a level head, rebounding well from setbacks to put himself in a near unassailable position entering the final round
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Despite appearing to have an IndyCar job for life with Meyer Shank Racing, Jack Harvey’s departure and move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate. However, Harvey's and RLL's combined strengths could prove to be a winning combination - if they get the balance right
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing IndyCar win
Saturday 16 October marks the 10th anniversary of Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong junior career and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear
Why IndyCar title glory is just the start for Ganassi's new star
Newly-crowned IndyCar champion Alex Palou has been lauded as a complete driver and veteran-like in only his second season. The 24-year-old is still in the early days of his career, but the parallels are there for all to see with his six-time champion Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate who has been CGR's team leader since 2014