After Jack Arute reported that the new Indianapolis 500 qualifying format would feature all 33 starting spots up for grabs on Pole Day, Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star is now saying that just 24 spots — the first eight rows of the grid — will be determined on the first day, followed by the final nine positions on the second day, Bump Day.
According to Cavin, the IRL wanted to keep some action ready for Bump Day, especially considering that the list of “500” entrants is expected to be around 40 cars.
As for Arute’s report about a “fast nine” element that’s derivative of the “Firestone Fast Six” in IZOD IndyCar Series road/street course qualifying, that part may be true. Cavin writes that while IRL president of competition Brian Barnhart has yet to reveal an “extra layer” of Indy qualifying, it is believed to be a “late afternoon session on Pole Day that gives competitors a final shot at the No. 1 qualifying spot.” Arute mentioned in his blog post that the top nine drivers would battle for pole position in the final two hours of Pole Day starting at 4 p.m. ET.
Not sure if I would like the league to take this tack, honestly. I think fans would take it a little better if all 33 spots were determined on Saturday — wouldn’t it just be easier to get ’em all filled and then just have bumping on Sunday? At least it wouldn’t be as confusing — or, to some people, contrived.
Now that it appears we’ll have a 24-car cap on Pole Day for the “500,” have your opinions changed on the alleged new format for Indy qualifying?
