Andretti Autosport, an IZOD IndyCar Series team with deep roots at Pocono Raceway and in Pennsylvania, swept the front row for the Pocono INDYCAR 400 Fueled by Sunoco on July 7.
Marco Andretti obliterated the track record of 211.715 mph set by Emerson Fittipaldi on Aug. 19, 1989, with a two-lap average speed of 221.273 mph in the No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet. Reigning series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was .1404 of a second back in the No. 1 DHL Chevrolet, and James Hinchcliffe was third (220.431 mph) in the No. 27 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.
The last time a team swept a three-car front row in an Indy car event was the 1988 Indianapolis 500 with Penske Racing's Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan and Al Unser. Andretti and teammate Carlos Munoz earned front-row starts in the 97th Indianapolis 500 in May.
Andretti, third in the championship standings, desperately wants to earn his third career victory. Doing so at his "home race" (he's from Nazareth, Pa.) would be special. The Andretti family history at “The Tricky Triangle” includes Marco's grandfather, Mario Andretti, winning the 1986 Indy car race in which his father, Michael, won the pole. Mario won the pole for the 1987 race shortly after Marco was born.
Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan, the lone driver with the opportunity to collect the $1 million Fuzzy's Triple Crown bonus for sweeping races this season at Indianapolis, Pocono and Auto Club Speedway, will start fifth in the No. 11 Sunoco "Turbo" car for KV Racing Technology-SH Racing.
Andretti Autosport's E.J. Viso, driving the No. 5 Team Venezuela PDVSA Citgo car, made contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier on his second qualifying lap. He was checked at the infield care center and cleared to drive. Alex Tagliani's No. 98 Barracuda Racing also made contact with the Turn 1 SAFER Barrier on his first qualifying lap. He was checked and cleared to drive.
Ryan Briscoe, who was competing in an American Le Mans Series race in Connecticut, did not make a qualifying attempt in the No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing car.
A three-wide start for the first Indy car race at Pocono since 1989 will be implemented on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, which includes a 3,740-foot frontstraight. The race is 160 laps.
Photo by Chris Owens/INDYCAR
