Indy 500 Qualifying 2015: Start Time, TV Schedule and Pole Predictions
After rain washed out Saturday's portion of qualifying for the 2015 Indianapolis 500, all 34 hopefuls will compete for a spot in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing Sunday.
Rather than only the Fast Nine Shootout and second round of qualifying taking place Sunday, the entire process will play out. After the initial wave of drivers make their attempts, the nine fastest cars will do battle for the pole position. The 31st, 32nd, 33rd and 34th cars in terms of speed will then vie for the final three spots in the field.
The Indy 500 is arguably the most prestigious race in motorsports, and the drivers are well aware of how important a strong starting position can be when it comes to vying for the win.
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With the 99th running of the Indianapolis 500 quickly approaching, here is a full rundown of how the qualifying process will play out.
Indy 500 Qualifying Schedule and Viewing Info
| Sunday, May 17 | 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Qualifying |
| Sunday, May 17 | 1:45 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | Fast Nine |
| Sunday, May 17 | 3 p.m. - 3: 45 p.m. | Group 2 Qualifying |
According to IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com, the initial round of qualifying will be available via live stream on ESPN3 from 10 a.m. ET until 12 p.m. ET Sunday. The coverage will then shift to ABC for the Fast Nine qualifying from 1 p.m. ET through 3 p.m. ET. The qualifying runs to determine the 31st, 32nd and 33rd starting positions will not be televised.
Indy 500 Qualifying Entrants
| 1 | Will Power |
| 2 | Juan Pablo Montoya |
| 3 | Helio Castroneves |
| 4 | Stefano Coletti |
| 5 | James Hinchcliffe |
| 6 | JR Hildebrand |
| 7 | James Lakes |
| 8 | Sage Karam |
| 9 | Scott Dixon |
| 10 | Tony Kanaan |
| 11 | Sebastien Bourdais |
| 14 | Takuma Sato |
| 15 | Graham Rahal |
| 17 | Sebastian Saavedra |
| 18 | Carlos Huertas |
| 19 | Tristan Vautier |
| 20 | Ed Carpenter |
| 21 | Josef Newgarden |
| 22 | Simon Pagenaud |
| 24 | Townsend Bell |
| 25 | Justin Wilson |
| 26 | Carlos Munoz |
| 27 | Marco Andretti |
| 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay |
| 29 | Simona de Silvestro |
| 32 | Oriol Servia |
| 41 | Jack Hawksworth |
| 43 | Conor Daly |
| 48 | Alex Tagliani |
| 63 | Pippa Mann |
| 83 | Charlie Kimball |
| 88 | Bryan Clauson |
| 91 | Buddy Lazier |
| 98 | Gabby Chaves |
Front-Row Predictions
Pole: Helio Castroneves
Helio Castroneves' week leading up to qualifying didn't get off to a great start, but there is reason to believe that the three-time Indy 500 winner will start from the pole position when the race kicks off on May 24.
During Wednesday's practice session, the Brazilian star's car got loose and went airborne. Luckily for him, though, he was unharmed in the accident, according to his official Twitter account:
When asked about what happened, the 40-year-old driver was unsure, but he was confident that he and his team would be able to get back on track, per Mark Glendenning of Autosport.com:
"Unfortunately I still do not understand what happened. I got loose in Turn 1 and spun out. The good news is the impact wasn't very strong and the landing was smooth as well. In all aspects, I have to say I was very lucky there was no big shunt. The accident was most impressive, but the good news is I am feeling very good. This just set us back one day since it is Wednesday. We still have Thursday and Friday before qualifying. I'm counting on my guys, my boys, to put the car back together and go back to work.
"
It is clear that the accident didn't shake up Castroneves too badly, as he went on to dominate Saturday's practice session with a speed of 233.474 mph. That was significantly faster than the second-fastest car, driven by JR Hildebrand.
Few drivers in the history of the sport have enjoyed as much success at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as Castroneves. It remains to be seen if the stars will align with a fourth victory, but he is the obvious favorite to nab the pole, at the very least.
No. 2: Juan Pablo Montoya
After a solid run in NASCAR, Juan Pablo Montoya's return to the IndyCar circuit has been a rousing success. He finished fourth in the standings last year, and the Colombian-born star enters the Indy 500 as the top dog in 2015.
He already has a win to his credit, and he also knows how to win the Indianapolis 500, as he did it way back in 2000. Although it has been an extremely long time since JPM last kissed the bricks, he is in better position to do it now than he has been in quite some time.
In addition to having the fourth-fastest time in qualifying Saturday, Montoya feels as though he is hitting his stride at the perfect time, according to Verizon:
"“We’ve got ourselves better and better as the year has gone on," --@jpmontoya http://t.co/KnSfVz8Ngg pic.twitter.com/0IwFCVwzdz
— Verizon (@Verizon) May 11, 2015"
Drivers want to be in top form ahead of the Indy 500 if possible, and Montoya is one of a small handful of drivers who can say with confidence that they are.
Starting near the front of the field would add to the confidence that Montoya has already built up, and he will find a way to secure the No. 2 spot behind Castroneves.
No. 3: JR Hildebrand
While JR Hildebrand is no longer an IndyCar regular due to his commitments in the Formula Drift Series, it is quite apparent that he has a car capable of doing some special things in the 2015 Indianapolis 500.
Although he couldn't quite touch Castroneves' practice dominance Saturday, the 27-year-old Californian was No. 2 in terms of speed. After such a strong showing, Hildebrand was overflowing with confidence:
Hildebrand has had mixed results at Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the years, but he did manage a top-10 finish there last year, and he also came in second back in 2011. With that in mind, Hildebrand is no stranger to navigating the Brickyard.
He will have to harness the speed of his car in order to perform well in the race itself, but all he'll have to do Sunday in order to land a favorable starting position is let his do the work.
If it performs anything like it did in practice, then there is no reason why Hildebrand shouldn't start in the front row.
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