‘No Attack, No Chance’, Episode 14: Taku-san’s Revenge

The Japanese driver, Takuma Sato, demonstrated exceptional skill and pushed the limits during the qualifying session at the Indianapolis 500. He set a lap record that seemed almost unattainable and achieved the best average time over four laps. Meanwhile, Alex Palou, although capable, lacked the same level of excitement and settled for a qualifying position. There was some drama between Rahal and Juncos towards the bottom of the pack.

In Indianapolis, everyone is well aware of Takuma Sato’s extraordinary ability to transform a competitive car into a potential winner at the Indianapolis 500. He has accomplished this feat twice before, and given the right circumstances, he could have achieved it on four occasions. As Sato approaches the final phase of his illustrious career, he remains fiercely determined and treats his Ganassi team membership as the ultimate honor bestowed upon any samurai in Indianapolis.

On Friday, the 48-year-old driver emerged as the leading contender for the pole position in the upcoming Indy 500 race. He displayed remarkable dominance during the ‘Fast Friday’ session, setting the fastest lap times with almost overwhelming ease.

Sato’s blistering lap speed of 234.753 miles per hour left his closest competitor trailing by half a mile per hour. It was the sixth-fastest lap ever recorded in the history of the Indianapolis 500, excluding the 1996 edition. Not long after setting this exceptional lap time, he even brushed against the turn 2 barriers, showcasing his fearless driving style that adheres to the belief of “No Attack, No Chance.”

In an effort to demonstrate both his speed and consistency, Sato further solidified his position in the final hour by achieving the best qualifying simulation of the day, with an average speed of 233.413 miles per hour. This performance indicates that he may fall short of the expected pace on the upcoming Sunday race. Unlike the absolute timetable, where Ganassi did not secure a double, they managed to achieve it in the four-lap averages. Marcus Ericsson accompanied the fourth-best lap with the second-best average.

🤯UNBELIEVABLE🤯 pic.twitter.com/LvFfHgzLBx

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 19, 2023

However, the other two Ganassi cars did not achieve impressive results. Scott Dixon encountered potential engine issues after experiencing some driving difficulties, while Álex Palou seemed to lag behind in terms of raw performance. Palou, known for his improvement during crucial moments, finished in 14th place with a best lap speed of 233.268 miles per hour and a four-lap average of 232.320 mph. These results only allowed him to climb up to 11th place in the rankings.

The day was remarkable due to the impressive performance of Penske, particularly in two of its cars, as demonstrated by their outstanding records in the qualifying simulation. While Josef Newgarden was the only Penske car to secure a spot in the top 10, finishing in sixth place, he achieved the third-best average time over four laps, narrowly ahead of Will Power.

However, it should be noted that Power will have an advantageous starting position in the qualifying session, as he will be the third driver to take to the track. On the other hand, Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin will start their qualifying attempts in the last and second-to-last positions respectively, facing less favorable temperature conditions.

Andretti Autosport also showcased its competitiveness, with Marco Andretti securing the second position. Although his performance was less impressive over the course of four laps, it is worth mentioning the double top 10 finish by Colton Herta and Kyle Kirkwood in both qualifying sessions. Kirkwood, in particular, stood out in terms of overall sensations.

In the midst of these achievements, Rinus VeeKay held his ground as the last representative of the Carpenter team in the favorable zone, while Felix Rosenqvist led McLaren with a strong performance over four laps. Unfortunately, a talented driver like Duck O’Ward struggled to find the desired consistency, despite recording the highest top speed of 391 kilometers per hour in a single turn.

Furthermore, the noteworthy performances of the rookie’s Benjamin Pedersen and Agustín Canapino were remarkably surprising, surpassing initial expectations while driving for Foyt and Juncos respectively. They achieved solid positions within the top 20, partially capitalizing on the underwhelming performance of Coyne and Shank, as well as a challenging day for the Dreyer & Reinbold cars. However, the attention was primarily drawn to the unfortunate situation faced by two particular teams at the back of the field.

Firstly, all four cars from Rahal’s team continued to struggle and found themselves consistently at the bottom of the rankings. Katherine Legge’s 28th-place finish, albeit four laps behind, marked her best position of the day. To delve deeper into the team’s misfortune, Jack Harvey experienced a permanent engine failure in his Honda, further complicating his prospects.

The situation was even direr in Juncos, where Callum Ilott failed to surpass 228 mph and was unable to perform a qualifying simulation due to his team’s decision to replace his faulty chassis. In an attempt to avert disaster, Ilott will utilize the model that Canapino successfully tested during the April testing sessions. Nonetheless, it remains challenging for Ilott to even participate in the race on Saturday.

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