Former F1 driver calls his first Indy 500 qualifying 'scary' as drivers hit ludicrous speeds
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- Scott Dixon won the Indianapolis 500 pole with a record-setting 4-lap average of 234 mph.
- The top drivers routinely hit 240-242 mph during their qualifying laps.
- Romain Grosjean qualified for his first Indy 500, calling it "scary" and saying he was glad it was behind him.
Former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean qualified for his first Indianapolis 500, but after the speeds he reached in qualifying, he is glad the entire experience is behind him.
Former Indy 500 champion Scott Dixon won his fifth pole, at age 41, with a record-setting four-lap average of 234.046 mph. However, the cars were going much faster than that, with the top drivers regularly peaking at 240-242 mph.
NBC
Grosjean, who qualified ninth with an average speed of 231.999 mph, was asked about his run.
"It was scary," he said with a smile. "We tried everything we had to go fast and get some speed in the car, but it was definitely nerve-wracking. It wasn't easy. I used all the tools in the car. I'm glad it's behind me."
Another household name, if Indy 500 rookie, showed how scary those speeds can be.
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson qualified 12th. His performance suffered on the first lap when he lost control of his car.
Johnson made an incredible save to keep his run going, but it also showed how close he came to disaster.
—IndyCar on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) May 22, 2022
Three-time Indy 500 champion Dario Franchitti spoke to NBC during qualifying and called Johnson's save "worth the price of admission."
Luckily for Johnson and Grosjean, they won't have to go quite as fast during the actual race, which will run on Sunday, May 29, but they will have to deal with traffic at speeds nearly as fast.