Sato Makes Indy 500 Field

IndyCar Series rookie Takuma Sato returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday morning determined to rebound from a hard practice session on Saturday and clinch a place in the Indy 500 field.

With temperatures in the 90s, the track conditions were the worst of the week and the final qualifications proved to be wild and eventful for the Indianapolis-based KVRT organisation.

Sato, however, took the #5 Lotus—KVRT Dallara-Honda to a four-lap average of 224.178mph, bumping his way into the 33-driver field. The personable Japanese racer was subjected to a wild final hour that saw several drivers miss the coveted starting line-up, including KVRT team-mate Paul Tracy.

The former F1 star, who recorded a podium finish in the USGP at Indianapolis, will start his first 500 from 31st position, having clinched his spot with just 17 minutes remaining in time trials.

"It has been amazing, especially after such a difficult day yesterday," Sato recounted, "The Lotus—KV Racing Technology team did an outstanding job, putting everything back into one piece.

"When I got back in the car this morning, everything felt comfortable. At lunch time, it was difficult because of the warmer temperatures, and we really didn't get up to speeds we had earlier. The last half hour was chaos to be honest, but we made it. The team did a great job, and I'm really proud of them."