#21 Giaffone Indy 500 Pole Day Qualifying

Felipe Giaffone

#21 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Chevrolet G-Force
86th Indianapolis 500 - Pole Day Qualifying Notes/Quotes - Saturday, May 11,
2002
Indianapolis Motor Speedway - 2.5-Mile Oval
Round 5 of 15 on the 2002 Indy Racing League

Felipe Giaffone and the #21 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Chevrolet G-Force will
start the 86th Indianapolis 500 from the inside of the second row after
posting a Pole Day qualifying four-lap average of 230.326 mph today.  The
27-year-old Giaffone, who started 33rd in his first career Indy 500 last
season, was the second qualifier today and posted laps of 230.030 mph,
230.392 mph, 230.517 mph, and 230.635 mph.  Ironically, the first driver to
make an attempt today, Bruno Junqueira, earned the pole with a four-lap
average of 231.342 mph.  Giaffone, who finished 10th in last year's Indy 500
enroute to 2001 Indy Racing League Rookie of the Year honors, hung onto the
second spot on this year's grid until Brazilian countryman Raul Boesel
posted a 230.613-mph qualifying run some two hours and 15 qualifying
attempts later.  Then, Robbie Buhl stormed into the second spot with a
231.033-mph qualifying run that bumped Boesel to third and Giaffone to
fourth.

Giaffone's teammate Tony Kanaan will start alongside him in the middle of
the second row.  Kanaan and the #17 Hollywood/Mo Nunn Racing Chevrolet
G-Force earned the fifth starting spot with a four-lap average of 230.253
mph.  His four laps were 230.314 mph, 230.381 mph, 230.260 mph, and 230.057
mph, but not before an aborted qualifying run during which a light drizzle
dampened the track.  Kanaan was not charged with the first qualifying
attempt, despite posting three qualifying laps, and after a 39-minute rain
delay, he was allowed by IRL officials to re-attempt his initial qualifying
run.

Qualifying is slated to resume at noon local time (1 p.m. EDT) Sunday.  All
positions earned today are essentially locked into place on the starting
grid.

FELIPE GIAFFONE

"This year has been very good so far.  Every day has been good, except for
the fact we struggled a bit the last two days of practice and that made us a
little more anxious than you would like to be.  But I knew after going 230
yesterday afternoon that I had a good car.  I've got to hand it to the crew
for doing such a good job of giving me a good car.  I was able to go flat
out on every (qualifying) lap.  I knew we didn't have a pole car, but it was
going to be solid in the field.  We were willing to take anything higher
than 228 mph.  That was our goal for today.  So at 230, it's obvious that we
are very happy.  Both of our cars were very consistent today.  All eight of
our qualifying laps, between Tony and me, were in the 230s.  That's a real
credit to the team, and to Morris and the engineers for giving us the best
equipment possible.  Now we can concentrate on the race.  I'm feeling very
relieved, and I'm also feeling very confident for the race.  I can't wait to
get back to work."

MORRIS NUNN

"I'm very proud of the work the guys have put in, and the job the drivers
did.  Considering the short amount of time we've spent here at the Speedway
... essentially not having run here until last Sunday ... and the little
problems we had to overcome during the week, I would have been happy with
something somewhere in the top three rows today.  A top-10 result was the
goal.  But both of our cars are in the top five.  You have to hand it to the
guys on this team, which people have to realize is a very, very new team.
This is only our fifth IRL race, and we've only been in business for less
than three years.  Now, looking back and being as obviously competitive as
we are, it would have been nice to be on the front row, or on the pole.  But
with just one week here to get it done, and the fact that we are so new at
this as a team, that might have been a bit optimistic.  At any rate, it's
great to be here as a team owner and having had the kind of week we did the
very first time out.  We can feel good about our efforts this week, but then
we'll have to come back and focus on finishing the job on race day.  It's a
long race and anything can happen.  I've got two very confident drivers.
Right now, we're pretty high on emotion, so let's see if we can carry it on
through to the checkered flag.  I'm never confident until I see that car
come around that last turn on the last lap and make it all the way across
the start-finish line!"