Robby Gordon holds Indy pole -- for now

May 11, 2003

INDIANAPOLIS -- Robby Gordon overcame gusty winds and a cold track to take the provisional pole Sunday in the first three hours of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

Gordon, a NASCAR Winston Cup regular who will drive in both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 Winston Cup race on May 25, was a disappointed that he didn't do better than his four-lap average of 230.205 mph.

"I got a big push coming off Turn 2 on my warmup and I was just a little too conservative on that first lap," said Gordon, who was recruited two weeks ago to drive for Andretti Green Racing in place of injured Dario Franchitti. Gordon's regular ride in NASCAR is with Richard Childress Racing.

His first lap around the 2 1/2-mile oval was 228.829. His second lap jumped to 230.529, the third climbed to 230.687 and, finally, 230.788 -- the fastest lap turned in among the 13 early qualifiers.

The opening round of time trials was postponed by rain on Saturday. The wet weather washed most of the rubber off the track surface, making it particularly slick and treacherous as temperatures dropped from the high 70s on Saturday to the low 60s on Sunday.

More important were the wind gusts up to 28 mph that blew and swirled across Turn 2.

Rookie A.J. Foyt IV, grandson of four-time Indy winner A.J. Foyt Jr., spun in Turn 2 on his first qualifying lap, narrowly missing the concrete wall as he slid backward along the backstretch.

Scott Sharp, the Indy Racing League points leader and a former pole winner here, wasn't as fortunate. He followed Foyt onto the track, spun in Turn 2 on his warmup lap and smashed into the padded barrier covering the wall. Sharp was not injured and quickly got ready to climb into his backup car to prepare for another qualifying try.

Sunday's qualifying was scheduled to continue until 7 p.m. ET. Drivers who have failed to qualify on the first day will get another chance next Sunday.

Rookies Scott Dixon of New Zealand and England's Dan Wheldon, among the fastest drivers since practice opened last Sunday, were second and third in the early going at 230.099 and 229.958, respectively.

They were followed by 1999 Indy winner Kenny Brack at 229.509, rookies Tora Takagi of Japan at 229.358, Tony Renna at 228.765 and Japanese-American Roger Yasukawa at 228.577.

Other early qualifiers included two-time defending IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr., two-time Indy winner Al Unser Jr., owner-driver Michael Andretti -- owner of the cars driven by Gordon and Wheldon -- rookie Buddy Rice and Robbie Buhl, the day's first qualifier and the slowest at 224.369.

Buddy Lazier, the 1996 Indy winner, and Sarah Fisher, the only woman entered in the race, both waved off qualifying runs after slow opening laps.

Drivers have up to three attempts in each car to complete a four-lap, 10-mile run.

With nobody ready to try qualifying, the track was opened for practice at 2 p.m.

Among the drivers waiting and hoping for better weather conditions later in the day were two-time defending Indy winner Helio Castroneves and his Team Penske teammate Gil de Ferran, two-time Indy winner and three-time pole-winner Arie Luyendyk, and Tony Kanaan, the fourth Andretti Green entry.