Honda Starts Strong in Chase for 13th Indianapolis 500 Victory 18.08.2020: Front-row qualifying sweep for Honda sets stage for exciting "500" Honda lineup includes four former winners; 11 of 12 fastest qualifiers Victory on Sunday would be the 13th for Honda

    Front-row qualifying sweep for Honda sets stage for exciting "500"

    Honda lineup includes four former winners; 11 of 12 fastest qualifiers

    Victory on Sunday would be the 13th for Honda since 2003




A powerful qualifying performance from Honda teams and drivers has set the stage for an exciting 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 as the manufacturer seeks its 13th victory at the famed "Brickyard"on Sunday.



Led by pole qualifier Marco Andretti, Honda drivers swept the front row in qualifying, and claimed 11 of the top-12 starting positions.  Andretti's pole was the 11th for Honda on the famed 2.5-mile oval, and the first Indy pole for the third-generation racer from the "first family"of American motorsports.



"Honda has a long history of success at Indianapolis, and everyone at Honda Performance Development has played an important role in our 12 previous wins,"said Ted Klaus, HPD president.  "Qualifying was a great success, and we were thrilled to have the pole and an all-Honda front row. Everyone at HPD worked hard through the off-season with our partner teams to improve our overall performance.  We all know that the race on Sunday is going to be a battle, and that's why it will be fascinating and fun to watch.



"Honda's commitment to innovation through motorsports, remains just as strong today as when the company was founded in 1946. We're proud of Honda's success at Indianapolis, and our long history of participation in this great race.  We are looking forward to an exciting 500 miles, and to finishing in Victory Circle for the 13th time!"



Two former "500"winners – Scott Dixon and Takuma Sato – fill out the first of the 11 rows of three that make up the field, and will start second and third, respectively.  Dixon is the current championship points leader with three previous wins this season, while Sato is Honda's most recent "500"winner, from 2017.



Another Honda-powered former race winner, Ryan Hunter-Reay, will start fifth, with former pole qualifier James Hinchcliffe alongside in sixth.  Hunter-Reay was victorious at Indy in 2014; while Hinchcliffe returned from serious injuries in 2015 to claim the pole in 2016.



The third row is also all-Honda, led by promising rookie Alex Palou in seventh, Graham Rahal in eighth and 2016 winner Alexander Rossi, ninth.  Continuing the Honda-dominated top half of the field, Colton Herta will start from the inside of the fourth row, 10th; with Marcus Ericsson 11th and returning Honda racer Spencer Pigot filling out the row in 12th.



The remainder of the 15-driver Honda field at Indianapolis include 14th-starting Felix Rosenqvist; Zach Veach, who will start 17th; Santino Ferrucci and Jack Harvey, who will start 19th and 30th, respectively; and James Davison, who qualified 27th.



Honda is the most successful major car manufacturer at the Indy 500, winning more races, having more starts and completing more laps than any other major automaker in the 103 previous editions of the event. Since 1994, Honda has taken part in 19 Indianapolis 500 races, and powered 12 race winners at The Brickyard.



During 26 years of IndyCar competition, Honda has won 14 Manufacturers' Championships, with Honda drivers winning 249 races and 16 series championships – a record unmatched by any other car company since Honda entered Indy car competition in 1994.





Honda's Indianapolis 500 Highlights:



    Honda has won more Indianapolis 500 races than any major automaker: 12 victories from 19 races; or a win ratio of 63%


    Honda has had more race starts at the Indianapolis 500 than any other auto manufacturer: 372 starts


    Honda has completed more race laps at the Indianapolis 500 than any other carmaker: 65,103 laps

- Honda NA - also photos