Andretti, Hunter-Reay deliver drama on ‘Bump Day’

INDIANAPOLIS — John Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay provided the drama Sunday, saving their best efforts for the final 10 minutes at the end of four days of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500.

Both wound up in the 33-car field for next Sunday’s race, thanks to their gutsy qualifying runs with time running out on another emotional “Bump Day” on the famed 2.5-mile Brickyard oval.

“I’m glad the race isn’t tomorrow,” said Andretti, who didn’t wrap up his 10th Indy start until his third and final qualifying attempt of the day. “I couldn’t do it. I don’t think I could get in the car. I’m physically, mentally, just totally exhausted.”

Andretti and Hunter-Reay, whose successful qualifying effort was under way as the gun went off ending the six-hour final session of time trials, had to find more speed after being bumped out of the lineup earlier in the day.

Hunter-Reay said he just considered himself lucky to make the race after bumping Indy rookie Alex Tagliani out with the Canadian driver sitting in his car, waiting and hoping to get one more chance.

“That was a timing issue there,” Hunter-Reay said. “I think Tagliani was pretty fast and we were lucky we went out last. I’ve never been so happy to take last place.”

The field was filled on Saturday, but poor weather conditions, including gusty wind, kept the speeds of the slowest qualifiers low enough to make them vulnerable to bumping by faster drivers on Sunday.

And speeds did climb considerably on the final day of qualifying, thanks to a cool, sunny afternoon with little wind.

The day began with 1996 race winner Buddy Lazier, 2002 pole-winner Bruno Junqueira and Indy rookie Stanton Barrett the only drivers with a chance to bump their way into the field. In the end, only Junqueira made it, turning a solid four-lap average of 221.115 mph despite not running a lap in his car until Sunday morning.

That bumped Andretti’s Saturday speed of 219.442 out of the field.

Conquest Racing later put Tagliani in its No. 36 entry, replacing Junqueira.

The day began with five drivers qualified under 220.

Tomas Scheckter (221.496), rookie Mike Conway (221.417), E.J. Viso (221.164), Milka Duno (221.106) and rookie Nelson Philippe (220.754) each withdrew an earlier qualifying speed and improved upon it.

After two previous runs, Andretti’s team had made some quick adjustments on his Richard Petty blue and red No. 43 and he was ready to make one last try.

This time, he put up four straight laps over 221 mph for an average of 221.316 that placed him 28th in the field and bumped out the 220.413 that Hunter-Reay had posted earlier in the day.

Hunter-Reay drove onto the track with just two minutes until the gun and knowing he had to beat Tagliani’s 220.553 from Saturday or go home.

“It wasn’t much fun,” Hunter-Reay said after barely making it with four laps over 220 and a 220.597 average — just 0.044 seconds quicker than Tagliani over 10 miles. “That was the hairiest day I’ve ever had in racing.”