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Roth hangs on to final Indy spot

Sun 18th, May 2008

Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - The 33-car field is now set for next Sunday's 92nd running of the Indianapolis 500. The final day of the long overdrawn out affair known as Indianapolis 500 qualifying ended at 6 p.m. when Mario Dominguez slammed the wall on the final qualifying attempt giving the last position on the grid to Marty Roth.

Two weekends ago, Target Chip Ganassi driver Scott Dixon captured the pole for the 2008 Indianapolis 500 with teammate Dan Wheldon taking second. Dixon's No.9 Dallara Honda circled the 2.5-mile speedway four times at an average speed of 226.366 m.p.h.

The pole victory was Dixon's first at Indianapolis. It was Dixon's third pole win of the season and 11th of his IndyCar career.

"This is unbelievable, what a day," said Dixon. "We had a pretty good plan all morning and as a team, Target, we dominated. "I have to give a lot of thanks to the guys at the work shop."

Only the first 11 positions were locked in on that Saturday. Sunday's session was rained out, setting up a rush for positions when the green flag dropped yesterday.

Townsend Bell led yesterday's session with a four-lap average of 222.539 m.p.h. He completed row four and will start 12th overall. Twenty-one other drivers had qualified before the 6 p.m. deadline.

A.J. Foyt IV took to the track with 12 minutes remaining in the session, made his out lap and was in his warmup lap when he pulled back down into the pits with a mechanical problem.

That gave the opportunity to Roth and he put himself into the field, at least temporarily, with a four-lap speed 215.506 m.p.h.

Roth didn't stay on the bubble for long as Foyt IV knocked him out of the race with a four-lap average of 219.184 m.p.h. at the start of Sunday's Bump Day. But Roth got right back into his Dallara Honda and regained a spot in the big race with an effort of 218.965 m.p.h. which was enough to send Buddy Lazier to the sidelines.

Next on the bubble was Roger Yasukawa, who was still there with two hours to go. Mario Dominguez took a shot at Yasukawa, but came up well short.

Sixty minutes to go and no one had stepped up to even attempt a qualifying run. Thirty minutes remained when Lazier hit the speedway for a qualifying attempt. He barely broke 217 m.p.h.

Next up was Dominguez with 24 minutes to go. Dominguez put up a solid 218.620 m.p.h. to knock out Yasukawa. But Yasukawa was sitting in the inspection line and ready to make another qualifying run.

Yasukawa was exactly tied with Dominguez beginning his fourth lap, but he couldn't get it done on his final lap and his chance to race was over.

Max Papis, who had yet to break the 217 m.p.h. mark, was next out. It seemed an impossible task and indeed it was because when they started up the engine, it misfired so the team pulled the car from the qualifying line to try and make repairs.

Lazier had 12 minutes left to make it into the race with Yasukawa waiting to try one last try.

Lazier and his team did the job because the No.91 posted a speed of 219.015 m.p.h. knocking Dominguez out. Yasukawa took the green flag with five minutes remaining in the session. But he was half a mile-per-hour too slow.

Two minutes remained when Dominguez got the final qualifying attempt. His first lap was 219.780 m.p.h., enough to make the race. But on the second lap he spun and hit the outside wall to end Dominguez's effort and the qualifying session.

"I feel terrible, for me, the sponsors and the team," said Dominguez.

Roth held on for the 33rd position and will be the final starter for next Sunday's race.

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