Honda Strong on ‘Carb Day’ As It Seeks 13th Indy 500 Win
Seven Honda drivers made up seven of the top 10 in the traditional “Carb Day” final practice session leading up to Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.
Santino Ferrucci was quickest among Honda drivers with an average speed of 225.486 mph, just shy of Tony Kanaan’s timesheet-topping 225.517 mph.
Just behind Ferrucci was former Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato and rookie Jordan King, who had his best result of the month. Colton Herta, who led Honda drivers in the qualifiers for the race, was ninth.
Honda will be looking to cinch its 13th Indy 500 victory this weekend and it will have quite the roster to do it. Its lineup of drivers include four previous winners — including three overall IndyCar Series champions — as well as nine race veterans and five fast “500” rookies.
Should Honda win the race on Sunday, it will have claimed 13 victories in 17 years, an unprecedented feat. “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, president of Honda Performance Development.
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“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 race on Sunday, and to ending the day in Victory Circle for the 13th time!”
Honda’s last victory at the Indy 500 was in 2017, when former F1 driver Takuma Sato shone amid a chaotic race full of retirements and crashes (our very own Kurt Verlin was in attendance).
Even if Honda doesn’t win on Sunday, it will continue to be the most successful manufacturer in IndyCar since it entered the series in 1994. It has also won more races, had more starts and completed more laps than any other automaker in the history of the Indy 500.
It will be a tight race between the Chevrolet- and Honda-powered teams, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see Honda solidify its incredible Indy 500 legacy.
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