WASHINGTON - Marco Andretti, trying to shake off his family's Indianapolis 500 hoodoo, has set the practice pace ahead of this weekend's qualifying for the 100th edition of the famed oval race.
Marco Andretti's Honda-powered Dallara has turned the fastest lap in warmup sessions for time trials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Andretti's Honda-powered Dallara has turned the fastest lap -- 228.978 mph (368.504k/hr) in 39.3051 seconds -- in warmup sessions for time trials Saturday and Sunday at the iconic 2 1/2-mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The only Andretti to take a checkered flag in the Indy 500 was Andretti's legendary grandfather Mario, who won in 1969 but never again before his 1994 retirement.
Since Mario's triumph, his sons Michael and Jeff, nephew John and Marco have combined for 70 Indy 500 starts without a victory. That includes Marco being passed in the final 400 feet by Sam Hornish to lose by 0.0635 of a second -- the second-closest finish in Indy 500 history.
But that curse could be lifted if Marco Andretti can duplicate his practice speed this weekend and in the May 29 race.
"The benefit of a long practice week at Indy is that we have the opportunity to work on things in a few different ways," Andretti said. "We can focus on qualifying, the race, running in traffic, running alone -- and that's what we're going through now."
Andretti teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay of the United States and Carlos Munoz of Colombia are the only other racers to break 228 mph. Hunter-Reay won the Indy 500 in 2014.
Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya won his second Indy 500 last year and could become the first back-to-back winner since Brazil's Helio Castroneves in 2001-2002. Montoya has been above 227 mph in practice.
"We had a little bit of a problem, but we made some changes and were able to make progress towards the end of practice," Montoya said Thursday. "We're getting up to speed, ending practice much faster than we did previously. Honestly, I'm very happy with where we're going right now."
Only the minimum 33 cars needed to fill the field appear ready to attempt qualifying this weekend, a two-stage process that starts Saturday when the only field is set.
Saturday's fastest nine qualifying cars, each needing to complete a four-lap run to post a time, will have a chance to race for the pole on Sunday while those in speed spots 10-33 will run in a separate Sunday session where times will be used to decide the race-day lineup in rows four through 11.
Saturday's fast nine will race for the pole, with the original times thrown out and new four-lap averages needed to fill out the front three rows.
Four Indy 500 newcomers will test their skills, including Australian Matthew Brabham, the grandson of three-time Formula One champion Jack Brabham; Americans Spencer Pigot and Alex Rossi and Britons Stefan Wilson and Max Chilton.
The only woman driver set to qualify is Britain's Pippa Mann.
Other international racers in the title hunt include 2008 Indy 500 winner Scott Dixon of New Zealand, 2013 winner Tony Kanaan of Brazil, Russian Mikhail Aleshin, Aussie Will Power, Japan's Takuma Sato, Canadians James Hinchcliffe and Alex Tagliani, Frenchmen Sebastien Bourdais and Simon Pagenaud, Colombia's Gabby Chavez, Spain's Oriol Servia and Britain's Jack Hawksworth.
Pagenaud has won the past three IndyCar races of this season and leads the season points chase.