During the Final Day of qualifying at Indianapolis, Also known as armed forces day, John Andretti was lucky enough to go out first before the heat of the track would take its toll on the competitors still trying to make the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" .. The Indy 500
 


John Andretti in the car and  Brian Barnhart, the Chief Operating Officer of the Indy Racing League checking before the hitting the track.
© Oak Park Journal Photo by Dan  Peters


John Andretti in the car and Marco exchange good wishes.
© Oak Park Journal Photo by Dan  Peters

John had lots of family support today.. From Father Aldo Andretti, to Car owner Michael Andretti and Team Driver Marco Andretti. They offered him support and confidence at a time when the team has struggled.
 
John commented on going out first this afternoon:
 
"Not that five minutes makes a difference, but mentally it does. You're not waiting for anybody; you're not hearing their times. You're just going out and laying laps. I'm really proud of what the whole Window World team did at Andretti Autosport. They've just done a great job. Every time I go out, the car is exactly what they say it's going to be, and the changes usually do exactly what they say they're going to do. I have a huge amount of confidence in them.
 

Last year, Ryan Hunter-Reay and I were the last two guys in the field, and now it looks like we're both solidly in, so that's all that matters.” (On his qualifying time): “We've got a lot of people behind us. That doesn't mean they can't go out and run quicker than us. But the day is going to get tougher, certainly, with the heat, and the track is going to get more slick.
 
Do I ever not worry? At Indianapolis, I worry about everything after last year.”
 
Has being back with race strategist John Anderson made a difference?

 
“Aldo is a blessing. Everybody loves him. My rookie year would not have been what it was without him. We fought a lot of engine failures, and those guys worked around the clock. Aldo made me grow up. That was a long time ago, it was 1987, and we're both older and wiser. Aldo has called two winning 500s, so I can't ask for anybody better. He's a friend and a great statistician, so with those two things together, we hope for a great race day.”