IndyCar: Why Spencer Pigot could be the best superspeedway driver in the sport
By Asher Fair
2017 Indy 500 and 2018 Indy 500 qualifying
In the 2017 Indy 500, Pigot had to find a different team since his deal as Ed Carpenter Racing’s road and street course specialist naturally did not include a ride in the Indy 500, as the Indy 500 is not a road and street course race.
Pigot ended up as one of the two drivers for Juncos Racing in what was their first Indy 500 — and their first IndyCar race. Again, did anybody anywhere expect anything better than a 29th place qualifying effort or an 18th place result from him in the race? To be honest, if you would have told me that he would finish anywhere near 18th before the race actually started, I would have laughed.
Qualifying for this year’s Indy 500 was Pigot’s first true chance for anyone to see what kind of superspeedway driver he is, as he was attempting to qualify for the race as a full-time driver for the first time in his IndyCar career in his #21 Chevrolet.
Pigot’s four-lap average around the four-turn, 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in Speedway, Indiana was 228.052 miles per hour, which was sixth fastest in Saturday’s qualifying session, which sent him to the Fast Nine Shootout on Sunday.
As a result of this, Pigot was guaranteed to set a new career-high starting position or at least tie the career-high starting position of ninth place that he had just attained in the previous race last weekend at the track’s 13-turn, 2.439-mile road course.
Pigot ended up recording a four-lap average of 228.107 miles per hour, giving him a career-high sixth place starting position on the outside of the second row for the 102nd running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” this Sunday.