INDIANAPOLIS -- Colton Herta rolled his Indianapolis 500 car end-over-end during Friday's final practice. The star driver for Andretti Autosport was uninjured in the most significant crash in the build up to the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."
"I think I was going a little too fast for that corner," Herta said.
The crash with 25 minutes remaining on "Carb Day" destroyed the Andretti Honda and he will need a backup for Sunday's race. Herta had also blown an engine in qualifying and will start 25th in whatever car Andretti can get ready for race day.
"A little sad for that race car," Herta said when asked how he felt after exiting the infield care center.
The 22-year-old Californian was speaking on his team radio as his car was still rolling. When it came to a stop, his father, Bryan, radioed for Herta to stay put and strapped in until emergency crews could free him from the car.
His father is his race strategist and immediately went to the Andretti garage to oversee preparations on the backup car. Herta does not have to drop to the back of the field.
"Thankful for a lot of things," Herta said. "I guess the aeroscreen is part of that. More so the safety crew and I guess just the durability of the side pods on the side structure of the cars. That was a big hit from the side. Yeah, the safety crews were there very fast flipping me back over."
Scott Dixon starts from the pole for the fifth time in his career as the six-time IndyCar champion continues his determined quest for a second Indy 500 win. The New Zealander won from the pole in 2008 but has fallen short in 18 other tries.
Dixon has been runner-up three times, and his loss to Takuma Sato in 2020 stings the most. The race ended under yellow, and Dixon had to helplessly follow Sato across the finish line. Over the past week, he set an Indy 500 pole-winning record in qualifying with laps over 240 miles per hour (386.24 kph) and now is chasing the item atop his to-do list.
"I just want to win, that's all it comes down to," Dixon told The Associated Press.
"And so those close misses, those are the ones that leave you [ticked] off. Those are the ones that make you keep knocking on the door, and winning another Indy 500 is top of the list. Out of everything, that is what matters most at the moment."
The competition will come from within his own camp: Ganassi driver Alex Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion and last year's Indy 500 runner-up, starts second. Dixon and Palou are both 13-2 race favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Ganassi drivers Marcus Ericsson and 47-year-old Tony Kanaan, the oldest driver in the field, start fifth and sixth, respectively, and were fastest in Friday's final practice.
Earlier in practice, David Malukas crashed following contact with Santino Ferrucci. Malukus, at 20 years old, is the youngest driver in the field; Ferrucci was penalized for avoidable contact.
"Probably one of the biggest hits I felt," Malukas said. "I came out with just a small bruise."
Herta scored his first win of the IndyCar season earlier this month with an entertaining drive through the rain on the road course inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Last year, Herta qualified second, started on the front row and led 13 laps before strategy backfired and he faded to a disappointing 16th-place finish.
Herta said Friday's practice was about "getting the last little bits balanced right."
That was, until the crash.
"I'm not too worried for the race," Herta said. "I think the car will be fine."
"We had a good car all month. We didn't go out and, let's be fastest on Carb Day," said Kanaan, the 2013 Indy 500 champion. "It doesn't count, doesn't mean anything. It's a consequence of a good car that we had all month. You look at teammates, they're all there."
Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson has been everywhere this month, from the track to the late-night talk-show circuit as he preps for his first Indy 500. Johnson was at Indy last season as part of NBC Sports' coverage.
"I want to experience it all," Johnson said. "It's been great."
Josef Newgarden and Team Penske won the pit stop challenge. Penske won the event for the 18th time.
Indianapolis 500 lineup
WHEN 11:45 a.m. Central on Sunday
WHERE Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis
ROW 1
1. Scott Dixon, Honda, 234.046 mph
2. Alex Palou, Honda, 233.499
3. Rinus VeeKay, Chevy, 233.385
ROW 2
4. Ed Carpenter, Chevy, 233.080
5. Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 232.764
6. Tony Kanaan, Honda, 232.372
ROW 3
7. Pato O’Ward, Chevy, 232.705
8. Felix Rosenqvist, Chevy, 232.182
9. Romain Grosjean, Honda, 231.999
ROW 4
10. Takuma Sato, Honda, 231.670
11. Will Power, Chevy, 231.534
12. Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 231.264
ROW 5
13. David Malukas, Honda, 231.607
14. Josef Newgarden, Chevy, 231.580
15. Santino Ferrucci, Chevy, 231.508
ROW 6
16. Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 231.275
17. JR Hildebrand, Chevy, 231.112
18. Conor Daly, Chevy, 230.999
ROW 7
19. Callum Ilott, Chevy, 230.961
20. Alexander Rossi, Honda, 230.812
21. Graham Rahal, Honda, 230.766
ROW 8
22. Sage Karam, Chevy, 230.464
23. Marco Andretti, Honda, 230.345
24. Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 230.326
ROW 9
25. Colton Herta, Honda, 230.235
26. Scott McLaughlin, Chevy, 230.154
27. Helio Castroneves, Honda, 229.630
ROW 10
28. Kyle Kirkwood, Chevy, 229.406
29. Dalton Kellett, Chevy, 228.916
30. Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevy, 228.622
ROW 11
31. Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 227.053
32. Jack Harvey, Honda, 226.851
33. Stefan Wilson, Chevy, NA
Colton Herta crashes in the first turn during the final practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Kirk DeBrunner)
Colton Herta prepares to drive during practice for the IndyCar auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Friday, May 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Colton Herta climbs out of his car during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)