Rick Mears, the only six-time Indy pole-winner in history (and an 11-time front-row starter in 15 starts!) will tell anyone who asks that a four-lap qualifying run around Indianapolis Motor Speedway is as intense as motorsport gets.
On the ragged edge with high boost and low downforce, a driver will find himself hurtling toward Turn 1 and/or Turn 3 – depending on wind direction – at around 240mph. He’ll be monitoring revs and endeavoring to keep the engine in its narrow power band, so if there’s a really strong headwind on the front or back straight, the team can give him three top gears to flick between whenever he feels the revs dropping out of the sweet spot.
