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| - Marco Andretti, with only two IndyCar triumphs over 15 seasons, drove Friday's best Indianapolis 500 practice lap, seizing bragging rights on the eve of qualifying for the August 23 race. The 33-year-old grandson of auto racing legend Mario Andretti and son of team owner Michael Andretti went around the famed 2 1/2-mile (4km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval in 38.5454 seconds at 233.491 mph (375.767 km/hr) in his Honda-powered Dallara. It was the fastest lap on the "Fast Friday" qualifying eve since "Flying Dutchman" Arie Luyendyk went 239.260 mph in 1996. Every car will try for the fastest four-lap qualifying average Saturday to claim a spot in the 33-car field, with the fastest nine advancing to a Sunday shootout to decide pole position and the order of the front three rows. "We don't need to find more speed. We need to find four laps," Andretti said. "It's just about balance now. We have the speed. Now we need to tie it together to be flat (out) for four." Andretti's major concern will be the weight upon the tires and their grip over the warmup and four laps of qualifying. "For 16 miles is a long time," said Andretti. "It's only two minutes but it feels like ages for the drivers." The only Indy 500 victory by the Andretti family came by Mario in 1969, but Marco marks the third generation to seek a victory on the Indy oval. Marco Andretti has driven in 236 IndyCar races since making his series debut in 2006, winning only at the Grand Prix of Sonoma in his debut season and the 2011 Iowa 250. His most recent podium finish was third at Fontana, California, in 2015. In 14 Indy 500 starts, Andretti has reached the podium four times, taking second in his 2006 debut and third in 2008, 2010 and 2014. His near-miss 14 years ago at age 19 was the biggest heartbreaker as he lost to fellow American Sam Hornish by 0.0635 of a second, what remains the third-closest finish in Indy 500 history. Andretti seized the lead with three laps remaining after passing father Michael on the outside of the first turn. Hornish challenged him over the last two laps, passing on the closing straightaway about 450 feet from the finish line and winning by just over a car length. American Conor Daly, yet to win in his seven-year IndyCar career, was second on 232.337 mph with New Zealand's Scott Dixon, the season points leader, third on 232.290 mph. Dixon won the first three races of a COVID-19 disrupted season that saw the Indy 500 moved from its usual late May spot to August, in the middle of the series calendar. Defending champion Simon Pagenaud of France ranked 23rd among the 33 cars that practiced Friday with a top speed of 230.189 mph from 28 laps. Spain's Fernando Alonso, a two-time Formula One champion who crashed Thursday but was unhurt, was 25th on 229.788 mph after 52 laps. js/bb
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