2012 Mini Indy 500 qualifying races

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The 2012 Mini Indy 500 qualifying races were a trio of qualifying races designed to set the field for the 2012 Mini Indy 500.

They were held at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Procedure[edit | edit source]

After pole qualifying was held to set the front row, the remainder of the field (107 cars) was randomly seeded into one of three qualifying races. The top 13 finishers from each event would advance to the Mini Indy 500.

Also, a provisional slot was reserved for the driver highest in the points that did not advance from the qualifying races, meaning that in essence, 106 drivers would compete for the remaining 39 slots on the grid.

Each race was 75 laps in length.

Qualifying races[edit | edit source]

Race one[edit | edit source]

Mini Indy 500 Qualifying Race 1
Date
Location Indianapolis Raceway Park
Laps 75
Polesitter Kellan Rogers (chosen by draw)
First Herbie Finkleberg
Second Kurt Walker
Third Leslie Riggs
Cautions 1
Race Results

Polesitter Kellan Rogers was looking to make her ARLA debut driving the No. 106 car usually occupied by team owner Ryan Matthews, who was in Wales for the TM Master Cup race. Unfortunately for her, her day would go south quickly and she would finish in 32nd place, nine laps off the pace and nowhere near a transfer spot.

Herbie Finkleberg thoroughly destroyed the field, leading 53 of the 75 laps, and if he wasn't already a favorite to win the race, he probably is now.

The only caution flew at the end of the first lap, when Ike Durbin got into Rence Brown, who had put himself into the Turn 4 wall. Todd Wodarczyk piled into the back of the No. 86.

Libby Bell continued her miserable luck by blowing her clutch. Her hopes of snagging the provisional spot were dashed when points leader Ebenezer Quiggles, Jr. struggled all night, and got the provisional for himself.

Trey Ashby was still as fast as he was in pole qualifying. A slow pitstop briefly took him out of a transfer spot, but he made it up after the rest of the field pitted.

The FAC Motorsports cars were surprisingly competitive, as well as debutante Vincenzo Fochesato.

Results[edit | edit source]

x - indicates one-off entry
Position Number Driver Team Car
1 96 Herbie Finkleberg Speedvision Saar
2 98 Kurt Walker Kurt Walker Motorsports Nemoto
3 50 Leslie Riggs Riggs Motorsports Saar
4 12 Trey Ashby Brinson Engineering Kivett
5 10 Kasie Campbell Grease Burger Racing Karl, Inc.
6 63 Kevin Monroe M&J Racing Saar
7 37v x-Vincenzo Fochesato Focus Autosports Lenard
8 2 Andy Pearson Pearson/Sweeney Motorsports Saar
9 08 x-Jared Warth G-Max Crew Kivett
10 460 x-Frank Azure FAC Motorsports Saar
11 728 Nikos Kastapoulos Carcia-Aragon Motorsports Saar
12 42 Kelly Splison Terra International Motorsports Tonare
13 046 x-Nick Azure FAC Motorsports Saar

Failed to qualify[edit | edit source]

‡ Quiggles advanced to main race by virtue of being highest in points not already qualified

Race two[edit | edit source]

Mini Indy 500 Qualifying Race 2
Date
Location Indianapolis Raceway Park
Laps 75
Polesitter Zachary Zins (chosen by draw)
First Rachel Rainsford
Second Zachary Zins
Third Jennifer Goodwin
Cautions 0
Race Results

Rachel Rainsford won when she actually decided to be fast for once, and there's no better time to do that than when you have to race your way in.

Both of the MT Motorsports cars made it in, and Ben Atkins avenges his teammate Jacob Eichholtz's DNQ by putting himself in the race.

Jason Teller and Holden Roberts were their usual slow selves (Xenos is reportedly not happy with Teller's lack of results this year...). Benji Flynn, who had been very fast on the short tracks earlier this year, was nowhere all night. Nami Mura's DNQ means that Kurt Walker will be the only representative of his own team on the grid.

Bigsby Foote is the only PSI representative to qualify, but rumors started circulating of the team switching him out for Bell.

Sentimental favorite Steve Johnson got wrecked by Scott Morales on the first lap. Johnson's car was one of Nick Howard's backup cars, but the team covered the numbers with ugly duct tape boxes and painted a 60S over them.

Results[edit | edit source]

x - indicates one-off entry
Position Number Driver Team Car
1 171 Rachel Rainsford Gravity Racing, Inc. Kivett
2 99 Zachary Zins A1 Racing Karl, Inc.
3 696 Jennifer Goodwin Altamont Autosport Saar
4 114 Lane Cranston MT Motorsports Karl, Inc.
5 26 Jim Hayes MRD Motorsports Nemoto
6 10L x-Daniel Leckliter Leckliter Racing Lenard
7 6 Kiriki Hetsuno MRD Motorsports Nemoto
8 14 Bigsby Foote Power Steering, Incorporated Tonare
9 19 Allie Riggs Riggs Motorsports Saar
10 84 Ben Atkins Eichholtz Autosport Saar
11 945 x-Jon Halks MT Motorsports Karl, Inc.
12 500 x-Mike Andrews Mike Andrews Racing
13 64 Michael Madrigal M&J Racing Saar

Failed to qualify[edit | edit source]

Race three[edit | edit source]

Mini Indy 500 Qualifying Race 3
Date
Location Indianapolis Raceway Park
Laps 75
Polesitter Ryon Reffett (chosen by draw)
First Dale Hill
Second Dan Richards
Third Laura Cyrus
Cautions 0
Race Results

Dan Richards, Bob Stephans, and Laura Cyrus fought for the lead for the whole caution-free race, but after pit stops, Dale Hill came rocketing to the front and won quite easily.

Joe Olenick and J.W. Lester will be making their first starts in ARLA competition. Former Rockford 200 winner Rush McCloud made it as well.

Tiffany Matthews drew last place for the start, but she made it all the way to the last transfer spot.

Results[edit | edit source]

x - indicates one-off entry
Position Number Driver Team Car
1 098 Dale Hill Bobby Dollar Racing Inglesby
2 07T x-Dan Richards Team Thunder Tonare
3 102 Laura Cyrus Motor Assault Racing Kivett
4 23 x-Joe Olenick Black Mountain Racing Inglesby
5 211 Bob Stephans Big Bunny Racing Tonare
6 61 Ryon Reffett Terra International Motorsports Tonare
7 5-o x-J.W. Lester Peter Irving Gray Sports Lenard
8 37 Kyle Gaffigan MRD Motorsports Nemoto
9 58 Nick Howard Last Row Autosport Xenos
10 8 Lucas Sweeney Pearson/Sweeney Motorsports Saar
11 π Philip Borland Math Motors Xenos
12 71R x-Rush McCloud Gravity Racing, Inc. Kivett
13 116 Tiffany Matthews Matthews Motorsports Lenard

Failed to qualify[edit | edit source]

Post-race lineup changes[edit | edit source]