Firestone to sponsor “Firestone Indy 500 Final Qualifier Award”
Designed to add more drama and rivalry into the final day of qualifications (Sunday, May 18), the $50,000 Firestone Indy 500 Final Qualifier Award will go to the last driver to make the Indianapolis 500 field on "Bump Day" – not necessarily to the 33rd-place qualifier, but to the driver who is the last to make it into the field for the classic race, which will be run on Sunday, May 25.
"There are three competitions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May," commented Al Speyer, Executive Director, Firestone Racing. "One contest is for the pole, one is for the victory, and one is for simply making the show. All of America's top open-wheel racing teams and drivers will be competing for the most coveted 33 spots in racing under a unified IndyCar Series umbrella, and Firestone Racing is happy to do what we can to add to the anticipation and edge-of-your-seat tension that we know the final day of qualifying can provide."
"Teams and drivers fighting for the last spot in the Indianapolis 500 field work just as hard as those competing for the PEAK Motor Oil Pole, so we're thrilled that Firestone is recognizing and rewarding the perseverance and hard work of the final qualifier," said Joie Chitwood, IMS president and chief operating officer. "The Firestone Indy 500 Final Qualifier Award is another example of Firestone's longstanding, deep commitment to 'The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.'"
Should Bump Day not occur for any reason, the award will be given to the final qualifier on the third day of qualifications. If the field is not full and the IndyCar Series conducts a special session to fill the open positions, the award will go to the final qualifier in the special session.