Lessons one to three focus on car control and performance. 
In this lesson, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. 
Qualification is your first opportunity to gain an edge over your competitors. 
The better you can qualify, the better chance you have to win the race. 
Just make sure you take one last chance to practice on the track and that you’re happy with your car before you start to qualify, 
as once you begin, you won’t have the chance to change any car settings.
Dummy
Back in the garage, you have two configurations for your car, one for qualifications and one for racing. 
When tuning your car for the race, you should be thinking long-term: 
After all, you may have two hundred laps or more to run. 
But when setting up your car for qualifications, you only need to complete a few laps, 
so you should make your run car as fast as possible. 
If you can handle it, run with as little downforce as possible, 
take on just enough fuel to finish your qualifying run and pump your tyres right up. 
An overinflated tyre will produce a smaller contact patch, so you get less rolling resistance and more speed. 
Just remember that you have to start the race with the tyres that you qualified on.
Dummy
Dummy
Qualification begins with the draw. Drivers are drawn randomly for qualification order. 
It’s better if you can make a run after everyone else as the first qualifiers lay down rubber from their tyres, 
which provides more grip for everyone else. 
But there’s nothing you can do about the outcome of the draw, so sit tight and be patient. 
Don’t worry if you do have to go first, however, you can still get a good position or even the pole. 
But qualifying last gives you a slight advantage, as there’s a bit more grip available, 
and you know the speed you must reach to win the pole.
As the drivers finish running, their times are posted on the board. 
When it’s your turn to qualify, you’ll start off in the pits. 
Bring your car up to speed and gently ‘feed out’ from the safety lane onto the track. 
Once you pass the start line for the first time, your warm-up lap begins.
If you’re unhappy with the ‘feel’ of your car before you pass the start-finish line for the second time, 
you can come into the pits and have your pit crew adjust your front wing, which can compensate for handling problems. 
Try adding a bit more front wing to increase downforce and counter an understeering car, 
or take off a little wing to decrease the downforce if your car’s oversteering too much. 
Once your crew has made the adjustments, you can start your second, and last, qualification run. 
If you have any more handling problems, you’ll have to use the weight jacker during your run.
Just remember that you’ll be allowed two attempts if you come in before completing the warm-up lap. 
Once you take the green flag, that’s it, you’re qualifying!
Of the two laps you run, your fastest one will be used to determine your place on the grid.
Dummy
The last thing you should know is how the Indy 500 qualification procedure differs from that of standard qualification. 
Essentially, you have three chances to qualify over Pole Day, Second Day Qualifying and Bump Day. 
Be careful, however: If you take the checkered flag completing an attempt and gain a place on the grid, 
you won’t get another chance to qualify – 
so on your last lap if you feel that your time is not going to be good enough, 
and that there’s a chance that you might be ‘bumped,’ come into the pits and abort the run.
Also, qualifying runs at Indy are made over four laps instead of just two. 
It’s your combined average speed over these four laps that counts and not your best lap. 
So be wary: The main thing to focus on is consistency 
as one bad lap could mess up you plans to race in the Indy 500 this year.
Dummy
Dummy
Dummy
Dummy
Dummy
OK, time for you to have a go at a standard qualification run.
Ease your car out of the pits and onto the track. 
Once you pass the start line, you’ve got one warm-up lap to get up to speed, then go for it!
You’ve got two laps to post your best time. You will need to successfully qualify to pass this test.
Three, two, one, GO!
Well, you just scraped in there with that time. But you did qualify, so you get the bronze.
A middle spot in the starting lineup, not bad. That’s a good time. Silver.
Nice going, buddy, you took the pole! Gold medal.
In a real racing situation, that time wouldn’t even get you on the grid.