IRL: Motegi: Scott Sharp Friday report

Sharp to Start Eighth in Japan after Qualifying Rain Out

Scott Sharp will be vying for his second career win in the Bridgestone Indy Japan 300 from the fourth row of the grid after heavy rains forced the cancellation of qualifying this afternoon. The grid for tomorrow's 200 lap/300-mile race has been set by championship points. Sharp won the inaugural IndyCar Series race at the Twin Ring Motegi circuit, and finished second last year.

The inclement weather began yesterday, reducing practice activities to two late afternoon sessions with Sharp posting the fifth-fastest time overall. Teams were afforded another window of opportunity for track activities this afternoon with a 90-minute final practice session. Sharp continued his strong performance to claim the third-fastest time of the session.

Scott Sharp - #8 Delphi Dallara /Honda/Firestone:
"Everyone on the Delphi team would certainly have liked to have seen qualifying happen. I think we would really have had a chance to be somewhere at the top of the charts, but it is what it is. You can't control the weather. I'm starting in the top 10 in a pretty good spot. You are always going to be dealing with a little bit of turbulent air in traffic around this track, which can be difficult in Turns Three and Four. Whether you start in the front or start at the back, you are going to be dealing with that at certain times. We'll just try to work our way through the field and get to the front as soon as we can. The final practice was a good session for us. The team did a great job. We made some good progress on the car and made a number of changes as I'm sure everyone did in adjusting to the track with the minimal time we have had. I think we are pretty good right now. Until you are out there in the actual race with cars all around you, you don't really know what you are like in traffic. So far, I think we are pretty good."

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