Indianapolis: Andrew Prendeville qualifying notes

Prendeville to Start 11th In Firestone Freedom 100 Friday at IMS; Race to be Covered Live on ESPN2

INDIANAPOLIS, May 22 - There is still time for fans to make donations to the Best Friends Animal Society at racinglapsforbestfriends.com before Andrew Prendeville competes in the Firestone Freedom 100 Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Prendeville, driver of the Best Friends Animal Society No. 5, will do his best to finish all 40 laps of the race, which will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Friday. Per-lap donations to the not-for-profit animal welfare organization can be made in any amount at 25 cents per lap or more.

The Las Vegas-based driver will start the race from 11th position after he qualified at an average speed of 186.921 miles per hour Thursday afternoon. Twenty-seven drivers are entered in the event, the most prestigious race on the Firestone Indy Lights schedule.

Prendeville will start on the inside of Row 6, beside Bobby Wilson.

Prendeville drives for RLR/Andersen Racing. Two former Andersen Racing Star Mazda drivers, Robbie Pecorari and Pablo Donoso, will be right behind him on the inside at the start because they qualified 13th and 15th, respectively.

Prendeville set the sixth-fastest time in the first 45-minute practice session Thursday with a lap at 190.152 mph. He was second in the second 45-minute practice session with a lap at 189.370 mph. He ended up with the sixth-fastest practice time overall thanks to his best lap in the first practice session.

Last year as a series rookie Prendeville qualified 10th for this race, ran as high as second, set the fastest lap of the race by running even faster than the speed that won the pole, and finished fourth.

In addition to the racinglapsforbestfriends.com Web site, fans can get more information about Best Friends at the Racing Laps for Best Friends display on the speedway grounds, near the Hall of Fame Museum. Raffle tickets that award sessions at the famed Bertil Roos Racing School are also available at the display or on-line.

Prendeville appeared at a special "PetStop" at Indianapolis Animal Care & Control on Tuesday.

-credit: ap/restart communications