INDIANAPOLIS -- Based on how the 2016 season started, expectations were low for Honda in the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. Honda drivers struggled in the first five races of the campaign, with a second place by Graham Rahal at the Grand Prix of Alabama and a pair of thirds achieved by Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe. Honda drivers also struggled in early testing of the speedway aero package being used at Indianapolis, Texas Motor Speedway and Pocono Raceway. But a funny thing happened over the last few weeks. Honda Performance Development engineers got a handle on the troublesome aero kit that has vexed Honda drivers for the last two years. And the latest iteration of Honda's 2.2-liter turbo V-6 Indy car engine looks to have provided a useful boost in power. Honda's increased level of competitiveness at Indianapolis caught a lot of people by surprise, including the Chevrolet-powered foursome at Team Penske, which was expected to dominate the month of May. "I think they made a huge gain, and that was a surprise to us, because I know that we have made gains too," said 2014 IndyCar Series champion Will Power. "They were definitely fast in qualifying." On Pole Day, Honda drivers took two of the three places on the front row, led by pole winner James Hinchcliffe of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Honda took four of the top five and five positions overall in the Fast Nine shootout. "It's a great day for Honda," HPD president Art St. Cyr said. "But we all know, the true goal arrives next Sunday: To win the 100th Indianapolis 500." Penske's top qualifier was Power on the outside of Row 2, and team president Tim Cindric admitted he was surprised by Honda's qualifying speed. "Those guys have a very credible organization and they're not going to go to sleep, especially with this being the 100th running and all that means in terms of public image," Cindric said. "I guess all year long this has been building. There's been a lot of politics about the aero configurations to run here and everywhere else. "Without a doubt they have improved their engine, and I think you saw that Sunday," he added. "If you look at the fall off from the times on Saturday, three teams don't go out and make the car that much better for Sunday. The motor carried them on Sunday." Verizon IndyCar Series points leader Simon Pagenaud qualified eighth for the 500 and is on a three-race win streak. Before joining Team Penske at the start of the 2015 season, Pagenaud served as one of Honda's chief test drivers. "I'm not surprised, and I'm actually really happy because it's great for the series," Pagenaud said. "I know really well the people at Honda who made this happen, and they deserve congratulations. It makes the aero kits a lot more relevant. People realize the Chevy aero kit is really strong, and it looks like Honda has made big strides on the engine. "It's fascinating to watch each manufacturer put different emphasis on different areas," he continued. "But we haven't said we are done yet. Qualifying is qualifying, and the race is another story. Chevy is just as strong, and we will bounce back." For the Honda drivers, who have struggled to match the Chevy contingent on road courses this year and found the battle even tougher on the Phoenix oval, finding speed at Indianapolis has been a welcome surprise. "To break a pole-less streak of 32 races for Honda and get pole here at the Speedway is a big accomplishment," said pole winner Hinchcliffe.
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