Barracuda Racing qualifies 11th for the Indianapolis 500 race

Indianapolis, IN - May 18, 2013 - Alex Tagliani completed a solid qualifying attempt with a four-lap average of 227.386 to start P11 on Pole Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Tagliani's No. 98 Barracuda Racing eleventh place starting position matches his qualifying effort from last year's race. The team was provisionally P4 when the Canadian driver turned his four laps. When all teams had a chance to qualify, Barracuda Racing missed the top nine by only one tenth of a mile per hour.

Alex Tagliani, Bryan Herta Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian

Photo by: XPB Images

After a week of ups and downs in practice, the team was satisfied with the car after morning practice on Pole Day. Tagliani was confident that they had found the setup that he was comfortable with, in addition to his Honda power.

"I'm very pleased with the Barracuda Racing team," said Tagliani. "The boys had somewhat of a rough week and worked really hard to make sure that we had a really strong car.

"I'm super confident with the car that we have for the race. I'm also very pleased with how Honda improved during the week of practice. They responded really well to what I was asking for from the engine for my qualifying run. Honda worked with us to make sure we had a fair chance to fight the competition, and I'm pleased with the way they responded."

Regarding his team and lead engineer, Tagliani added, "I've got nothing but great things to say about Todd [Malloy]. He is always pulling things off when it counts. I couldn't ask for anything more right now. The way we recovered during the week can definitely be attributed to the Barracuda Racing team."

The end of qualifying weekend will signal the start of a fan-centered week for Tagliani, beginning with a media tour in Toronto on Monday. From there, it's back to Indianapolis for Community Day, Carb Day and Legends Day, all leading up to the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

Barracuda Racing