By Bruce Martin

INDIANAPOLIS — Jimmy Kite knew he was going to get bumped out of the Indianapolis 500 lineup Sunday after his qualification attempt on Saturday, but was confident he could still make the race on Bump Day.
Kite, however, didn’t think his car would go slower on the final day of qualifications than it did on Saturday, and that left the five-time Indy 500 starter out of the race.
Kite had qualified on Saturday with a four-lap average at 214.528 miles per hour. There was one spot remaining in the 33-car starting lineup on Sunday, and that was filled by Richie Hearn, who put together a four-lap average of 219.860 mph.
Rookie Phil Geibler, who overcame a crash on the final lap of his qualification attempt on Saturday, was able to make a one-day comeback. After his Playa del Racing team put his car back together, he easily made the field with a four-lap average at 219.637 mph.
That’s when it became unusual as Roberto Moreno withdrew his Saturday speed of 216.229 mph to make another qualification attempt.
While some questioned that strategy as a huge risk, it ended up being a brilliant move.
Moreno solidified his place in the starting lineup with a four-lap average of 220.299 mph. That put Marty Roth on The Bubble with a four-lap average at 218.922 mph, with Kite ready to make another attempt.
“The car was good today. I was doing 217 (mph) with race downforce,” Moreno said. “Then it was time to trim the car, and I was a little unsure. But as soon as we trimmed, the car felt good. They wanted to trim the car two more steps and I said, ‘No, we’re quick enough.’”
Kite went through technical inspection with three minutes left until the 6 p.m. gun was fired but waved off the attempt after his first lap was just 214.744 mph.
Roth was off the bubble and in the race, while Kite had to live with the disappointment of missing the Indy 500.
“We had the car trimmed out as much as we could trim it out,” Kite said. “We figured we had plenty left in it yesterday. We would trim it out, and we would gain speed. That was about as free as that car is going to be but it didn’t seem like it going down the straightaway.
“It sucks having to watch the race on TV.”