INDIANAPOLIS -- It was cold and blustery Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Not good for fans or race drivers. The winds were out of the west, gusting at 30 mph, and ferocious enough to blow a 1,500-pound Indy car out of the groove and into trouble.

"Mario (Andretti) and I were talking and we both agreed this was the kind of day that almost makes you glad that you don't have to be out there," said Bryan Herta, an open wheel veteran who will be subbing for the injured Dario Franchitti next month in the Indy Racing League.

"It looks pretty wicked and a driver is definitely going to earn his money today."

None of the 24 drivers who qualified for the 87th Indianapolis 500 disagreed with that assessment.

"It's the worst kind of wind because you don't know what it's going to do from lap to lap," said two-time Indy winner Al Unser Jr. after earning a spot in his 16th May classic.

"The way it's gusting you can go through Turn 2 on one lap and lose the front end (of the car) and then you come back around, go through the same corner and it's dead loose.

"Those gusts are catching you out."

They sent 2001 pole-sitter Scott Sharp into the wall, caused rookie Anthony Foyt to spin out and made Tomas Scheckter glance off the concrete during practice. In all three cases, Turn 2 was the culprit.

"Those are the most treacherous conditions I've ever seen," said Scheckter, who came back to qualify solidly later in the day. "I drove a Formula Opal car in the snow at Hockenheim (Germany) and it wasn't as bad as today.

"I know I don't have a lot of experience here but, god, it was just so unpredictable."

But experience didn't necessarily guarantee a smooth ride either. Michael Andretti, making his 14th and final appearance here, was basically holding on for four laps.

"It was awful," said Andretti, who's led 398 laps a Indy but never made it to victory lane. "I almost hit the wall in Turn 2 after a gust of wind caught me. I thought I was a goner.

	Sharp was a victim of the elements on Sunday.

"I kept making adjustments in the cockpit but it didn't help because the car was all over the place."

Tony Kanaan wound up in the middle of the front row but it was far from an easy ride.

"I said this morning after practice that I was not looking forward to this (qualifying) and I wasn't kidding," said Kanaan, bumped from the pole position by his Brazilian buddy Helio Castroneves. "I was so unhappy with the car and I couldn't take one corner flat out.

"I don't think I've ever been as nervous or tense as I was today. Usually I'm very confident about qualifying because I know what to do and this time I was gripping the steering wheel so hard.

"My run was literally corner by corner and I was so relieved when it was finally over."

The only driver who seemed to relish the conditions was two-time IRL champion Sam Hornish Jr. Down on power compared to Toyota and Honda, he hoofed his Chevy around at 226.225 mph and looked more stable than most cars.

"I wish we could line up right now and race because these weather conditions are probably the best chance I've got," said Hornish. "I want cold, I want windy.

"Sorry, race fans, but this is what I want it to be like two Sundays from now. We've got a consistent car in any condition and that's our best shot."

While the 24-year-old charger welcomed the wind, a 40-year-old warrior welcomed the checkered flag.

"I've been here a few years now and that was the most eventful four laps I've ever had around this place," said Andretti. "It's days like this that make me glad I'm retiring."