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INDIANAPOLIS -- Will Power felt like a rookie all over Saturday.
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After crashing in Friday's Indianapolis 500 practice, the 27-year-old Australian spent the night watching a crew frantically repair his wrecked car. When he climbed back into the cockpit Saturday morning with the winds howling on Indy's 2.5-mile oval, Power's nerves were frayed, his confidence was waning and he felt uncomfortable.
But he still had to drive.
"I went out and I just came straight back in and said, 'Guys, I can't do it. Sorry, I feel too nervous,' " said Power, the 2006 Champ Car rookie of the year. "I got back in there and did a run where I was flat and got a little confidence back. It's hard to explain."
Neither Power nor E.J. Viso should have any trouble telling their stories now.
The two Indy rookies overcame any lingering doubts and posted fast enough four-lap qualifying averages Saturday to put themselves in the 33-car starting field for next week's race.
Power's average of 221.136 mph was good enough to earn the 23rd starting spot, the middle of the eighth row. More important, it should be good enough to hold up on Sunday's traditional Bump Day when non-qualified drivers can knock the slower cars out of the field.
Viso wasn't quite as fast as Power. He'll start 26th, the middle of the ninth row, after going 220.356. He, too, should avoid getting bumped.
Given the circumstances, and the trepidation that sunk in Friday night and Saturday morning, it was enough to satisfy Power.
"The wind makes it really difficult," he said. "The last lap there, I started pushing in turn two toward the wall; turn into three and suddenly have a massive moment. You've got to run the car conservatively. That's what we tried to do today."
Things went a bit easier for Viso, a 23-year-old Venezuelan and a former test driver in Formula One.
No, his crash in the third turn Friday wasn't as big a hit as Power's, but it still damaged the rear wing of the No. 33 car and sent his team scrambling to make sure it was ready to go on the third of four qualifying days.
Viso, too, spent extra time in the garage, but the daring driver who former Indy winner Dan Wheldon joked was the craziest driver on the track, didn't fret.
"I think I am mentally stronger and that small touch with the wall is not going to affect my confidence," he said. "We just need to find the reasons it happened and make sure it doesn't happen again."
On Saturday, everything went perfectly for Power and Viso despite the windy conditions that caused them havoc Friday and created more chaos for other drivers Saturday.
Phil Giebler, Hideki Mutoh, Max Papis and Mario Dominguez all crashed during Saturday's practice. Giebler, last year's Indy rookie of the year, sustained the most serious injuries and was expected to spend Saturday night in the hospital with bruised lungs.
Now, they must endure a similar 24-hour period to what Power and Viso experienced Friday night albeit with even greater stakes. If they can't qualify Sunday, they're out of the race.
Power understands how nerve-racking it can be, especially with the forecast calling for gustier winds Sunday and particularly for the two Indy 500 rookies - Mutoh and Dominguez.
"Mentally, it's the toughest because of the fact that you can really hurt yourself and also the fact that you have to watch your team work all night to rebuild the car and the thought of going out and doing it again tomorrow," Power said. "You know, you find yourself having to learn very quickly."
