Sato Qualifies Fourth for Detroit Dual 1
• Double header weekend features Indy car races Saturday and Sunday
• Marco Andretti, James Jakes post top-10 qualifying runs
• Tristan Vautier returns with Dale Coyne Racing, qualifies 11th

Takuma Sato led the Honda effort Friday at Belle Isle Park, qualifying fourth for Saturday’s first race of the Dual in Detroit Presented by Quicken Loans, a Verizon IndyCar Series double header race weekend on the temporary street circuit in Detroit, Michigan.

The pole qualifier for the Sunday race at Belle Isle in 2014, Sato was one of four Honda drivers to advance beyond the first round of Indy car “knockout” qualifying, with second-round qualifiers Marco Andretti, ninth, and James Jakes, 10th. Tristan Vautier, the 2103 Indy Car Series Rookie of the Year, qualified his Honda 11th in his second event with Dale Coyne Racing.

Activities continue Saturday in Detroit with the first of this weekend’s 70-lap Verizon IndyCar Series races. The seventh and eighth rounds of the 16-race 2015 season start at 3:30 p.m. EDT Saturday and Sunday, respectively, with live television coverage of both races on ABC.

Takuma Sato (#14 A.J. Foyt Racing Honda) on qualifying: “It was a solid qualifying run. Obviously, it’s nice to be back in the top six [final round qualifiers]. We were in the Fast Six earlier this year at St. Petersburg as well. The car was pretty good, especially in the first round. Honda and HPD have put a lot of work into making our car quicker, and I think our race preparation also is very good. I’m looking forward to the first race on Saturday.”