'I think we've got a good shot' - Hildebrand

He broke up the Penske party in qualifying and J.R. Hildebrand thinks he's got something for IndyCar's most successful team in tonight's Desert Diamond 250 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Broken hand and all.

After badly breaking his left hand in Long Beach and missing last week's road course race at Alabama, Hildebrand wasn't about to sit out the first oval track of 2017. He'd been quickest in spring training here and picked up where he left off when practice began Friday afternoon. When qualifying was over, J.R. had split the Team Penske armada with the third-fastest average and his best starting spot in 47 races.

"I guess I'm a little disappointed because when we saw the Penske boys roll out we knew we weren't trimmed out as much as they were," said Hildebrand after a two-lap average speed of 193.912 mph – just a couple tenths behind the 194s posted by Helio Castroneves and Will Power and a couple tenths better than Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud. "But my car is really good in race trim, so I'm looking forward to the race."

The 29-year-old Californian admitted his hand hadn't been an issue so far.

"I think I'm probably using my hand a little bit differently," he said. "But, you know, I haven't noticed – I'm certainly not, like, consciously doing anything differently. It feels about like last time in terms of where I'm putting the car.

"I was a little bit concerned getting out of pit box and stuff like that, which was no stress. You know, it's not affecting my normal movement pattern."

But on a track where you pull 5Gs in the corner, it's good to only have to turn one way.

"For sure it would definitely be tougher," he responded when asked if he could have run with a broken right hand. "Where it is on my hand and the severity of the injury both had a lot to do with where I could go and where I couldn't.

"Because it's my left hand and where it is, sort of pulling with your left hand around here, that's definitely not as bad as it could have been otherwise."

With Ed Carpenter giving him a full-time ride for the first time in four years, Hildebrand has his best shot at claiming that initial victory.

"We didn't run as well as we wanted at St. Pete and Long Beach but I think we've got a good car and a good shot here," said Hildebrand, who came within one corner of capturing the 2011 Indianapolis 500.

"I can't predict how my hand is going to feel but so far, so good."