Alex Palou does something no IndyCar driver has done since 1988

Alex Palou and Chip Ganassi Racing’s magical qualifying run continued as he stormed to pole for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America.

The reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion delivered a stellar flying lap of 1m43.6615s in the final minute of qualifying to go to the top, which was enough to hold firm at the 4.014-mile, 14-turn natural terrain road course. It marks his sixth pole of the season, but fifth consecutive – becoming the first driver since Danny Sullivan in 1988 to accomplish such a feat within a season.

Alex Zanardi, a two-time IndyCar champion, also scored five consecutive poles through the final four races in 1996 and the opening two races of the 1997 season.

“It’s incredible,” Palou said. “Five in a row this year. This team, man, and everybody at Honda just giving me the best car, all the power we needed. We suffered quite a lot there in Q2, couldn’t really get the lap we wanted. But the car was super rapid. So happy.

Team Penske’s David Malukas qualified second, 0.2927s behind Palou. 

Marcus Armstrong and Felix Rosenqvist ended up third and fourth, respectively. 

Fast Six

Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was on top for the majority of the running, mostly as a byproduct of being the only driver on track until roughly two minutes to go. However, the times started to come in the final minute, which led to a rotation at the top spot with Rosenqvist and then, finally, Palou at 1m43.6615s. 

Palou stayed out another lap despite holding firm at the top spot, while Malukas surged late to second with a 1m43.954s. 

At the end, Armstrong was able to narrowly edge out Meyer Shank Racing teammate Rosenqvist by 0.277s to take third. 

Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson ended up fifth, ahead of McLaughlin. 

Round of 12

Pato O’Ward, Arrow McLaren

Photo by: Geoff Miller / Lumen via Getty Images

Malukas went to the top of the timesheets with a1m43.652s flyer at the very end, dethroning the Meyer Shank Racing duo of Rosenqvist and Armstrong. Palou ended up fourth, ahead of Ericsson in fifth. 

McLaughlin edged AJ Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci for the final transfer spot by 0.0241s. 

Nolan Siegel led the charge for Arrow McLaren, ending up eighth. 

AJ Foyt Racing rookie Caio Collet had multiple close calls during the session, most notably clipping the grass with his left-rear entering Turn 1 with 3m30s to go. In the end, his impressive weekend continued with a ninth-place effort. 

Pato O’Ward put his #5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet 10th, ahead of Andretti Global’s Will Power and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, in 11th and 12th, respectively. 

Groups

Caio Collet, A.J. Foyt Enterprises

Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Lumen via Getty Images

The first group was led by Malukas, who delivered a stout 1m43.638s flyer with just under two minutes to go. 

Collet surged late to slot second, ahead of Friday’s practice leader Armstrong. Siegel ended up fourth, ahead of Ericsson, and Rosenqvist. 

Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard was the first driver to miss the transfer spot, falling 0.1037s off the mark. Josef Newgarden, who continued to push through his significant foot injury, ended up eighth in his #2 Team Penske Chevrolet. Dale Coye Racing rookie Dennis Hauger was ninth, ahead of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson. Alexander Rossi (ECR) was 11th, ahead of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) rookie Mick Schumacher in 12th. 

Mick Schumacher, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Photo by: Gavin Baker / Lumen via Getty Images

Palou vaulted to the top of the second group in the final 30s with a run at 1m43.498s. He bested Power’s pace by 0.2912s. McLaughlin took third, with O’Ward fourth, and Ferrucci fifth. 

It was a last-gasp run by Dixon, who narrowly transferred at the very end, knocking out Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing) by 0.0060s. 

Christian Rasmussen (ECR) was eighth, with Kyle Kirkwood’s #27 Andretti Global Honda in ninth. Graham Rahal (RLL) ended up 10th, with Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger Racing) 11th. Louis Foster, last year’s pole-sitter, endured a miserable outing to end up 12th, ahead of Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Hollinger Racing) in 13th.

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