Alex Palou was the last driver to go out, but was also the best after scorching to pole for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR).
The reigning and four-time IndyCar Series Champion, driving the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, stormed to the top spot in qualifying with a two-lap average of 174.353mph around the 1.25-mile egg-shaped oval. He dethroned Team Penske’s David Malukas by a full mph (173.244mph) to take his fourth consecutive pole.
“It’s incredible,” said Palou, 29. “My car was on rails today. It was incredible. It’s a place that I struggle the most, so far. Hopefully, we can change that tomorrow. I knew this morning our car is super quick. The #10 Honda Honda had a lot of power, but I did not really expect to get the pole here today.. Yeah, just incredible. Super proud and can’t wait for tomorrow night.”
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood qualified third, ahead of Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin finishing up the rest of the top five.
The rundown
With drivers going on in reverse championship order, rookie Mick Schumacher went out first and set the initial mark with a 170.290mph two-lap average in the #47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) Honda.
ECR’s Christian Rasmussen was the next to go out and ended up with a big lift on the exit of Turn 2 during his second lap before settling at 170.106mph avg. The likes of Sting Ray Robb (Juncos Hollinger Racing), rookie Caio Collet (AJ Foyt Racing), Romain Grosjean (Dale Coyne Racing), and Nolan Siegel (Arrow McLaren), Louis Foster (RLL) were the next handful of drivers to go out, with Foster the only one to dethrone Schumacher with a run at 170.569mph avg.
Andretti Global’s Will Power, IndyCar’s all-time pole leader, was the eighth driver to go out and ended up with a messy qualifying run at 169.670mph and slotted fifth of those to go out to that point.
Rookie Dennis Hauger (Dale Coyne Racing) and Santino Ferrucci were next out, with the latter able to knock Foster off the top spot with a two-lap avg. of 170.988mph.
Through 10, the running order was Ferrucci, Foster, Schumacher, Rasmussen, Collet, Power, Seigel, Grosjean, Hauger, and Robb. The next out was Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kyffin Simpson, who delivered enough of a run to narrowly edge out Ferrucci with a two-lap avg. of 171.149mph.
Alexander Rossi (ECR) dished out a stout performance and solidly went to the top after going 171.923mph two-lap avg.
Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay, the only driver to crash in opening practice, posted the second-fastest two-lap pace of the 13 drivers to go out at 171.200mph. The #28 Andretti Global Honda of Marcus Ericsson knocked VeeKay down and slotted himself second after hitting a 171.384mph two-lap avg.
Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon, the 15th driver to go out, vaulted to the top courtesy of a two-lap avg. of 172.478mph with his #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstong nearly left pit lane with a battery on the sidepod of his #66 Honda, but paused as a crew member grabbed it before he set off for a 172.483mph two-lap avg. to go top of the pylon.
Graham Rahal (RLL) propelled to a two-lap avg. of 171.479mph to slot fourth. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden, a record five-time winner at WWTR, ended up third after a two-lap avg. of 172.415mph.
McLaughlin, Newgarden’s teammate, was the 19th driver to go out on track and vaulted to the top with a run at 172.869mph avg. in Penske’s 2002 throwback livery on his #3 Chevrolet.
Reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Rosenqvist pushed his #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda to a strong two-lap avg. of 172.953mph and knocked off McLaughlin to provisionally go to the top.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who was quickest in opening practice, struggled to put together a threatening performance, slotting sixth at 171.992mph two-lap avg. after bottoming out in Turns 3 and 4. The Mexican’s teammate, Christian Lundgaard, also had a lacking showing at 170.956mph two-lap avg.
Malukas, a former runner-up at WWTR, enjoyed a first lap of 173.729mph before a 172.761mph to pull off an average of 173.244mph to take over the top spot.
Andretti Global’s Kirkwood set sail with a two-lap avg. of 173.206mph, narrowly behind Malukas to slot second.
Palou, the current points leader, was the last driver to go out, went faster with a two-lap avg. of 174.353mph to take the top spot.
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