IndyCar: O’Ward beats Rossi to Detroit GP pole

Arrow McLaren SP Chevy driver Pato O’Ward from Mexico has won the pole for race 1 of the Detroit GP doubleheader with a lap of 1m15.5776s to beat the #27 AutoNation Honda of Alexander Rossi by 0.08s.

Dale Coyne Honda driver Romain Grosjean was third fastest ahead of his teammate Ed Jones, both punching above their weight in the underdog Coyne team.

#2 Chevy driver Josef Newgarden rounded out the top-5 for Team Penske, 0.29s off pole.

2nd best Alexander Rossi, beaten again, in what so far has been yet another disastrous season. Can he turn it around and win later today, or will he and his Andretti team find a way to lose again?

Colton Herta was 6th in the #26 Gainbridge Honda  while Will Power, who was on a fast lap with a chance to take pole, threw it all away when he brushed the wall twice in the #12 Penske Chevy and will start 7th.

Ryan Hunter-Reay, Simon Pagenaud and Sebastien Bourdais rounded out the top-10.

Qualifying Results

Pos No Name Time Diff Gap Speed Engine Team
1 5 Pato O’Ward 1:15.5776 0.0000s 0.0000s 111.938 Chevy Arrow McLaren SP
2 27 Alexander Rossi 1:15.6584 0.0808s 0.0808s 111.818 Honda Andretti Autosport
3 51 Romain Grosjean 1:15.7433 0.1657s 0.0849s 111.693 Honda Dale Coyne Racing w/Rick Ware Racing
4 18 Ed Jones 1:15.8119 0.2343s 0.0686s 111.592 Honda Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan
5 2 Josef Newgarden 1:15.8697 0.2921s 0.0578s 111.507 Chevy Team Penske
6 26 Colton Herta 1:16.0832 0.5056s 0.2135s 111.194 Honda Andretti Autosport
7 12 Will Power 1:16.0877 0.5101s 0.0045s 111.187 Chevy Team Penske
8 28 Ryan Hunter-Reay 1:16.1293 0.5517s 0.0416s 111.127 Honda Andretti Autosport
9 22 Simon Pagenaud 1:16.6606 1.0830s 0.5313s 110.357 Chevy Team Penske
10 14 Sebastien Bourdais 1:17.4333 1.8557s 0.7727s 109.255 Chevy AJ Foyt Enterprises
11 9 Scott Dixon 1:17.8680 2.2904s 0.4347s 108.645 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
12 21 Rinus VeeKay 1:17.8776 2.3000s 0.0096s 108.632 Chevy Ed Carpenter Racing
13 29 Hinchcliffe, James 1:17.0691 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 109.772 Honda Andretti Autosport
14 7 Rosenqvist, Felix 1:16.4620 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 110.643 Chevy Arrow McLaren SP
15 8 Ericsson, Marcus 1:17.1579 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 109.645 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
16 30 Sato, Takuma 01:16.4713 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 110.630 Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
17 20 Daly, Conor 01:17.2904 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 109.457 Chevy Ed Carpenter Racing
18 59 Chilton, Max 01:16.6093 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 110.430 Chevy Carlin
19 60 Harvey, Jack 01:17.4180 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 109.277 Honda Elimination Round 1 / Group 1
20 15 Rahal, Graham 01:16.6694 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 110.344 Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
21 10 Palou, Alex 01:17.5190 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 109.135 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
22 45 Ferrucci, Santino 01:16.6880 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 110.317 Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
23 48 Johnson, Jimmie 01:19.0944 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 106.961 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
24 3 McLaughlin, Scott (R) 01:17.5569 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 109.081 Chevy Team Penske
25 4 Kellett, Dalton 01:19.6697 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 106.188 Chevy AJ Foyt Enterprises