IndyCar: O’Ward wins pole for Big Machine Spiked Coolers GP

Arrow McLaren SP driver Pato O’Ward from Mexico has won the pole for the Big Machine Spiked Coolers GP on the road course at Indy with a lap of 1m10.7147s.

It was a tight battle for the pole with just 0.04s covering the top-5 drivers with O’Ward earning his series-leading third pole of the season in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet .

Team Penske’s Will Power will start 2nd ahead of Dale Coyne driver Romain Grosjean and newcomer F2 driver Christian Lundgaard 4th just 0.0286s from pole – an incredible performance his first time in an IndyCar. This kid is the real deal!

Rookie sensation Christian Lundgaard ©2021 Walt Kuhn

Andretti Autosport’s most talented driver, Colton Herta, rounded out the top-5 in his Gainbridge Honda. His teammate Alexander Rossi, fastest in Round 1 Group 2 qualifying, choked when it counted and could only manage 10th best in the Fast 12 round.

“It’s great to see the No. 5 car on pole here in Indianapolis,” said a happy O’Ward. “Arrow McLaren SP had a really strong test in Portland a few weeks ago, and I think it showed today. We are looking to return where we belong, which is contending for poles, podiums and ultimately for wins. I think we have the car to do something great tomorrow. We just need to execute. The next session is warm-up so we need to do that, get as much information as we can to help us for the race, and when the race comes we try to maximize what we have.”

Not as happy was his teammate Felix Rosenqvist who had his fast lap deleted because Scott Dixon spun in front of him and caused a yellow.

“I’m really disappointed. We weren’t happy in practice, but had a great turnaround. Heading into qualifying we had a really good car. We did a good lap that would have gotten us through by some margin to the Firestone Fast 12 but when I crossed the line there was a car 400-500 feet after the timing line. Dixon had spun around and because there was a yellow there, they had to delete our fastest lap which put us in 20th to start tomorrow.

“Honestly, I’m happy with the progress that we have made. It’s good to see on paper that we can be up there on a track that we really struggled at early this year. Hopefully we will have a better car than most of those around us and get to the front.”

Alex Palou will try to defend his championship lead from the sixth starting position after a best qualifying lap of 1:10.8290 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Honda. He led the opening practice Friday afternoon on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course that incorporates part of the famous IMS oval.

Will Power will start 2nd Saturday. ©2021 Walt Kuhn

Six-time and reigning series championship Scott Dixon faces a tough climb toward the top of the field Saturday, as he will start a season-low 26th in the No. 9 PNC Bank Grow Up Great Honda after spinning on his final lap of the first segment of qualifying. Dixon spun exiting Turn 10 and lost his quickest lap of the session for causing a local yellow that affected another competitor.

“It’s definitely going to make for an interesting race tomorrow,” Dixon said. “Definitely a tough day. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Dixon is second in the series standings, 42 points behind Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Palou.

Among the other championship contenders, Marcus Ericsson will start 11th after a best lap of 1:11.0342 in the No. 8 Huski Chocolate Honda. Ericsson is fifth in the standings, 79 points behind Palou.

Alex Palou. ©2021 Walt Kuhn

Two-time series champion Josef Newgarden will start 20th. He qualified 14th at 1:11.3623 in the No. 2 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet after failing to reach the Firestone Fast 12 final segment, but he will move back in the starting lineup after incurring a six-position grid penalty for an unapproved engine change after the race last Sunday in Nashville, Tennessee. Newgarden is fourth in the standings, 75 points behind Palou.

Round 1 Group 2

Pos No Name Time Diff Gap Laps Speed Engine Team
1 27 Alexander Rossi 1:10.9867 0.000s 0.000s 6 123.691 Honda Andretti Autosport
2 45 Christian Lundgaard 1:11.0511 0.0644 0.0644 7 123.579 Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
3 10 Alex Palou 1:11.1296 0.1429 0.0785 7 123.442 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
4 7 Felix Rosenqvist 1:11.1374 0.1507 0.0078 7 123.429 Chevy Arrow McLaren SP
5 51 Romain Grosjean 1:11.1957 0.2090 0.0583 6 123.328 Honda Dale Coyne Racing w/Rick Ware Racing
6 5 Pato O’Ward 1:11.2094 0.2227 0.0137 7 123.304 Chevy Arrow McLaren SP
7 8 Marcus Ericsson 1:11.2510 0.2643 0.0416 6 123.232 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
8 2 Josef Newgarden 1:11.3623 0.3756 0.1113 6 123.040 Chevy Team Penske
9 30 Takuma Sato 1:11.4174 0.4307 0.0551 6 122.945 Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
10 18 Ed Jones 1:11.4360 0.4493 0.0186 6 122.913 Honda Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan
11 29 James Hinchcliffe 1:11.5475 0.5608 0.1115 6 122.721 Honda Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
12 48 Jimmie Johnson 1:11.8624 0.8757 0.3149 6 122.184 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
13 9 Scott Dixon 1:12.2660 1.2793 0.4036 7 121.501 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
14 4 Dalton Kellett 1:12.5494 1.5627 0.2834 7 121.027 Chevy AJ Foyt Enterprises

 

Fast 12 for Pole

Pos No Name Time Diff Gap Laps Speed Engine Team
1 5 Pato O’Ward 1:10.7147 0.000s 0.000s 6 124.167 Chevy Arrow McLaren SP
2 12 Will Power 1:10.7214 0.0067 0.0067 6 124.155 Chevy Team Penske
3 51 Romain Grosjean 1:10.7418 0.0271 0.0204 6 124.119 Honda Dale Coyne Racing w/Rick Ware Racing
4 45 Christian Lundgaard 1:10.7433 0.0286 0.0015 6 124.116 Honda Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
5 26 Colton Herta 1:10.7631 0.0484 0.0198 6 124.082 Honda Andretti Autosport
6 10 Alex Palou 1:10.8290 0.1143 0.0659 7 123.966 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
7 60 Jack Harvey 1:10.8875 0.1728 0.0585 6 123.864 Honda Meyer Shank Racing
8 20 Conor Daly 1:10.9532 0.2385 0.0657 6 123.749 Chevy Ed Carpenter Racing
9 21 Rinus VeeKay 1:11.0208 0.3061 0.0676 7 123.631 Chevy Ed Carpenter Racing
10 27 Alexander Rossi 1:11.0240 0.3093 0.0032 6 123.626 Honda Andretti Autosport
11 8 Marcus Ericsson 1:11.0342 0.3195 0.0102 6 123.608 Honda Chip Ganassi Racing
12 22 Simon Pagenaud 1:11.1346 0.4199 0.1004 6 123.434 Chevy Team Penske

 

Race Lineup

1. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 1:10.7147 (124.167 mph)
2. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 1:10.7214 (124.155)
3. (51) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 1:10.7418 (124.119)
4. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 1:10.7433 (124.116)
5. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 1:10.7631 (124.082)
6. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 1:10.8290 (123.966)
7. (60) Jack Harvey, Honda, 1:10.8875 (123.864)
8. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 1:10.9532 (123.749)
9. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 1:11.0208 (123.631)
10. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 1:11.0240 (123.626)
11. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 1:11.0342 (123.608)
12. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 1:11.1346 (123.434)
13. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 1:11.5084 (122.788)
14. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 1:11.3623 (123.040)
15. (14) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 1:11.5504 (122.716)
16. (30) Takuma Sato, Honda, 1:11.4174 (122.945)
17. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 1:11.5583 (122.703)
18. (18) Ed Jones, Honda, 1:11.4360 (122.913)
19. (59) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 1:11.5739 (122.676)
20. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 1:11.5340 (122.744)
21. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 1:11.6676 (122.516)
22. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 1:11.8624 (122.184)
23. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 1:11.7319 (122.406)
24. (29) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 1:12.0813 (121.812)
25. (75) RC Enerson, Chevrolet, 1:12.3344 (121.386)
26. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 1:12.2660 (121.501)
27. (52) Cody Ware, Honda, 1:13.7572 (119.045)
28. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, 1:12.5494 (121.027)