IndyCar News: Palou wins Pole for Sonsio Grand Prix
Chip Ganassi driver Alex Palou got a great start to the month of May by winning the pole for tomorrow’s Sonsio Grand Prix with a time of 1:09.004 in his #10 DHL Honda on the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
The competition is fierce as Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Christian Lundgaard, with a lap time of 1:09.0921, will start in second position, just 0.0917s behind Palou. Lundgaard had topped the 2nd practice session.
Team Penske’s teammates, Josef Newgarden and Will Power, will start third and fourth on the grid. Newgarden’s time was 1:09.1632 (0.1632s behind Palou), and Power’s was 1:09.2528.
Pato O’Ward will start fifth after his best lap of 1:09.3320 in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Six-time series champion Scott Dixon rounded out the Firestone Fast Six at 1:09.5270 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
2016 Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi qualified a season-best seventh at 1:09.0801 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet after missing the Firestone Fast Six by .0185 of a second. Rossi’s previous best start this season was 13th at Long Beach.
Several top drivers were knocked out in round 1, including all three Andretti drivers – Colton Herta, Marcus Ericsson and Kyle Kirkwood – As well as Scott McLaughlin.
“It’s been a tough day, honestly,” Palou said. “Practice 1 and Practice 2 wasn’t amazing. Even the start of qualifying, too. So, really happy to be there. Didn’t expect it. I’ll take it.
“It was my mom’s birthday today, so it’s probably a good birthday present.”
Qualifying Results
|
Rank |
Car |
Driver Name |
Engine |
Time |
Speed |
Session |
|
1 |
10 |
Palou, Alex |
Honda |
01:09.0004 |
127.251 |
Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six |
|
2 |
45 |
Lundgaard, Christian |
Honda |
01:09.0921 |
127.083 |
Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six |
|
3 |
12 |
Power, Will |
Chevy |
01:09.1636 |
126.951 |
Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six |
|
4 |
2 |
Newgarden, Josef |
Chevy |
01:09.2528 |
126.788 |
Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six |
|
5 |
5 |
O’Ward, Pato |
Chevy |
01:09.3320 |
126.643 |
Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six |
|
6 |
9 |
Dixon, Scott |
Honda |
01:09.5270 |
126.288 |
Round 3 / Firestone Fast Six |
|
7 |
7 |
Rossi, Alexander |
Chevy |
01:09.0801 |
127.105 |
Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
|
8 |
11 |
Armstrong, Marcus |
Honda |
01:09.1175 |
127.036 |
Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
|
9 |
15 |
Rahal, Graham |
Honda |
01:09.1491 |
126.978 |
Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
|
10 |
60 |
Rosenqvist, Felix |
Honda |
01:09.2923 |
126.715 |
Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
|
11 |
30 |
Fittipaldi, Pietro |
Honda |
01:09.3698 |
126.574 |
Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
|
12 |
21 |
VeeKay, Rinus |
Chevy |
01:09.3915 |
126.534 |
Elimination Round 2 / Top 12 |
|
13 |
3 |
McLaughlin, Scott |
Chevy |
01:09.1378 |
126.999 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
14 |
27 |
Kirkwood, Kyle |
Honda |
01:09.1712 |
126.937 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
15 |
78 |
Canapino, Agustin |
Chevy |
01:09.2578 |
126.779 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
16 |
14 |
Ferrucci, Santino |
Chevy |
01:09.2637 |
126.768 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
17 |
18 |
Harvey, Jack |
Honda |
01:09.3254 |
126.655 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
18 |
6 |
Pourchaire, Theo (R) |
Chevy |
01:09.3816 |
126.552 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
19 |
8 |
Lundqvist, Linus (R) |
Honda |
01:09.3385 |
126.631 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
20 |
20 |
Rasmussen, Christian (R) |
Chevy |
01:09.4190 |
126.484 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
21 |
28 |
Ericsson, Marcus |
Honda |
01:09.3936 |
126.530 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
22 |
51 |
Ghiotto, Luca (R) |
Honda |
01:09.4519 |
126.424 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
23 |
77 |
Grosjean, Romain |
Chevy |
01:09.4283 |
126.467 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
24 |
26 |
Herta, Colton |
Honda |
01:09.5391 |
126.266 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
25 |
4 |
Simpson, Kyffin (R) |
Honda |
01:09.5613 |
126.225 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 1 |
|
26 |
66 |
Blomqvist, Tom (R) |
Honda |
01:09.6264 |
126.107 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
27 |
41 |
Robb, Sting Ray |
Chevy |
01:10.0399 |
125.363 |
Elimination Round 1 / Group 2 |
|
(R) Rookie |
Lucille Dust reporting live from Indianapolis