Will Power secured the pole position for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 with an impressive qualifying time of 49.9088 seconds and an average speed of 180.329 mph across two laps. This victory marks Power’s fifth pole at the 1.25-mile oval and his record-extending 71st overall pole in IndyCar racing. The two-time IndyCar champion expressed his excitement, noting that it’s been since August 2024 that he last topped the qualifying charts.
Power described his strategic approach during the run, saying, “I sent it a lot. I knew you would have to. You’d have to try to be flat in (turns) 3 and 4. Which I wasn’t quite flat, but very, very close.” He credited the performance to the Chevrolet team, saying, “Cool, man. Cool. It’s been a while since I’ve had a pole, so I’m really excited for the Verizon 12 car. Chevy did a great job, good power. Hopefully we can execute in the race. It’d be awesome to get a win here.”
The front row will be an all-Team Penske affair, showcasing the team’s strong performance on the track during the day, with Josef Newgarden leading the opening practice. Scott McLaughlin came close but finished just behind Power in qualifying. Although Newgarden couldn’t quite match his teammates and ended in fifth place, the Chevy brand displayed dominant strength with the top-five qualifiers, including Pato O’Ward, David Malukas, and Newgarden himself.
On the Honda side, Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong was the fastest, qualifying sixth overall. This creates a competitive mix, as Honda aims to break a winning streak held by drivers Alex Palou and Kyle Kirkwood. Championship contender Christian Lundgaard faced challenges, qualifying 14th and falling behind his competitors.
Rookie Robert Shwartzman, who previously shocked fans with his Indianapolis 500 pole run, finished 24th after a minor mishap during his qualification attempt.
The session experienced a delay of two hours due to morning storms but ultimately provided favorable conditions for the later runners. The 27 drivers will have a final practice session at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the race set to begin live on FOX at 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday.
This performance from Power and Team Penske is promising, suggesting they may be in a strong position to capitalize during the race, potentially leading to an exciting showdown on race day. The spirit of competition remains high as different teams vie for victory.