Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin will start Sunday’s Children’s Grand Prix here at Barber Motorsports Park from pole position after setting a fastest time of 01:05.9490s to claim his sixth career pole position. The result couldn’t have come at a better time after the New Zealander was disqualified from the Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg earlier this week.
“It’s been tough. “The Good Ranchers Chevy was so good today, and I just wanted to give these guys and girls on the team an opportunity to be back on front row and back on pole. In the last couple of races, we just haven’t hit it in qualifying.
“This means a lot. We’ve just got to keep focusing like this for the rest of the season and keep working hard.”
Will Power in the No.12 Verizon Business Team Penske Chevrolet starts the race from second place while Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard had a great day as he starts the race from third place and was the fastest Honda-powered driver with a time of 01:06.0818s.
Pato O’Ward was fourth just ahead of Felix Rosenqvist of Meyer Shank Racing who continued the team’s great start to the season as he starts the race from fifth place despite having an engine change between practice and qualifying. The Swede set a fastest time of 01:06.4524s.
Speaking following the action, Rosenqvist said:
I’d say that was a pretty good qualifying effort. We had to do an engine change so we basically missed most of practice two and we had a telemetry issue in practice one. The weekend has been really rough, so we said that if we make it into the Top 12 we would be really happy, so to make the Fast Six we didn’t really expect it. I feel like we made the most out of it and it puts us in a good position to do something in the race tomorrow.”
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong was sixth fastest which was his career best qualifying.
Graham Rahal starts seventh just ahead of Josef Newgarden who rolls from eighth place.
Kyle Kirkwood starts the race from ninth while defending series champion Alex Palou rounded out the top ten for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Romain Grosjean rolls off 11th just ahead of Tom Blomqvist.
It was a disappointing session for championship leader Scott Dixon who has yet to win here at Barber Motorsports Park as he rolls off 13th.
Christian Rasmussen starts P14 just ahead of Colton Herta and Alexander Rossi.
Santino Ferrucci rolls off from 17th and speaking to Paddock Eye following qualifying Team President Larry Foyt said that it was disappointing qualifying for the team as a whole.
Marcus Ericsson starts 18th just ahead of Linus Lundqvist and Agustin Canapino.
Luca Ghiotto starts his first INDYCAR SERIES race from 21st just ahead of Jack Harvey.
Kyffin Simpson starts the race from 23rd just ahead of Thèo Pourchaire and Sting Ray Robb.
Pietro Fittipaldi starts the race from 26th while Rinus VeeKay rounded out the grid.