McLaughlin secured the top spot during the final lap of qualifying. The qualifying session at the challenging Barber Motorsports Park was filled with excitement, as the IndyCar pole winner was determined in the last moments of the session.
Throughout the knockout sessions, drivers pushed their limits, causing dust to fly from the tires of multiple drivers as they tried to stay on the track without slowing down. Will Power impressively made it to the Firestone Fast Six and seemed to have a strong enough lap for the top position. In fact, he even backed off on his second push lap.
However, this decision proved to be costly as his teammate Scott McLaughlin began his own lap at the end of the session. The top position exchanged hands a few times during McLaughlin’s lap, but he managed to cross the timing line just ahead, securing pole position.
McLaughlin completed his lap in 1:05.9490, a mere 0.097 seconds ahead of Power, earning his sixth pole in his IndyCar career. The two teammates will start from the front row on Sunday.
Christian Lundgaard achieved the third fastest time, putting his RLL Honda in contention for a successful points weekend. Pato O’Ward followed closely as the fourth fastest, with Felix Rosenqvist right behind him, despite having a new engine installed between practice and qualifying.
Sophomore driver Marcus Armstrong made an impressive appearance in the Fast Six, although he was unable to improve his position beyond sixth. Nevertheless, he was pleased with his effort.
Graham Rahal expressed extreme frustration with his team after being eliminated in the second round. He immediately confronted his crew, expressing his dissatisfaction with the communication regarding whether he had another lap in the session. He will start from seventh.
Josef Newgarden attributed his failure to make the Fast Six to a single bad lap. Rinus VeeKay, who was the fastest driver in the morning practice, encountered engine problems during his run. His team instructed him to bring the car into the pit lane early, resulting in him starting from the 27th and final position. The ECR team may need to change the engine overnight.
A quick warm-up session will take place on Sunday morning, followed by a 90-lap race at 12:30 in the afternoon.