Will Power went out last in qualifying, but ended up capturing pole for Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway. The result also elevates Power in a tie with the legendary Mario Andretti with 67 career poles for most all-time in the NTT IndyCar Series.
Piloting the No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, the 41-year-old Aussie and current championship leader waited patiently on pit road as 25 drivers put their respective best efforts out on the 1.25-mile oval based just outside St. Louis, MO. When it came time, though, Power throttled to a best two-lap average of 182.727 mph (45.2539s) to seize the top spot for his fourth pole of the 2022 season. It also marks the third consecutive year Power has won pole at WWTR.
"Amazing."@12WillPower relishes in his record-breaking moment this afternoon at @WWTRaceway #INDYCAR // @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/5iCZRfbtdS
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 19, 2022
Marcus Ericsson ended up second, with his No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda falling 0.1147s short of what would have been his first-ever pole in North America’s premier open-wheel championship.
It was Team Penske lockout for the second row of the grid as defending race winner Josef Newgarden qualified third in the No. 2 Chevrolet, ahead of teammate Scott McLaughlin in fourth.
Reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou ended up putting his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda in fifth, ahead of teammate and six-time series champion Scott Dixon in sixth.
Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward temporarily held the top spot, but fell to seventh by the end of the session.
Speeding into the record books.
See the moment where @12WillPower drives his way into #INDYCAR history.@WWTRaceway // @Team_Penske pic.twitter.com/dC2WSszGAo
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) August 19, 2022
Takuma Sato was the fastest of the early drivers to go out, and still ended up with a respectable effort as his No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda qualifying eighth.
Behind Sato is the entire Andretti Autosport quartet, led by Romain Grosjean in ninth, with rookie Devlin DeFrancesco claiming 10th, Colton Herta in 11th and Alexander Rossi in 12th.
There was one incident during qualifying, which involved Felix Rosenqvist. During the Swede’s opening qualifying lap, his No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet spun off Turn 2 and and drifted back across the track before making light contact with the inside tire barrier on the backstretch. He did climb out of the car without assistance of the AMR IndyCar Safety Team, and was later seen and released from the infield care center from Acting IndyCar Medical Director, Dr. Jim Nossett. By virtue of not recording a time, Rosenqvist will start last of the 26 entrants.
Up Next: Final Practice at 7 p.m. ET, with live coverage on Peacock, IndyCar Live! and the IndyCar Radio Network.
