Newgarden pips Herta to claim third straight IndyCar pole

Josef Newgarden claimed his third IndyCar pole position in a row, beating Colton Herta by 0.0031s to start at the head of the field at Mid-Ohio in Sunday’s race.

Newgarden dominated across IndyCar’s usual road course qualifying format, with 13 cars split into two groups, and the fastest six going into a Q2-style 12-car shootout. The top six from that shootout of 12 would graduate to the six-car group fighting for pole.

Newgarden was fastest in his group and in the following top 12 group, as he looks to end his and Penske’s winless streak after a spate of bad luck during the 2021 season.

He initially went out in the Fast Six shootout for pole session on the harder tyre for an install lap, and Herta’s initial fast lap looked like it might defeat the opposition.

However, Newgarden’s fastest lap came right at the death of the session, and bumped Herta off what would have been his first pole since St Petersburg, the second race of the season.

Ganassi’s Marcus Ericsson, buoyed by a maiden win at Detroit two rounds ago and a battling drive at Road America, took third on the grid with another late effort, ahead of Penske’s Will Power.

Power had an ECU issue at the start of the first qualifying segment of the day but rebounded with a lap under pressure, and his subsequent performances mean he’ll start one spot ahead of reigning IndyCar champion Scott Dixon.

Of the Fast Six runners, Herta’s Andretti Autosport team-mate Alexander Rossi rounded out the order.

Championship leader Alex Palou was the man on the bubble in the top 12 battle which decides who goes through to the Fast Six, and he was bumped out of it at the death by his two Ganassi team-mates Dixon and Ericsson.

Behind Palou, Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Graham Rahal took eighth, ahead of under-pressure Andretti duo James Hinchcliffe and Ryan Hunter-Reay, whose current contracts are expiring at the end of the year.

Rinus VeeKay was driving with eight screws in his shoulder after breaking his clavicle but still made the top 12 drivers and qualified 11th, ahead of Sebastien Bourdais. who sped in the pitlane during the top-12 shootout.

Romain Grosjean will start 18th on his first race visit to Mid-Ohio with Dale Coyne Racing, despite having a test at the venue last week.

Pato O’Ward was the big-name absentee from even making the top 12, saying his car wasn’t there for him on his third and last attempt, and that he made a mistake. The driver second in the championship will start 20th.

Meyer Shank Racing’s Jack Harvey was second-fastest in the first group but he came to a halt at the exit of Turn 9, causing a caution. That means he lost his best lap and dropped out.

Two following cars, Rossi and Simon Pagenaud, were also penalised for not slowing enough under the caution. It took Pagenaud out of the advancing six, but Rossi’s second-best lap in combination with penalties ahead allowed him to advance.

Harvey will start 23rd, with Pagenaud 15th.

Newcomer Ryan Norman is racing Dale Coyne’s third car this weekend and starts last, but was only 1.2s slower than Herta in Group 2 and faster than Jimmie Johnson and Dalton Kellett in Group 1.

Norman was a Road to Indy regular who has been racing a TCR car in the IMSA championship.

Qualifying Results