Power closes on Andretti IndyCar pole record with Iowa double

Team Penske’s Will Power has moved to within one pole of tying Mario Andretti’s IndyCar pole record having topped qualifying for both races of the Iowa double-header.

There’s nothing like a 0930am qualifying session to sharpen the mind, with drivers getting only a Friday afternoon practice session before barrelling into Turn 1 for qualifying on Saturday morning.

Each driver gets two laps at speed, with the first lap deciding the order of the race one grid and the second lap deciding the order for the second race. The drivers go in reverse championship order.

Today’s session is complicated by the cars going into a parc ferme setting between qualifying and Saturday afternoon’s race with only minimal changes allowed, meaning teams and drivers have to compromise between qualifying speed and race pace including on gear ratios.

In searing 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) heat and rising, Ed Carpenter’s Conor Daly was the star for the majority of the session until Josef Newgarden – at an Iowa track where he is always a favourite given his previous form here – topped the order for both races.

But almost immediately after, practice topper Power – on his worst career run of qualifying coming into this race albeit second in the championship standings – took a high line and capitalised by snatching the top spot for both races.

He was immediately heard saying “one off Mario’s record man” as he chases the legend’s pole tally, the week after Scott Dixon matched Andretti’s 52 race wins that make the pair second all-time on that list behind AJ Foyt.

Only championship leader Marcus Ericsson followed Power with the chance to usurp him, but was 12th and 15th, giving Power a huge opportunity even if qualifying isn’t vital at this track.

In race one, behind Power, Newgarden and 2020 polesitter Daly, Pato O’Ward jumped into fourth with an incredible lap for Arrow McLaren SP. He had mid-corner oversteer on his warm-up lap coming up to start of his flying lap which made his time even more incredible, and another dose of oversteer at Turn 3 meant he could only manage eighth for race two.

Rounding out the top five for race one was Scott McLaughlin on his first trip to Iowa, making it all three Penske cars in the top five in race one and in the top six in race two.

Power and Newgarden start from the front row again in race two, but who starts just behind them is uncertain at this stage.

Andretti’s Colton Herta lamented a slow warm-up lap for starting 17th in race one but once his tyres were in he went third fastest for race two.

Sadly his suspicions that he would have to take a grid penalty were confirmed on Sunday morning as an unapproved engine change-out stemming from his Indy 500 crash means he has to take a nine-place penalty and drops to 12th.

It adds insult to injury after an electrical issue put him out of contention and six-laps down in race one.

Daly capitalises on Herta’s woe for the race two grid moving up to third, with Takuma Sato and Scott McLaughlin jumping up into the top five for race two.

Of the championship contenders, it was the Ganassi trio that struggled most. Alex Palou, who is third entering this weekend, will start 14th and 12th, while Scott Dixon is 13th and 18th respectively.

Jimmie Johnson has been much more competitive on the ovals than on the road and street courses for Ganassi where he admitted to The Race earlier this week that his expectations go up, and he starts 15th and 13th for the two races.

On the last visit to Iowa Simon Pagenaud won one of the races from last. The ability to take care of your tyres is deemed far more important at Iowa than your qualifying position.

Saturday grid

Qualifying Results

Sunday grid

Qualifying Results