Will Power Claims Pole with Bold ‘I Sent It’ Move at IndyCar WWTR Oval Night

Will Power delivered an impressive qualifying run at World Wide Technology Raceway to secure the pole position for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. Power clocked a 49.9088-second two-lap average at 180.329 mph, marking his fifth pole at the 1.25-mile oval and the 71st of his IndyCar career.

This strong performance was his first pole since August 2024 in Portland, putting Team Penske at the front of the field. After stepping out of his car, Power said, “I sent it a lot,” explaining that he pushed close to the limit in turns 3 and 4, just shy of driving flat-out.

He praised his No. 12 Verizon Chevy and hoped the team could convert this start into a victory on race day.

Team Penske showcased their strength with an all-team front row. Scott McLaughlin secured second, trailing Power by only .1515 seconds, adding to the team’s momentum after Josef Newgarden led opening practice.

Newgarden qualified fifth, rounding out a top-five dominated by Chevrolet entries. Pato O’Ward and David Malukas took third and fourth, continuing Chevy’s strong showing as the brand swept the top-five spots in Saturday qualifying.

Honda’s challenge began with sixth-place Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing, the fastest among Honda-powered drivers. Armstrong’s teammate Felix Rosenqvist lined up seventh, with Colton Herta, Alex Palou, and Kyle Kirkwood filling out much of the top ten.

Scott Dixon placed eleventh, completing a cluster of Honda runners from sixth to eleventh on the grid. Championship contender Christian Lundgaard ended qualifying in fourteenth, struggling for speed compared to front-runners like O’Ward and Palou, while his teammate Nolan Siegel took twentieth.

Rookie Robert Shwartzman, who surprised the field by taking the pole for the Indianapolis 500 earlier in the season, ran into trouble during his Gateway qualifying attempt. A slight misstep put him 24th, a setback after his earlier breakout performance.

With the entire grid set from two-lap average speeds, drivers took their turns in reverse order of the current point standings. Qualifying was delayed two hours due to morning storms that left the track damp.

As weather cleared, overcast skies dropped the track temperature, which helped many of the later qualifiers achieve quicker laps.

A mechanical issue during the preceding USAC Silver Crown Series session left oil dry and sand in parts of the corners, causing problems for some drivers, including Conor Daly. Daly described the track as slick in turn 3, where some cleanup work left sandy residue.

Even with these complications, the safety crew’s efforts allowed the field to contest qualifying as planned, though track conditions varied for those running earlier in the session.

Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will feature 27 competitors, and the race is scheduled to air live in the evening. After their successful qualifying run, Team Penske will be looking to turn Saturday’s pace into their first win of the season.

The field expects a competitive race as both Chevrolet and Honda drivers aim for the top step of the podium, much like the intense battles seen recently in Monaco.