Rinus VeeKay led an upset in IndyCar qualifying to place himself to race for the win at Barber Motorsports Park.

The Dutchman was the shock pole winner for Sunday’s race following a qualifying session that noticed most of IndyCar’s high names fail to advance by means of the rounds.

Alexander Rossi and his Andretti Autosport workforce, in the meantime, overcame a severe setback from a Saturday morning crash. Crew members from all 4 Andretti groups went to work on the automobile, and after qualifying fifth, Rossi acknowledged the group saved his weekend.

“I put them in a really robust state of affairs,” Rossi stated. “It was superb simply to be on the market within the first place, have the chance to compete and qualify. The place we have been two hours in the past, I feel everyone seems to be relieved and glad that we acquired by means of that. Each consequence that we get this weekend is all the way down to these guys, for certain.

“If we had not made qualifying, began twenty seventh, you are tremendous screwed. This offers us a very good shot to have day.”

The primary spherical Saturday bounced Will Energy, a two-time winner at Barber, and six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon. The 2 are among the many finest lively drivers in IndyCar, however each struggled across the picturesque everlasting street course that’s thought-about some of the bodily tracks on the circuit.

Informed he was beginning nineteenth, Energy frowned: “That is a horrible place for this monitor. Horrible.”

Energy in 2012 gained from ninth — the farthest beginning spot for a winner in 11 earlier occasions. The typical beginning spot is 3.2 for earlier race winners.

That places VeeKay in place for his second profession victory.

“Confidence is excessive, and it is a monitor the place passing isn’t occurring an excessive amount of,” the 21-year-old stated. “From right here, we will have a terrific race and combat for a win, undoubtedly.”

VeeKay turned a lap at 1 minute, 6.2507 seconds within the “Quick Six” spherical of qualifying to edge Pato O’Ward, final 12 months’s pole winner, for the highest beginning spot. It is the second pole of VeeKay’s profession and his first because the street course at Indianapolis late in his 2020 rookie season.

The entrance row was a lockout for Chevrolet, which is 3-for-3 on the IndyCar season as Staff Penske swept the primary three races of the season. IndyCar has raced on a pair of road programs and an oval, so Barber is the primary street course and first new terrain this 12 months.

It is a monitor that Penske drivers have dominated; Josef Newgarden leads all lively drivers with three wins at Barber and goes into Sunday on a two-race profitable streak. However like many different high names, he did not make it into the “Quick Six.”

Newgarden was eradicated within the second spherical of qualifying and can begin seventh.

Alex Palou, the reigning IndyCar champion and defending winner at Barber, certified third for Chip Ganassi Racing. Scott McLaughlin was fourth and the one Staff Penske driver to make the “Quick Six” and was adopted by Rossi. Felix Rosenqvist certified sixth to affix Arrow McLaren SP teammate O’Ward within the first three beginning rows.

PRAY FOR RAIN

The forecast for Sunday referred to as for rain through the IndyCar race, however drivers have been actively watching the sky hoping to get an opportunity to show some laps in moist circumstances earlier than the principle occasion.

IndyCar has but to race within the rain because it added the cockpit-protecting aeroscreen to its vehicles, so there is not any information on the way it will deal with moist climate. The drivers in 2020 did get to make some laps throughout a preseason take a look at in Texas, however it wasn’t true race circumstances with a full area of 26 vehicles on monitor.

The sequence had one ultimate apply session scheduled Saturday, and rain was on the thoughts.

“I feel everyone’s rain tires on the truck are most likely like two years previous, which are not best,” O’Ward stated. “Hopefully, it rains now so we will get some brisker ones for the race. I feel it might do us nicely if all of us had an opportunity to see what it was like in warm-up. Not by way of, like, by your self, however I feel it adjustments lots every time there’s 26 vehicles going round.

“I feel there is a massive distinction between you being by your self or being on the market, simply getting a sense of what the spray may very well be.”

The Related Press contributed to this report.