NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Scott McLaughlin received the second pole of his IndyCar profession and Romain Grosjean and Christian Lundgaard earned their highest beginning spots of the season in rain-delayed qualifying for the Music Metropolis Grand Prix.
McLaughlin received the pole on a flying ultimate run across the 11-turn, 2.1-mile course in Saturday’s session, which began 90 minutes late due to climate delays, and a sloppy, shortened first qualifying group left some drivers steaming with anger within the scorching, humid Nashville post-rain situations.
The Group Penske driver was additionally quickest in Saturday morning follow.
Grosjean certified second for Andretti Autosport, which had three drivers eradicated within the first spherical of qualifying. Lundgaard was a career-best third for Rahal Letterman Lanigan, which superior all three of its drivers to the highest 12.
Lundgaard overcame a penalty within the second spherical and locked a tire within the ultimate spherical and nonetheless managed to qualify third.
The championship contenders had a combined day with reigning champion Alex Palou, who’s ranked sixth within the six-driver struggle, the very best qualifier at fourth. Pato O’Ward, who’s fifth within the standings, solely superior as a result of IndyCar factors chief Will Energy was knocked from the ultimate quick six spherical for impeding O’Ward’s lap when he went off beam within the prime 12.
The penalty stripped Energy of his quickest lap and O’Ward took his spot. Energy holds a nine-point lead over defending race winner Marcus Ericsson, and solely 52 factors separate Energy from Palou with Sunday’s race the primary of the ultimate 4 this season.
“We are able to have an ideal day tomorrow,” Energy stated of beginning eighth. “Get good technique, good pit stops and see what we have.”
Josef Newgarden of Penske, who’s third within the standings, certified sixth.
Ericsson and Scott Dixon, fourth within the standings, didn’t advance out of the primary spherical. Dixon will begin 14th and Ericsson 18th, the place he began from in final 12 months’s victory.