Dixon sets fastest ever pole at Indy

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4 laps. 10 miles. 234.046 mph.

Scott Dixon added to his lore in IndyCar Sunday afternoon, earning his 5th career pole for the Indianapolis 500 with the fastest-ever 4-lap average speed for a pole sitter in the over one-hundred years of this historic race.

Coming into the Firestone Fast Six shootout, the Kiwi was the last man to go on an ever cooling track, setting down a dramatic 234.046 mph average over 4 laps, usurping the late Scott Brayton as the fastest pole-man at Indy. Set in 1996, Brayton held the pole record when he set an average speed of 233.718 mph during the Fast-Nine shootout on the Sunday before the race. That same year Arie Luyendyk set the fastest ever 4-lap average of 236.986 mph on the second day of qualification but wasn’t eligible for the pole.

With the pole, Ganassi Racing earned its first 1-2 start at Indianapolis since 2008 when Dixon sat on the pole and won his sole victory at the 500, with then teammate the late Dan Wheldon starting beside him. This year, defending champion and 2021 Indy 500 runner-up Alex Palou starts 2nd with an average speed of 233.499 mph, narrowing missing out on his opportunity to become one of the youngest pole sitters in Indy 500 history. In an equally historic feat, the Ganassi organization had all 5 entrants in the Top-12 session – the only team to do so – with 4 of 5 starting within the first two rows.

In the post session interview, Dixon gleefully expressed the feat to reporters:

‘To get five of our cars into the fast 12 and four into the (Firestone Fast) Six, I hope Chip has a smile on his face. That definitely deserves a smile.’

Dutchman Rinus VeeKay rounded out the first row for the race with a blistering 233.385 mph average, making this top three the fastest front row in history, breaking the previous record of 233.080 mph set in 1996.

The Grid is set…now we race

The Top-12 session on Sunday solidified the first four rows for the historic 106th running on May 29th. With 3 competitors per row, and a total of 33 cars on track, the start of the Indy 500 is like no other race on the planet. Catch all of the action on NBC within the United States. Coverage begins at 11:00am ET with the green flag set to drop at 12:30pm ET.

Related Link: Full Race-day Schedule

Here is how they will stack up:

Row 1
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverScott Dixon (W)Alex PalouRinus VeeKay
TeamChip Ganassi RacingChip Ganassi RacingEd Carpenter Racing
Number91021
Avg. Speed234.046233.499233.385
Row 2
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverEd CarpenterMarcus EricssonTony Kanaan (W)
TeamEd Carpenter RacingChip Ganassi RacingChip Ganassi Racing
Number3361
Avg. Speed233.08232.764232.372
Row 3
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverPato O’WardFelix RosenqvistRomain Grosjean (R)
TeamArrow McLaren SPArrow McLaren SPAndretti Autosport
Number5728
Avg. Speed232.705232.182231.999
Row 4
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverTakuma Sato (W)Will Power (W)Jimmie Johnson (R)
TeamDale Coyne Racing with RWRTeam PenskeChip Ganassi Racing
Number511248
Avg. Speed231.67231.534231.264
Row 5
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverDavid Malukas (R)Josef NewgardenSantino Ferucci
TeamDale Coyne Racing with HMDTeam PenskeDreyer & Reinbold Racing
Number18223
Avg. Speed231.607231.58231.508
Row 6
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverSimon Pagenaud (W)JR HildebrandConor Daly
TeamMeyer Shank RacingAJ Foyt EnterprisesEd Carpenter Racing
Number601120
Avg. Speed231.275231.112230.999
Row 7
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverCallu, Illot (R)Alexander Rossi (W)Graham Rahal
TeamJuncos Hollinger RacingAndretti AutosportRahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Number772715
Avg. Speed230.961230.812230.766
Row 8
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverSage KaramMarco AndrettiDelvin DeFrancesco (R)
TeamDreyer & Reinbold RacingAndretti Herta Autosport w/ Marco & CurbAndrettti Steinbrenner Autosport
Number249829
Avg. Speed230.464230.354230.326
Row 9
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverColton HertaScott McLaughlinHelio Castronevas (W)
TeamAndretti Autosport w/ Curb-AgajanianTeam PenskeMeyer Shank Racing
Number2636
Avg. Speed230.235230.154229.63
Row 10
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverKyle Krikwood (R)Dalton KellettJuan Pablo Montoya (W)
TeamAJ Foyt EnterprisesAJ Foyt EnterprisesArrow McLaren SP
Number1446
Avg. Speed229.406228.916228.622
Row 11
InsideMiddleOutside
DriverChristian Lundgaard (R)Jack HarveyStefan Wilson
TeamRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingRahal Letterman Lanigan RacingDragonSpeed / Cusick Motorsports
Number304525
Avg. Speed227.053226.8510