Power resets track record for IndyCar pole at Sonoma

SONOMA, CA - Verizon IndyCar Series championship points leader Will Power claimed his second consecutive Verizon P1 Award, and fourth of the season, with a lap of 1 minute, 17.4126 seconds in Firestone Fast Six qualifications for the GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma.<br /> <br /> Power, driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car, reset the track record he established in 2012 with a lap of 1:17.2393 (111.161 mph) in the first of the three rounds on the 2.385-mile, 12-turn road course.<br /> <br /> It was the fourth pole at Sonoma Raceway for Power, who has won three of the past four Verizon IndyCar Series races on the scenic circuit.<br /> <br /> "It's a track-position race and starting on pole puts us in a good position," said Power. "If it's a normal sort of strategy, we've put ourselves in a great position to win the race. But you know how these races go. You've got to get everything right on race day and we're going to try and do that."<br /> <br /> With the bonus point for the pole, Power takes a 40-point advantage over teammate Helio Castroneves into the 85-lap race Aug. 24.<br /> <br /> "We know we have a very good car and hopefully we'll have a good race," said Castroneves, who qualified sixth in the No. 3 Hitachi Team Penske entry. "You have to be aggressive in a way that puts you in position going to the last race to win the championship."<br /> <br /> The season-closing MAVTV 500 on Aug. 30 at the 2-mile Auto Club Speedway oval carries double points.<br /> <br /> "Every point counts but there are a lot of points on the table and lots of racing left," Power added. "I just have to focus on the job at hand."<br /> <br /> Josef Newgarden tied his career-best qualification effort of second on a road/street course (Mid-Ohio earlier this month) with a lap of 1:17.7318 in the No. 67 Hartman Oil/Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing entry.<br /> <br /> Reigning series champion Scott Dixon qualified third in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and will share Row 2 with James Hinchcliffe, driving the No. 27 United Fiber & Data car for Andretti Autosport. Ryan Briscoe, who scored his first Verizon IndyCar Series pole at Sonoma Raceway in 2005 and won in 2012, will start on Row 3 with Castroneves.<br /> <br /> <strong>Verizon IndyCar Series</strong><br /> <strong> Sonoma Raceway - Sonoma, CA</strong><br /> <strong> GoPro Grand Prix of Sonoma Qualifying -Aug. 23, 2014</strong><br /> <br /> 1. (12) Will Power, Dallara-Chevy, 01:17.4126 (110.912)<br /> 2. (67) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Honda, 01:17.7318 (110.457)<br /> 3. (9) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Chevy, 01:17.9044 (110.212)<br /> 4. (27) James Hinchcliffe, Dallara-Honda, 01:17.9565 (110.138)<br /> 5. (8) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Chevy, 01:18.1217 (109.905)<br /> 6. (3) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Chevy, 01:18.8771 (108.853)<br /> 7. (11) Sebastien Bourdais, Dallara-Chevy, 01:17.7176 (110.477)<br /> 8. (10) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Chevy, 01:17.7231 (110.469)<br /> 9. (34) Carlos Munoz, Dallara-Honda, 01:17.7257 (110.465)<br /> 10. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 01:17.7499 (110.431)<br /> 11. (83) Charlie Kimball, Dallara-Chevy, 01:17.7532 (110.426)<br /> 12. (7) Mikhail Aleshin, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.7700 (109.001)<br /> 13. (25) Marco Andretti, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.2681 (109.700)<br /> 14. (15) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.1249 (109.901)<br /> 15. (77) Simon Pagenaud, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.2767 (109.688)<br /> 16. (19) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.2296 (109.754)<br /> 17. (20) Mike Conway, Dallara-Chevy, 01:18.3518 (109.583)<br /> 18. (98) Jack Hawksworth, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.2310 (109.752)<br /> 19. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Dallara-Chevy, 01:18.8102 (108.945)<br /> 20. (14) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.4104 (109.501)<br /> 21. (18) Carlos Huertas, Dallara-Honda, 01:18.9603 (108.738)<br /> 22. (17) Sebastian Saavedra, Dallara-Chevy, 01:18.5202 (109.348)

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