INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Will Power earned the Verizon P1 Award for Saturday’s Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis with a lap of 1 minute, 9.4886 seconds in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying segment on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.
Power broke Simon Pagenaud’s year-old track lap record of 1:09.6716 set in the first segment of qualifying. Pagenaud went on the win the 82-lap race from the fourth starting position.
It was the third track record eclipsed with the new aerodynamic road/street and short oval bodywork packages supplied by Chevrolet and Honda in four Verizon IndyCar Series races this season where qualifying has been completed. The other race – the Indy Grand Prix of Louisiana – was an inaugural event and its starting grid was set by entrant points after rain and lightning curtailed qualifications.
“To have a pole here at Indianapolis – at this track – is just such a great feeling and I felt like I was strong all week (in three practice sessions),” said Power, driving the No. 1 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. “I just missed out on pole at Barber (April 25), so I was pretty determined today and the guys did a great job with the car.”
Scott Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet, was second quick in the Firestone Fast Six (1:09.7156) for his third consecutive qualifying in the first two rows. Helio Castroneves (1:09.7388), who will mark his 300th Indy car start Saturday and his 40th birthday Sunday, will join Team Penske teammate Juan Pablo Montoya (1:09.8072) on Row 2. Castroneves had earned the Verizon P1 Award at the past two races.
Pagenaud (1:09.8715), driving the No. 22 DeVilbiss Team Penske Chevrolet and the only driver besides Castroneves to start in the top in each race this season, and Tony Kanaan (1:10.2772) in the No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet will be on Row 3.
It was Power’s 38th career pole, which is sixth on the all-time Indy car list, and the 227th for Team Penske. A Team Penske driver has started from pole in each of the five races this season.
Sebastian Saavedra claimed the Verizon P1 Award in 2014 with a lap of 1:23.8822 in wet/drying conditions.
Verizon IndyCar Series
Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, IN
Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis Qualifying – May 8, 2015
1. (1) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:09.4886 (126.357)
2. (9) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 01:09.7156 (125.946)
3. (3) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 01:09.7388 (125.904)
4. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 01:09.8072 (125.781)
5. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 01:09.8715 (125.665)
6. (10) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 01:10.2772 (124.940)
7. (11) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 01:10.0230 (125.393)
8. (8) Sebastian Saavedra, Chevrolet, 01:10.1572 (125.153)
9. (20) Luca Filippi, Chevrolet, 01:10.1969 (125.082)
10. (4) Stefano Coletti, Chevrolet, 01:10.3679 (124.778)
11. (41) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 01:10.4558 (124.623)
12. (21) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:10.8321 (123.961)
13. (5) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 01:10.6273 (124.320)
14. (83) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 01:10.5031 (124.539)
15. (6) JR Hildebrand, Chevrolet, 01:10.6380 (124.301)
16. (98) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 01:10.5282 (124.495)
17. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:10.6480 (124.284)
18. (25) Justin Wilson, Honda, 01:10.5776 (124.408)
19. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 01:10.8345 (123.957)
20. (7) James Jakes, Honda, 01:10.6749 (124.236)
21. (26) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 01:10.8786 (123.879)
22. (14) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:10.7391 (124.124)
23. (18) Carlos Huertas, Honda, 01:12.5038 (121.103)
24. (27) Marco Andretti, Honda, 01:11.1636 (123.383)
25. (19) Francesco Dracone, Honda, 01:12.5814 (120.973)
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/5/309059/power-breaks-track-record-at-grand-prix-of-indianapolis