Colton Herta captured the 12th pole position of his NTT IndyCar Series career, turning a 1 minute, 0.5475-second lap around the nine-turn, 1.7-mile circuit in downtown Detroit in his No. 26 Dallara-Honda.
The Andretti Global star qualified first for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix ahead of Alex Palou, Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, Scott Dixon and Kyle Kirkwood.
After crashing and finishing 23rd in the 108th Indy 500, Herta earned his first pole position since last July at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
TIRE COMPOUND CHOICES: Primary or alternates for Lap 1
QUALIFYING RESULTS: Click here for Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix qualifying speeds | Round 1, Group 1 | Round 1, Group 2 | Round 2 l Round 3
“I mean a complete 180 and just super happy for the team,” Herta told NBC Sports’ Marty Snider. “They work their tails off in the May in the month of May, and it was disappointing to say the least. So to come back here and come back for some redemption, man, it feels good.
“This qualifying session is so difficult here at this track. It’s obviously hard to pass, but also it’s so hard to just get a clean lap with how bumps are here. It’s probably the most aggressive place that we go to as far as bumps and walls, so it feels good to get this one.”
After a 30-year run at the Belle Isle course a few miles north, this is the second consecutive year that IndyCar will race at the downtown layout. Last season, Palou won from the pole position (despite being passed on Lap 1).
“Pretty happy,” Palou told NBC Sports’ Kevin Lee. “The car’s been awesome since practice one (Friday), and we’re able to fight during all segments in qualifyin. So yeah, starting on the front row, looking forward to (Sunday). It’s going to be a busy, busy race. But yeah, with a fast car, I think it’s a little bit easier.”
The Fast Six featured two cars apiece from three teams: Andretti Global, Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing.
Kirkwood rebounded from a practice altercation with Santino Ferrucci but spun his No. 27 Dallara-Honda during the final round while trying to match the speed of Herta, his teammate.
“I mean hats off to Andretti Global, they’ve given us some awesome machines this weekend,” Kirkwood told NBC Sports’ Dillon Welch. “We’re rocket ships, and Colton just showed it just now. I had a little bit in the pocket, and we were saving it for Q3.
“I knew it was going to be hard to beat Colton and that’s kind of where the mistake came from. Honestly, thinking back, I was like, ‘Oh, I should have just taken the easy second,’ but you’re never thinking that one. You’re in the Fast Six, right?” You want to get that pole, so I went for it. I locked up. It was the first time I locked up the front tire all weekend on a push lap. Yeah, so just a mistake,
“But hats off to the 27 crew They’ve giving us an awesome rocket ship this weekend. Sixth is a lot better than where we have been starting all year, so I’m happy with that.”
Here’s the IndyCar starting lineup for Sunday’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix on a nine-turn, 1.7-mile downtown street course (qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, engine, time and speed):
ROW 1
1. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 1 minute, 0.5475 seconds (97.808 mph)
2. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 1:00.6995 (97.563)
ROW 2
3. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 1:00.9607 (97.145)
4. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 1:01.3344 (96.553)
ROW 3
5. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 1:01.3905 (96.464)
6. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 1:04.2926 (92.110)
ROW 4
7. (6) Theo Pourchaire, Chevrolet, 1:00.7342 (97.507)
8. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 1:00.7612 (97.464)
ROW 5
9. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 1:00.8505 (97.320)
10. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 1:01.0351 (97.026)
ROW 6
11. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 1:01.1663 (96.818)
12. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 1:03.0479 (93.929)
ROW 7
13. (20) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 1:01.3930 (96.461)
14. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 1:01.1336 (96.870)
ROW 8
15. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 1:01.4933 (96.303)
16. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 1:01.3684 (96.499)
ROW 9
17. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 1:01.5905 (96.151)
18. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 1:01.5566 (96.204)
ROW 10
19. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 1:01.6040 (96.130)
20. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 1:01.7406 (95.917)
ROW 11
21. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 1:01.6297 (96.090)
22. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 1:01.7441 (95.912)
ROW 12
23. (4) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 1:01.7770 (95.861)
24. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 1:01.8454 (95.755)
ROW 13
25. (51) Tristan Vautier, Honda, 1:02.2091 (95.195)
26. (66) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 1:01.9687 (95.564)
ROW 14
27. (18) Jack Harvey, Honda, 1:02.1185 (95.334)