Scott Dixon Earns Fifth Indianapolis 500 Pole Award; Alex Palou and Rinus VeeKay Finalize Front Row

By Christian Koelle, Staff Writer

History was made Sunday as Scott Dixon turned the second-fastest qualifying lap ever in Indianapolis 500 history.

Dixon had a four-lap average of 234.046-mph earning him his fifth Indianapolis 500 pole, second straight at Indianapolis. 

Arie Luyendyk turned a 236.986-mph four-lap average in 1996 which remains the record. Dixon’s lap is the first 234-mph four-lap average ever slotting between Luyendyk’s record and Scott Brayton’s 233.718-mph four-lap average, both coming in 1996.

Alex Palou, the 2021 NTT Data IndyCar Series champion, will start the Indianapolis 500 from second while Rinus VeeKay will start from third. 

Ed Carpenter, Marcus Ericsson, and Tony Kanaan rounded out the second row of the Indianapolis 500 starting grid. 

Pato O’Ward had an incredibly fast average with a 232.705-mph four-lap average around the Indianapolis 500 but his lap wasn’t fast enough as he got pushed out of the Firestone Fast Six by Rinus VeeKay, the final driver to turn a lap in the top-12. O’Ward will start from the seventh position. 

His Arrow McLaren SP teammate Felix Rosenqvist put up the eighth fastest lap average with a 232.705-mph four-lap average. Roman Grosjean, Takuma Sato, Will Power, and Jimmie Johnson will round out the top-12 starting positions in next Sunday’s 106th Indianapolis 500.

Johnson, in his first Indianapolis 500 attempt, had the most sketchy moment leading into the Indianapolis 500 so far. During his first lap in today’s qualifications, Johnson got squirrelly on the exit of turn one and notably stated “well that was definitely interesting.”

There will be two practices that’ll precede Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. The first of which coming Monday, May 23rd. The practice will be live on Peacock at 1 p.m. ET. Final Practice for the Indianapolis 500 will come Friday, May 27th on Miller Lite Carb Day and will kick off at 11 a.m. ET also on NBC Peacock.

The 106th Indianapolis 500 will be shown live on NBC on Sunday, May 29th. NBC’s coverage will begin at 11 a.m. ET with the race beginning at 12:45 p.m. ET. 

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