By: Spencer Neff
August 27, 2023

Qualifying Results Starting Lineup

After notching a two-lap average of 182.9506 mph, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin earned his second pole in the last three races ahead of this afternoon’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500.

This is his fifth career NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole. McLaughlin is the eighth different driver to win a pole on the 1.25-mile Worldwide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. Previously, the New Zealander’s best qualifying effort on an oval was second at Texas Motor Speedway in 2022. Last year he started fourth and finished third in the 260-lap race. Team Penske now has eight poles in 15 races at this track (three races were lined up by points).

Despite qualifying first, McLaughlin will incur a nine-spot grid penalty for an engine change prior to this race. As a result, teammate Josef Newgarden will lead the field to the green flag with Andretti Autosport’s Colton Herta in second as the fastest Honda in the field.

Newgarden is looking to sweep all five oval races on the schedule and extend his oval win streak to six races. He would also extend his record to five victories at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Points leader Alex Palou qualified fifth but is among the six drivers with grid penalties. Before Palou’s change, INDYCAR sent the following bulletin.

“INDYCAR officials have announced a nine-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 3 Team Penske(McLaughlin), No. 9 (Scott Dixon) and No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing (Takuma Sato), No. 27 Andretti Autosport (Kyle Kirkwood) and No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing (Agustin Canapino) for unapproved engine changes following the Saturday, Aug. 12 race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

The teams were in violation of:

Rule 16.2.3.2 A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.

According to Rule 16.6.1.2, the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Sunday, Aug. 27 at World Wide Technology Raceway.”

Up Next

The NBC broadcast for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline will begin at 3:30 p.m. The command to start engines is scheduled for 3:31 p.m. with a 3:36 green flag. IndyCar1909 will have a full recap of the race after the checkered flag.

Header Image By Chris Owens/ INDYCAR