By: Spencer Neff
May 10, 2024
After winning this race last year we as a catalyst to his second NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou won his first pole of 2024 on Friday ahead of tomorrow’s Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
Palou, who did start first in the Thermal Club exhibition race, notched a best lap of 1m09.0004 (127.251 mph) for his fourth career pole and first since Detroit last year.
He started in second for this race in 2022, the previous best qualifying effort in nine previous starts at this venue.
It is the second pole for CGR at the 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course. Both poles have been with the No. 10 car (Felix Rosenqvist-2019).
Round 3- Fast 6
Palou would set fastest time ahead of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard by .0917 of a second.
Team Penske occupies the second row with Will Power and Josef Newgarden.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward and Palou’s teammate Scott Dixon start on Row 3.
Round 2- Fast 12
Power (1m08.8194-127.586 mph) was again the fastest as he advanced to the Fast 6 along with Lundgaard, Palou, O’Ward, Newgarden and Dixon.
After not advancing, Alexander Rossi, Marcus Armstrong, Graham Rahal, Felix Rosenqvist, Pietro Fittipaldi and Rinus VeeKay start 7th-12th.
Round 1- Group 1
Power (1m08.789-127.433) led the opening group with VeeKay, Newgarden, O’Ward, Rossi and Fittipaldi advancing.
Not advancing were Scott McLaughlin, Agustin Canapino, Jack Harvey, Linus Lundqvist, Marcus Ericsson, Romain Grosjean and Kyffin Simpson. They start on the inside of Rows 7-13.
Round 1- Group 2
Rosenqvist (1m08.9912-127.268 mph) was fastest of the 14 in Group 2. Following him in transferring on to the second round were Lundgaard, Armstrong, Rahal, Palou and Dixon.
Those not advancing would be Kyle Kirkwood, Santino Ferrucci, Theo Pourchaire, Christian Rasmussen, Luca Ghiotto, Colton Herta, Tom. Blomqvist and Sting Ray Robb.
Robb starts 27th while the other six will start on the outside of Rows 7-13.
Up Next
Here is the remaining schedule for the Sonsio Grand Prix. Indycar1909.com will be on-site at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with all the latest updates:
At-track schedule (all times local):
FRIDAY, MAY 10 (All times are local)
6:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 1 “Drivers, start your engines”
6:20 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 1 (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
SATURDAY, MAY 11
11:15-11:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES warmup (30 minutes), Peacock
1:05 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 2 “Drivers, start your engines”
1:10 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Indianapolis Grand Prix Race 2 (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
3 p.m. NBC on air
3:39 p.m. Sonsio Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
3:45 p.m. Sonsio Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), NBC (Live)
Header Image By Chris Owens/INDYCAR
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