By: Spencer Neff
March 22, 2025
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward earned his first NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole since Mid-Ohio in 2022 on Saturday.
The No. 5 Chevrolet will lead the 27-car field to green in Sunday’s 65-lap Thermal Club INDYCAR GRAND PRIX on the 3,067-mille, 17-turn permanent road course in Thermal, California.
It is the sixth pole for O’Ward in his 91st career start. O’Ward finished 11th after starting 23rd in the season opener at St. Petersburg three weeks ago. In the 2024 $1 Million Challenge at Thermal, he finished 7th in Heat Race 2, missing out on the All-Star Race.
Round 3-Fast Six
O”Ward (1m39.9567-110.460 mph) led Arrow McLaren’s first 1-2 qualifying effort in team history. Teammate Christian Lundgaard was second, .1678 of a second off his Chevrolet-powered teammate.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou leads Andretti Global’s Colton Herta in a Honda lockout of Row 2. Herta’s teammate Marcus Ericsson lines up alongside Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi on Row 3. Lundgaard and Herta are the only drivers to make the Fast Six in each of the first two races of 2025.
Round 2-Fast 12
Palou (1m39.6518-110.798) was fastest again in the second round, leading the half-dozen drivers into the run for the pole. Making it along with him was O’Ward, Lundgaard, Ericsson, Rossi and Herta.
Missing out on the Fast Six were Marcus Armstrong, Kyle Kirkwood, Felix Rosenqvist, Louis Foster (best rookie), Scott Dixon and David Malukas. They will start 7th through 12th.
Round 1-Group 2
Lundgaard (1m39.9613-110.455) followed up his quickest lap in the morning practice by leading his group in the opening round of qualifying. Advancing with him to the Fast 12 were Herta, O’Ward, Rossi, Foster and Ericsson.
Not advancing were Santino Ferrucci, Nolan Siegel, Graham Rahal, Kyffin Simpson, Callum Ilott, Sting Ray Robb, Devlin DeFrancesco and Robert Shwartzman.
Shwartzman, who had a fuel issue yesterday and missed this morning’s practice, will start 27th in his rebuilt PREMA Racing entry. The other drivers will start on the outside of Rows 7-13.
Round 1-Group 1
Group 1 Results
Palou (1m39.5933-110.863 mph) was fastest in Group 1. Joining him in the Fast 12 would be Rosenqvist, Dixon, Armstrong, Malukas and Kirkwood.
Unable to advance were Rinus VeeKay, Conor Daly, Josef Newgarden, Christian Rasmussen, Will Power, Jacob Abel and Scott McLaughlin. They will start on the inside of Rows 7-13.
McLaughlin spun on the exit of Turn 17 and was assessed a drive-through penalty for impeding Rosenqvist, in accordance with Rule 8.3.7.3-
“If a Car causes a Yellow Condition that requires another Car to comply with Rule 7.1.3.2, the Car’s best-timed lap to that point during that Qualifications segment shall be disallowed, regardless of whether the other Car complied with Rule 7.1.3.2. If the Car does not have a timed lap recorded when causing the Yellow Condition, a Black Flag drive through penalty will be assessed once the lap on which the Yellow Condition occurred has been completed”
Up Next
Here is the race day schedule at Thermal Club. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms for the latest on The Thermal Club INDYCAR GRAND PRIX.
At-track schedule (All times local/Pacific Time):
Sunday, March 23
8:02-8:27 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, FS1
Noon – FOX on air
12:10 p.m. – “Drivers, start your engines”
12:17 p.m. – The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix (65 laps/199.36 miles), FOX (Live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
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