By: Spencer Neff
July 5, 2025
For the second year in a row, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou starts on pole at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
In the final round of qualifying, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader notched a best lap of 1m05.0215 (125.017 mph) on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn permanent road course in Lexington, Ohio.
It is his third pole of 2025, ninth of his career and the 100th for his Chip Ganassi Racing team. Palou will lead the field to the green flag in tomorrow’s 90-lap race.
On Sunday, Palou will look to win his seventh race of 2025.
Round 3-Fast Six
Starting next to Palou on the front row is Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard, the highest-qualifying Chevrolet entry, .1911 of a second back of Palou.
On Row 2, Palou’s teammate Kyffin Simpson and Lundgaard’s teammate Nolan Siegel earn their best career starts. Simpson made his first career appearance in the Fast Six today.
Andretti Global’s Colton Herta and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Louis Foster will roll off from Row 3.
Round 2-Fast 12
Foster (1m05.0897-124.886 mph) led the way in Round 2,an advancing to the Fast Six with Lundgaard, Palou, Herta, Siegel and Simpson.
Finishing seventh through 12th were Kyle Kirkwood, Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Christian Rasmussen (will lose six spots for engine change), Marcus Ericsson and Alexander Rossi.
Round 1
Lundgaard (1m05.2835-124.515 mph) led the first group through qualifying’s opening round along with Ericsson, Herta, Siegel, Rasmussen and Simpson.
Falling short of advancing were Conor Daly, Pato O’Ward, Santino Ferrucci, Sting Ray Robb, Scott McLaughlin, Devlin DeFrancesco and Jacob Abel. They will start on the inside of Rows 7-13.
Palou continued where he left off in practice, posting a best lap of 1m05.2043 (124.667 mph), advancing to the Fast 12 with Foster, Dixon, Kirkwood, Armstrong and Rossi.
Missing out on the next round were David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Will Power, Callum Ilott, Rinus VeeKay and Robert Shwartzman. Shwartzman will start last in the 27-car field, while the other drivers occupy Rows 7-13.
Up Next
Here is the race day schedule at Mid-Ohio. Stay with IndyCar1909 for the latest on the Honda Indy 200 and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
At-track schedule (all times local):
SUNDAY, JULY 6
9:32-9:57 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, FS1 (live)
10:31 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio command to start engines
10:36 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio (35 laps/55 minutes), FS1 (live)
12:27 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Introductions
1:15 p.m. – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport command to start engines
1:22 p.m. – The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the All-New 2026 Passport (90 laps/203.22 miles), FOX (live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
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