By: Spencer Neff
August 8, 2026
Meyer Shank Racing continued their pace from this morning’s practice but it was Indianapolis 500 winner Felix Rosenqvist leading the way. The Varnamo, Sweden native led all three sessions he was on track for during Saturday’s qualifying and starts on the pole for Sunday’s 110-lap OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland.
It is Rosenqvist and MSR’s second pole of the 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES campaign (Long Beach). Rosenqvist, twice a runner-up at the 1.964-mile, 12-turn Portland International Raceway in Oregon, started in second last year at the permanent road course as well.
He now ties Lloyd Ruby, Jack Mcgrath, Tomas Scheckter, Justin Wilson and Alex Tagliani, becoming the 53rd INDYCAR driver with at least eight career poles. MSR now has three INDYCAR poles, all from Rosenqvist, who leaves the organization at season’s end for Arrow McLaren after three seasons.
Round 3-Fast Six
After leading Friday’s practice, NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing fell .0184 of a second off his seventh pole of the season and shares the front row.
Row 2 is a lockout for Andretti Global, as Will Power duplicates his 2025 starting position in search of his third Portland victory in a row. Marcus Ericsson starts alongside fresh off the announcement of his contract extension to remain with the organization in 2027.
Rounding out the Fast Six is a pair of drivers who recorded their best qualifying effort of 2026. Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Rinus VeeKay takes claim for best among the Chevrolet group behind the Honda lockout of the front two rows. Alongside him is Palou’s teammate Kyffin Simpson, reaping the benefits of CGR’s test at Portland last week.
Round 2-Fast 12
Rosenqvist (58.6449-120.563 mph) posted the fastest lap en route to the run for the pole, joined by VeeKay, Simpson, Ericsson, Palou and Power.
On the outside looking in would be Kyle Kirkwood, Graham Rahal, David Malukas (six-place grid penalty pending), Dennis Hauger (fastest rookie and current Rookie of the Year leader), Romain Grosjean and Scott Dixon. They will start in seventh through 12 in tomorrow’s race.
Round 1
Group 1: Power (58.3603-121.151 mph) would narrowly take first in the opening group of qualifying, besting Palou by .0212 of a second. They danced on to the second round with Malukas, Ericsson, Grosjean and Simpson.
Missing out on the second round were Louis Foster, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Alexander Rossi, Marcus Armstrong and Mick Schumacher. They will start on the inside of rows 7-12 tomorrow afternoon.
Group 2: Rosenqvist led the group (58.4245-121.018 mph), advancing with Dixon, Kirkwood, Rahal, VeeKay and Hauger
Missing out were Scott McLaughlin, Nolan Siegel, Caio Collet (six-place grid penalty pending), Christian Rasmussen, Santino Ferrucci, Sting Ray Robb and Christian Lundgaard. He also received a penalty for interference, losing his two fastest laps and being unable to advance, starts last in the 25-car grid, while the other six drivers will start on the outside of rows 7-12.
Up Next
Here is the schedule for race day in Portland. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms with the latest on the OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Sunday, Aug. 9
10:05-10:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, FS1 (live)
1 p.m. – FOX on air
1:20 p.m. – OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers, start your engines”
1:27 p.m. – OnlyBulls Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), FOX (live)
Header Image By Chris Owens/INDYCAR
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