Alex Palou Steals Pole From Scott McLaughlin in the Closing Seconds of Qualifying at Barber
- Jeffrey Hrunka
- May 3
- 4 min read
Updated: May 3
Jeffrey Hrunka - Staff Writer
After finishing runner-up to Kyle Kirkwood last weekend, Alex Palou continues his championship defense at the front of the field for the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix. He claimed his first pole of the season and will start beside two-time defending winner Scott McLaughlin.
"We didn’t know whether it was going to be wet or dry, so I think everyone was panicking a little bit,” Palou said. “I got the balance I wanted and the balance we’re looking for.”
Practice provided a trial run of the changing conditions, which proved troubling for many drivers who used the session to prepare for the weather expected during qualifying.
Among those in the field who ran into issues, Pato O’Ward and Marcus Ericsson brought out the two incidents that raised the session's only red flags.
O’Ward’s Arrow McLaren Chevorlet was able to be repaired during the practice session. Ericsson didn’t have the same luck with his Andretti Global Honda, as he was towed behind the wall. In slick conditions, O’Ward ended the session in 26th (1:10.88s), while Ericsson timed 20th (1:09.501s).
With conditions drastically different from race day, this session was for many drivers just to log laps.
David Malukas led the way with a 1:08.1661, ahead of NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship leader Palou, who was two hundredths behind (1:08.196). AJ Foyt Racing ended the session as the only team to get both of its drivers inside the top 10. Santino Ferrucci joined his teammate, Malukas, in eighth with a 1:08.671s time.
Rookies Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman made the most of the problematic conditions, with lap times of 1:08.557 and 1:06.671, which placed them fifth and seventh, respectively.
Conor Daly showed his ability in the mixed weather, rounding out the top ten in tenth (1:08.72s). He continued to build off Juncos Hollinger Racing’s recent results, as Sting Ray Robb claimed a ninth-place finish for the team at Long Beach last weekend.
"I'm really just proud of Stingray,” Daly said. “I think it was great for him, his confidence as well, and it just kind of proves the work that we've been doing.”
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 Results (Top-10):
The inclement weather never showed its head in qualifying, as a gap in the weather allowed the session to go uninterrupted.
Palou, who has yet to finish off the podium, placed inside the top ten in every session this weekend. He looks to continue this dominance at the front of the field with his seventh career pole (1:07.292s).
“We don’t really get many poles, so it feels good to start upfront,” Palou said. “I think every track it's important to have track position, but it's getting tough nowadays to keep your position with a difference on tires and different strategies you can have in the race.”
Team Penkse's season woes have started to show some headway, with two cars in the Firstone Fast Six for the first time this season. McLaughlin led the charge in second (1:07.439s), while Power lapped best for fourth (1:07.562s).
McLaughlin elected to bet the entire session on his banker lap, which proved a dividend with a front row starting spot.“Just keeping laps off our red tires,” McLaughlin said.
"I really didn’t want to get a false read on blacks (primary tires). We were prepping our lap anyway, so I could feel the track on that lap and it was a matter of putting it down.”
Underdogs were prevalent throughout the three rounds of qualifying.
Nolan Siegel and Kyffin Simpson had career-best qualifying efforts of sixth (1:08.047s) and tenth (1:07.881s), respectively. Prior to Barber, Siegel’s best qualifying start through 15 starts was 11th, as he reached the Firestone Fast Six for the first time in his career.
The 20-year-old spearheaded the Arrow McLaren charge in the Fast 12, as he knocked out teammate Christian Lundgaard to seventh (1:07.695s) and Pato O’ Ward down to eighth (1:07.706s).
As for Simpson, he continued his momentum after a career-best finish of 10th from Long Beach with his first appearance in round two of qualifying in 10th.
Foster led all rookies, carrying his speed from practice two into qualifying. He represented Rahal Letterman Lannigan Racing in the Fast 12, in 12th, with a 1:08.443. His teammates did not find the same luck with Graham Rahal (1:08.872s) and Delvin DeFrancesco (1:09.037s), both 21st or worse on the speed charts.
DeFrancesco was impeded on his lap by Scott Dixon, who qualified one spot ahead in 26th (01:08.872s). The Kiwi was caught in the gravel trap in turn eight and merged in front of the Canadian at the end of turn nine.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Qualifying Results (Top-12):
Alex Palou #10 -1:07.291s (LEADER)
Scott McLaughlin #3 -0.147s*
Colton Herta #26 -0.166s*
Will Power #12 -0.27s*
Rinus Veekay#18 -0.619s*
Nolan Siegel #6 -0.755s*
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Christian Lundgaard #7 -0.461s
Pato O’Ward #5 -0.471s
Josef Newgarden #2 -0.534s
Kyffin Simpson #8 -0.646s
Marcus Amrstrong #66 -0.969s
Louis Foster #45 -1.208s
* Firestone Fast Six Drivers
NTT INDYCAR SERIES action continues on Sunday, May 4, with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on FOX at 1:30 p.m. EST.
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