Palou set the fastest four-lap average of 234.217mph around the 2.5-mile oval, narrowly defeating Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus VeeKay.
Palou signalled his intent with an opening lap of 235.131mph, and his four-lap average was 234.217mph. “That was fun, very fun,” he said on the radio.
“It means the world to me, we knew it was going to be tight, they gave the fastest car to me,” he said. “Watching [the other drivers] was tougher than doing the four laps.”
VeeKay will start second with a speed of 234.211mph, just 0.004s and 0.006mph slower than Palou.
“I got everything out of it, but it’s just so tight,” he said. “I thought we really had a shot at pole position.”
Top 12 qualifying pacesetter Arrow McLaren’s Felix Rosenqvist fell below the 235mph barrier required on the opening lap, and could only manage third with 234.114mph.
Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Santino Ferrucci (AJ Foyt Racing) will start fourth, having got high in Turn 1 on his opening lap, having entered the corner at over 240mph, and he couldn’t repeat the speed he showed in Top 12 qualifying. His average speed was 233.661mph and he admitted “that wasn’t what we wanted” on the radio.
Pato O’Ward lapped his Honda-powered Arrow McLaren in 233.756mph for fifth. “My first Fast Six and it’s awesome for the team,” he said.
Scott Dixon, who was hunting for this third consecutive pole for Ganassi, battled loose handling after a strong opener, his effort producing 233.151mph for sixth. He reported: “The run for us was too on the nose, it was super loose and scrubbing speed from the get-go.”
Of those who didn’t make it to the Fast Six from the earlier Sunday qualifying session, Alexander Rossi (McLaren) will start the Indy 500 in seventh, ahead of Takuma Sato (CGR), Tony Kanaan (McLaren), Marcus Ericsson (CGR), top rookie Benjamin Pedersen (AJ Foyt Racing) and Will Power (Team Penske).
The final row of the grid was also decided today, with Christian Lundgaard (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) starting 31st, ahead of Sting Ray Robb (Dale Coyne Racing) and Jack Harvey – who bumped out RLLR team-mate Graham Rahal in the dying moments of last-chance qualifying.
Indy 500 – Starting grid