Felix Rosenqvist edges Dixon for IndyCar Grand Prix pole

Felix Rosenqvist claimed his first NTT IndyCar Series pole and led a Chip Ganassi Racing 1-2 in qualifying for the IndyCar Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.

The Firestone Fast Six consisted of the Ganassi pair joined by fellow rookie Colton Herta along with Fast Six debutants Ed Jones and Jack Harvey and four-time Indy GP winner Will Power.

Rosenqvist saved the best for last as turned a hot lap of 1 minute 8.2785 seconds on his final lap of the six-minute session. Dixon completed his run but came up .0194 of a second shy of his teammate.

The Swede noted that he wasn’t surprised by the pace of his No. 10 NTT Data Honda but was jittery until qualifying was all said and done.

"The first two laps I didn’t really feel like I had a grip, and then the final lap there was something switching on and I was like, ‘OK, this could be good,” said the driver of the No. 10 NTT Data Honda. “But honest, I didn’t think it was going to be fast enough. It’s so tight. I looked up at the screen and we were P1. I just prayed it was going to hold until the end.”

“Honestly, I didn’t think it was going to be it – it is so tight. I looked at the screen, and it was P1!”

Dixon’s second place start matches his best career start at the IMS road course. The 2.439 infield road course is one of seven tracks where the five-time series champion has not scored a victory.

Jack Harvey turned his best IndyCar qualifying performance sliding in third alongside fellow rookie Colton Herta, who matched his best career starting spot.

Part-timer Ed Jones scored the best qualifying spot of the year for Ed Carpenter Racing in fifth while Power rounded out the Fast Six.

Graham Rahal and two-time race winner Simon Pagenaud filled out row four. Marcus Ericson logged his best starting spot of the year in ninth alongside Sebastien Bourdais.

Series points leader Josef Newgarden failed to advance to Q2 and will start 13th, just his second start outside the top ten so far this season. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves also struggled and will start behind Newgarden in 15th.

Andretti Autosport’s leading horses of Ryan Hunter Reay and Alexander Rossi both had off-form days as none of the team’s four drivers failed to advance the second round. Hunter-Reay battled an illness and ended up 16th, just ahead of his fellow Indy 500 winning teammate Rossi in 17th.