Following an hour and a half delay for rain and lightning, drivers had to go tackle a green race track and risk everything to attempt to earn a top qualifying position for the race around the streets of Nashville.
By time the cars took to the track, however, the all the water had evaporated and allowed slick tires to be fitted from the outset.
When the checkered flag flew after three knockout rounds, it was Scott McLaughlin who had set the fastest time of the afternoon. The Kiwi lapped the city course in 1:14.5555 seconds, a tenth of a second over Romain Grosjean.
The pole is McLaughlin’s second of his IndyCar career, and he hopes that he will be able to convert that pole into a win like he did in St. Petersburg to open the season.
Christian Lundgaard continued to impress, and the rookie locked in the third fastest lap of the day in his RLL Honda. He will start alongside by Alex Palou on the second row.
Pato O’Ward used his fast hands to put his Arrow McLaren SP Chevy on the third row, and he will start alongside Josef Newgarden.
Will Power nearly advanced to the Fast 6 alongside his two Team Penske team-mates, but caused a local yellow during his run and incurred a penalty that nullified his fastest lap. He will start from eighth on Sunday afternoon.
All three RLL drivers advanced out of the first round, marking a much-needed strong showing for the team. Graham Rahal and Jack Harvey were the lowest qualifiers, despite earning the ninth and 11th spots respectively.
Before the first laps got underway, Devlin DeFrancesco stalled his car at the end of the long bridge section and had to be restarted from the AMR safety crew. As a result, he was not allowed to advance, and will start from the back of the pack.
Colton Herta also had troubles during his first attempt, and he nosed his Andretti Autosport Honda into the barriers. The incident adds to Herta’s recent disappointment, and he will have to fight his way from all the way back in 21st.
Herta’s mistake also disrupted other drivers’ runs, including his team-mate Alexander Rossi’s fast lap, and meant that many only had time for one fast lap before the first round was complete.
Dalton Kellett was one driver who benefitted from others’ misfortune, and the AJ Foyt Racing driver advanced to the Top 12 for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old will start from the sixth row.
Last year’s race winner Marcus Ericsson had a poor run, and will have to attempt to regain his points lead from down in 18th.
Sunday’s race is set to begin at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, when rain showers could once again develop over Nashville.
| # | Driver | Time | Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott McLaughlin | 01:14.5555 | 101.401 |
| 2 | Romain Grosjean | 01:14.6975 | 101.208 |
| 3 | Christian Lundgaard | 01:14.7149 | 101.185 |
| 4 | Alex Palou | 01:14.9087 | 100.923 |
| 5 | Pato O’Ward | 01:14.9261 | 100.899 |
| 6 | Josef Newgarden | 01:15.1461 | 100.604 |
| 7 | David Malukas | 01:14.9616 | 100.852 |
| 8 | Will Power | 01:14.9818 | 100.824 |
| 9 | Graham Rahal | 01:15.3112 | 100.383 |
| 10 | Rinus VeeKay | 01:15.3897 | 100.279 |
| 11 | Jack Harvey | 01:15.9758 | 99.505 |
| 12 | Dalton Kellett | 01:16.5600 | 98.746 |
| 13 | Simon Pagenaud | 01:19.4039 | 95.209 |
| 14 | Scott Dixon | 01:15.3179 | 100.375 |
| 15 | Felix Rosenqvist | 01:21.1784 | 93.128 |
| 16 | Kyle Kirkwood | 01:15.4382 | 100.214 |
| 17 | Alexander Rossi | 01:21.4579 | 92.809 |
| 18 | Marcus Ericsson | 01:15.4501 | 100.199 |
| 19 | Callum Ilott | 01:57.6982 | 64.232 |
| 20 | Takuma Sato | 01:15.5935 | 100.009 |
| 21 | Simona De Silvestro | No Time | – |
| 22 | Conor Daly | 01:16.3955 | 98.959 |
| 23 | Colton Herta | No Time | – |
| 24 | Helio Castroneves | 01:16.5898 | 98.708 |
| 25 | Devlin DeFrancesco | No Time | – |
| 26 | Jimmie Johnson | 01:17.5888 | 97.437 |
