Alex Palou Snags 2026 Indy 500 Pole

Photo Source: Matt Fraver/IMS Photo and Penske Entertainment

With one week remaining before the 110^th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 33 competitors rose to what is the first major test for their worthiness to hold the prized Borg-Warner Trophy during the traditional Memorial Day motorsport classic. Assembling the fastest average speed in a four-lap run was the challenge presented to the drivers and teams qualifying for the 2026 edition of the 500-mile event.

Rain on Saturday at Indianapolis caused the rescheduling of all qualifying activities for Sunday. Although every one of the 33 entries for this year’s event were effectively guaranteed a starting position for the Indy 500, the multi-layer time trial delivered some suspense for the pole. After all the drivers set a single four-lap qualifying attempt, positions 13 to 33 were locked in. The fastest 12 cars advanced into a second round of qualifying with the 6 top finishers from that contest able to battle for their spot in the top two rows with one ultimate champion taking the pole.

Alexander Rossi, Pato O’Ward, Santino Ferrucci, David Mulukas, Alex Palou and Felix Rosenqvist earned their way into the final Fast Six showdown for Indianapolis 500 qualifying but it because clear the pole position was a battle between just two of them. Palou and his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing car posted an initial round qualifying performance of ninth but electrified the speedway with by posting a 231.665-mile per hour average four-lap qualifying time in the top-12 round. At the top of the charts through the first two rounds of time trials at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the #60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian vehicle driven by Felix Rosenqvist. Rosenqvist advanced to the Fast Six as the only competitor capable of recording a four-lap average speed above 232 miles per hour.

Despite Alex Palou and Felix Rosenqvist being established favourites to prevail in the Fast Six session, Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi posted an impressive mark to start the qualifying group taking his #20 car around the 2.5-mile race track at an average four-lap speed of 231.990 miles per hour and. The winner of the 2016 Indy 500, Rossi stood at the top of the time podium until the final two cars piloted by Palou and Rosenqvist were prepared for their final runs. Second-to-last, the #10 car of Alex Palou soar to the top spot with a stunning 232.248-mile per hour average speed. Rosenqvist’s momentum that carried the Swedish driver into a commanding position for the Fast Six oddly disappeared as the #60 car was only able to muster a 231.375-mile per hour speed over four laps placing him fourth in the session.

The reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, Alex Palou will start the event the from pole position for the second time in his career (first coming in 2023). Palou enters the 2026 race having three victories in the first six races part of the NTT IndyCar Series schedule and reclaimed the lead in the drivers’ point standings after the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. He currently holds a 27-point lead over Andretti Global driver Kyle Kirkwood

In the 109 previous runnings of what is celebrated as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing", the pole-winning driver won the race 21 times. The last time this feat was accomplished was in the 2019 Indy 500 when Simon Pagenaud started from the top spot and led 115 laps in his Team Penske-fielded entry to claim victory.

The green flag for the 2026 Indianapolis 500 is set to be waved at 12:30 PM Eastern time on Sunday May 24^th.

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