05/17/26 02:30:00
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05/17 14:28 CDT Felix Rosenqvist posts fastest 4-lap average in 1st round of
Indianapolis 500 qualifying
Felix Rosenqvist posts fastest 4-lap average in 1st round of Indianapolis 500
qualifying
By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) --- Felix Rosenqvist posted the fastest four-lap average of
232.599 mph in the first round of Sunday's Indianapolis 500 qualifications.
David Malukas was second at 231.813 with Conor Daly third at 231.744, topping
the 12-car pole shootout.
Others who advanced were Scott McLaughlin, the 2024 Indy pole winner and
Malukas' teammate with Team Penske; Rinus Veekay of Juncos Hollinger Racing;
2016 race winner Alexander Rossi of Ed Carpenter Racing; two-time Indy
runner-up Pato O'Ward of Arrow McLaren; Santino Ferrucci and rookie Caio Collet
of A.J. Foyt Enterprises; and three Chip Ganassi Racing drivers: 2008 race
winner Scott Dixon, defending champ Alex Palou and Kyffin Simpson.
The semifinal round will be held later Sunday afternoon with the six fastest
vying for the pole in next Sunday's sold-out race.
Katherine Legge cleared the initial step in trying to complete racing's
"double" by qualifying 27th. She's also hoping to qualify for next weekend's
Coca-Cola 600. She's trying to become the first female to attempt the one-day,
1,100-mile marathon in Indianapolis and Charlotte.
Helio Castroneves, the Brazilian driver with Meyer Shank Racing, will start his
quest for a record-breaking fifth Indy win from the No. 15 starting spot, the
outside of Row 5. Indy rookie Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world
champion Michael Schumacher, will make his first start from No. 28.
But qualifying weekend certainly did not go according to script after heavy
rain washed out the first scheduled qualification day --- the first time since
2008 a full day of 500 qualifications was lost. When drivers returned Sunday,
they competed in the hottest temperatures of the week on a track with less grip
than they had in practice.
And the changing conditions certainly made an impact.
Two-time Indy winner Takuma Sato, the Japanese driver with Rahal Letterman
Lanigan Racing, failed to make the shootout after brushing the wall during
Sunday's pre-qualifying practice. He had a surprisingly slow average of 230.576
to finish 13th.
Josef Newgarden, the third Penske driver, qualified 24th with an average of
230.165.
And Andretti Global drivers were shut out of the shootout. Marcus Ericsson, the
2022 Indy champ, will start 18th, while 2018 race winner Will Power earned the
No. 20 starting spot and Kyle Kirkwood will start 26th as he heads into next
weekend second in the points.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
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