Will Power added a significant milestone to Team Penske’s legacy by securing the team’s 700th pole across all racing series during qualifying for the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway on Saturday. Power achieved this feat while leading a dominant front-row lockout for Team Penske in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, setting the tone for Sunday’s high-stakes race.
Power’s Impressive Performance at WWTR
Driving the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, Power posted a two-lap average speed of 180.329 mph, earning his first pole since July 2023 at Iowa Speedway and extending his series record to 71 career poles. Scott McLaughlin closely followed in second place with a speed of 179.783 mph in the No. 3 DEX Imaging Team Penske Chevrolet, solidifying a commanding front-row presence for the team on the 1.25-mile oval track.
This marks Power’s fifth pole earned at WWTR, where he previously claimed the race victory in 2018. Reflecting on his qualifying runs, Power said,
Cool, man. It’s been a while since I’ve had a pole, so really, really excited. Hopefully we can execute in the race. Man, it would be awesome to get a win here.
—Will Power, Driver
He added, I sent it a lot. I knew you would have to. You’d have to drive it flat in (Turns) 3 and 4. I wasn’t quite flat, but I was very, very close.
Team Penske’s Front-Row Strength Highlights Qualifying Session
The qualifying session ended with Team Penske securing three of the top five starting positions, showing the team’s continued dominance in the INDYCAR SERIES. Josef Newgarden placed fifth in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden, who holds the record for the most wins in this particular race with five victories, will aim to convert his qualifying spot into a strong result on Sunday evening.
David Malukas, driving the No. 4 Clarience Technologies Chevrolet for A.J. Foyt Enterprises—a team allied technically with Team Penske—qualified fourth with a speed of 179.079 mph, further underscoring Team Penske’s influence throughout the field.
Additional Top Qualifiers and Race Conditions
Third place was claimed by Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet with a speed of 179.190 mph. Marcus Armstrong secured the sixth position, delivering the fastest lap among Honda-powered drivers in the No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda for Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian. Armstrong joins Newgarden in Row 3, showing strong competition from teams outside the Chevrolet powerhouse.
Championship leader Alex Palou, who has dominated the series with five wins in seven races this season, qualified ninth in the No. 10 Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, placing him within striking distance as the race unfolds.
Qualifying conditions improved toward the end of the session as light cloud cover helped reduce track temperatures by nearly ten degrees, allowing many drivers near the tail end of the 27-car lineup to post better lap times.
Looking Ahead to Sunday’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 Race
The 260-lap event at World Wide Technology Raceway, the second oval race of the season, will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday and be broadcast on FOX, FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The race promises to be a crucial moment for Team Penske, as the organization has yet to capture a victory this season despite multiple podium finishes from Power, McLaughlin, and Newgarden.
A win by any of these drivers would not only break the team’s winless streak but also add to their historic dominance in the series and elevate their championship prospects as the season progresses.
