In an enthralling qualification battle for the Indy 500, Scott Dixon earned his fifth career pole position for the standout Indycar race with a record-breaking average speed.
During the Fast 6 shootout in which the best six drivers from the Top 12 had one final run at pole position, Dixon posted an average four-lap speed of 234.046 mph, which is the fastest in the race’s 106 year history.
The previous benchmark was 233.718 mph held by Scott Brayton which was set in 1996.
“From the first run to the second, I knew it was going to get easier because of the weather conditions,” Dixon said, “and the weather held up.
“It’s a privilege to be on the pole, but it don’t feel as good as I felt when I won in 2008. All 32 drivers want that feeling.
“Some of us have felt it before, and it just makes you want to feel that again.
“It’s all about winning the 500, man. Winning the pole does give you confidence, but it’s no guarantee of anything.
“You just keep knocking on that door, and I hope it opens up for me this year.”
Dixon ahead of Palou
The 2021 Indy 500 runner-up Alex Palou lines up second behind Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Dixon, with Chevrolet drivers Rinus VeeKay and Ed Carpenter next up. Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson will start 12th after a near miss with the wall during his qualifying run.
2022 Indy 500 Starting Grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Avg speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | 234.046 mph |
| 2 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing | 233.499 |
| 3 | Rinus VeeKay | Ed Carpenter Racing | 233.385 |
| 4 | Ed Carpenter | Ed Carpenter Racing | 233.080 |
| 5 | Marcus Ericsson | Chip Ganassi Racing | 232.764 |
| 6 | Tony Kanaan | Chip Ganassi Racing | 232.372 |
| 7 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren | 232.705 |
| 8 | Felix Rosenqvist | Arrow McLaren | 232.182 |
| 9 | Romain Grosjean | Andretti Autosport | 231.999 |
| 10 | Takuma Sato | Dale Coyne Racing | 231.670 |
| 11 | Will Power | Team Penske | 231.534 |
| 12 | Jimmie Johnson | Chip Ganassi Racing | 231.264 |
| 13 | David Malukas | Dale Coyne Racing | 231.607 |
| 14 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | 231.580 |
| 15 | Santino Ferrucci | Dreyer & Reinbold | 231.508 |
| 16 | Simon Pagenaud | Meyer Shank Racing | 231.275 |
| 17 | J.R. Hildebrand | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | 231.112 |
| 18 | Conor Daly | Ed Carpenter Racing | 230.999 |
| 19 | Callum Ilott | Juncos Hollinger Racing | 230.961 |
| 20 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | 230.812 |
| 21 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | 230.766 |
| 22 | Sage Karam | Dreyer & Reinbold | 230.464 |
| 23 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Herta Autosport | 230.345 |
| 24 | Devlin DeFrancesco | Andretti Steinbrenner | 230.326 |
| 25 | Colton Herta | Andretti Autosport | 230.235 |
| 26 | Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske | 230.154 |
| 27 | Helio Castroneves | Meyer Shank Racing | 229.630 |
| 28 | Kyle Kirkwood | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | 229.406 |
| 29 | Dalton Kellett | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | 228.916 |
| 30 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Arrow McLaren | 228.622 |
| 31 | Christian Lundgaard | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | 227.053 |
| 32 | Jack Harvey | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | 226.851 |
| 33 | Stefan Wilson | DragonSpeed/Cusick | N/A |
