Palou and a few penskes qualified the pace in the first phase of Indy 500

Indianapolis (AP)-It was three well-known faces at the top of the Indianapolis 500-qualifying board after the first round time tests, with two-time defensive Indycar series champion Alex Palou holding the preliminary pole. Palou, winner of four of the first five races this season, qualified at 233,043 mph in a Honda-powered entry to the top of Scott McLaughlin team and two-time defensive Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden. McLaughlin was 233.013 and Newgarden was third on 233.004. A year ago, all three Penske cars swept the leading row at Indianapolis 500 and Newgarden used one last sleep box to put himself in position to become the first driver to win the next Sunday’s race ‘the biggest spectacle in racing’. Qualification Saturday decides the Fast 12 which will run again on Sunday to set the first four rows and the pole. Drivers who qualify in places 13 up to 30 include their positions, but the slowest four cars or those who can’t place a time Saturday, go in a last chance on Sunday to determine the last three places on the 33 car grille. One driver will not make the field. It is a crapshoot that will be the bottom four halfway through Saturday’s qualifying session. While Palou, McLaughlin and Newgarden were probably done for the day, Team Penke returned in the row to make another run and he approved his position in the top 12 on the 10th. But the lane conditions were the worst of the week with heavy wind flags that affected the handling of the cars and played in two frightening accidents: Marcus Armstrong practiced in the morning and his backup was not ready when it was his turn to make his qualifying effort. Finally, by the Indycar medical staff to compete to compete, he hopes to get a qualifying run on Saturday and not be traced back to Sunday’s shooting. Same for Colton Herta, who crashed into a much scarcer wreck during his qualifying effort in the same place as Armstrong. Herta’s car actually hurled by his side and he held on to the wall, with the cabin side of the cabin to the concrete. His team desperately tried to reach him on the radio to look at him, but the car was so mutilated, Herta couldn’t reach the button to answer Andretti Global. He has currently placed no qualifying time and can be in the lower four shooting fight if Andretti does not have a car ready for him by the end of Saturday’s session. Graham Rahal, who was also unable to qualify for the race in 2023 and so far could not get a handle from his car. Rahal, Jacob Abel, Armstrong and Herta have so far not been qualified. Kyle Larson, who tries to run both Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was locked in the Indy field, but unable to run the Fast 12. Arrow McLaren, returned him on Saturday and he improved from 27 to 16. ___