Will Power scored the Kohler Grand Prix pole on Saturday at Road America. [Andy Clary Photo]
Experience paid off for the “Fast Six” qualifiers Saturday as five Chevrolets and just one Honda will be in front for the start of Sunday’s Kohler Grand Prix Verizon Indy Car Series race at Elkhart Lake’s Road America.
All six drivers in those first three rows have raced here previously, while many others who ran slower have never raced here before because the most recent Indy car race was run at RA back in 2007.
Leading the field for Sunday’s 50-lap race will be Team Penske’s Will Power who led five Chevrolet drivers in dominating the lone Honda of Graham Rahal during that final qualifying session.
“This was a session with traffic,” noted Power who captured his 44th career pole with a 141.379 mph run. “I was excited to get the pole because it’s been a rough year so far. But now we seem to be running on all cylinders.”
Chip Ganassi’s runner-up, Scott Dixon, agreed about the traffic on this long four-mile circuit. “This is such a big track and still we seem to all go out and run together. But I made too many mistakes (in the Fast Six portion) and both of them cost me time.”
Dixon’s teammate Tony Kanaan, who was quickest in this morning’s practice session, was having what he called “a good day until the Fast Six,” when a problem with the electronics on the steering wheel occurred with very little time left in the eight-minute final session and “I was just able to get one good lap in.”
Graham Rahal’s lone Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda was strong throughout the multi-session qualifying and hopes that what he learned then will help on Sunday. “I was surprised that more Hondas weren’t in the Fast Six, but I’m proud to be the top Honda.
“We struggled but found some things, even in qualifying, that could help tomorrow. I haven’t raced on a track this difficult in a long time. It was changing so much out there and the Chevys seem to have more “pull” in their mid-range (RPM’s). But we’ve made good steps; we just have to get the power to work for us.”
Rounding out the six quickest starters will be the Penske Chevrolets of Simon Pagenaud (4th) and Helio Castroneves (5th).
But while the post-race discussion was mostly about speed, and for some the lack of it, several drivers who have raced here back in the “good old days” as Kanaan called them, found joy in returning to a circuit they’ve longed to visit again.
“I’m glad to be back in this beautiful place,” smiled TK as he and Power talked about wandering around in the crowded camping areas at night. “These are such enthusiastic fans. It’s awesome. It’s back to the good old days. Makes you wonder why we haven’t come back earlier.”
And that feeling moved a sometimes mild-mannered Power to note with conviction: “We’re doing everything we can to win this damn race.”
Nice to know it means that much.
KOHLER Grand Prix Qualifying Results ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Qualifying Saturday for the KOHLER Grand Prix Verizon IndyCar Series event on the 4.014-mile Road America, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses: 1. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:42.2105 (141.379) 2. (9) Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, 01:42.3759 (141.150) 3. (10) Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, 01:42.7279 (140.667) 4. (22) Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, 01:42.8573 (140.490) 5. (3) Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, 01:42.9449 (140.370) 6. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:43.7782 (139.243) 7. (8) Max Chilton, Chevrolet, 01:42.7519 (140.634) 8. (28) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, 01:42.8318 (140.525) 9. (18) Conor Daly, Honda, 01:43.1073 (140.149) 10. (26) Carlos Munoz, Honda, 01:43.2001 (140.023) 11. (83) Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, 01:43.2649 (139.935) 12. (11) Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, 01:43.3291 (139.848) 13. (7) Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, 01:43.4024 (139.749) 14. (2) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 01:44.3570 (138.471) 15. (14) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:43.5357 (139.569) 16. (98) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:45.0840 (137.513) 17. (20) Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, 01:43.6432 (139.424) 18. (41) Jack Hawksworth, Honda, 01:45.5110 (136.956) 19. (19) Gabby Chaves, Honda, 01:43.6672 (139.392) 20. (21) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 04:19.1862 (55.753) 21. (27) Marco Andretti, Honda, 01:43.7289 (139.309)
22. (5) James Hinchcliffe, Honda, 04:29.0408 (53.711)
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