INDYCAR

Newgarden beats Harvey to Road America pole

For the second straight weekend, Team Penske spoiled a pole run for Jack Harvey.
Josef Newgarden threw down the fastest lap of the two groups of qualifying on Saturday afternoon to edge Harvey for the catbird seat in today’s 5:00 p.m. first race of a doubleheader weekend at Road America.
Harvey, who was pipped for the pole by Will Power last weekend in Indianapolis, had earned the top spot in the first group of qualifying with a lap of 1m45.72s in his Meyer Shank Honda and was looking good for his first-ever IndyCar pole position before Newgarden and Ryan Hunter-Reay went a fraction faster in Group 2.
Newgarden, the 2018 winner here, posted a 1m45.55s in his Penske Chevy to snatch the pole away from RHR, who had run 1m45.65s a few seconds earlier in the 14-minute qualifying sessions.
With the fast group taking all the odd-numbered starting spots, Newgarden will line up next to Harvey on the front row, with RHR and Graham Rahal in Row 2 and Power and Santino Ferrucci in Row 3 of the 23-car grid.
“The second group is usually a bit quicker, but another good effort from this team and now we just need to get a result,” said Harvey, who chased Power at IMS until an untimely caution ruined his day and he finished 17th.
Point leader Scott Dixon wound up ninth and last year’s winner Alex Rossi starts 11th.

By Robin Miller