INDY 500: McLaughlin wins record-breaking pole, Siegel DNQ
Scott McLaughlin earned the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in record-breaking fashion while Nolan Siegel missed the 500 in heartbreaking fashion.
McLaughlin averaged 234.220 MPH over the course of his four-lap qualifying run. His run outdid the now-old-record 234.217 MPH average run Alex Palou pulled off last year.
McLaughlin will lead an all-Team Penske front row. He ran faster than Will Power, who ran faster than defending Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden, in succession during a tit-for-tat battle between the Penske brigade for the pole.
On the opposite end of the field, Bump Day brought the drama again.
Among Katherine Legge, Graham Rahal, Marcus Ericsson and Nolan Siegel, one of them would miss while the other three would get into the field of 33.
No one expected Marcus Ericsson to be in this position Sunday. Nor did anyone expect him to get out of the gas a lap early on his first run.
Everyone was shocked.
As team scrambled to cool down the car and get him back out for another run, Katherine Legge proved “Keep your foot in it” isn’t just a phrase — it’s a way of life.
Legge had several tense moments where she was on the cusp of wrecking but kept her foot in it and ran a lap that held up to make the 500.
Graham Rahal, looking for redemption after missing on Bump Day last year, ran well enough to slot in just behind Legge.
Ericsson didn’t let him sit too comfortably. The former 500 winner ran all four laps at speed and secured a spot in the 500. His fans, with their Swede pride, were exuberant as he hit the start-finish line.
Rahal waited as he got knocked down the order, leaving the fate of a comeback for Rahal in the hands of Nolan Siegel.
Siegel, just 19 years old, gave it all he had but the efforts were cooked. He ran just a little faster than 229 MPH on lap one and crashed on lap two while looking for more.
Siegel will miss the Indy 500 but he’ll likely be back. This was his first-ever attempt at The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
The 108th Indianapolis 500 will go green just after 1 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock and IMS Radio. Here is the starting lineup:
1. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 02:33.7017 (234.220 mph)
2. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 02:33.9007 (233.917)
3. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 02:33.9726 (233.808)
4. (7) Alexander Rossi, Chevrolet, 02:34.4469 (233.090)
5. (17) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 02:34.6083 (232.848)
6. (14) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 02:34.7110 (232.692)
7. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 02:34.7657 (232.610)
8. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 02:34.7829 (232.584)
9. (60) Felix Rosenqvist, Honda, 02:34.9686 (232.305)
10. (75) Takuma Sato, Honda, 02:35.0578 (232.171)
11. (27) Kyle Kirkwood, Honda, 02:35.8490 (230.993)
12. (23) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Chevrolet, 02:36.1367 (230.567)
13. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 02:34.9616 (232.316)
14. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 02:34.9682 (232.306)
15. (6) Callum Ilott, Chevrolet, 02:35.0184 (232.230)
16. (11) Marcus Armstrong, Honda, 02:35.0504 (232.183)
17. (20) Ed Carpenter, Chevrolet, 02:35.1608 (232.017)
18. (4) Kyffin Simpson, Honda, 02:35.2069 (231.948)
19. (98) Marco Andretti, Honda, 02:35.2458 (231.890)
20. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 02:35.2587 (231.871)
21. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 02:35.2723 (231.851)
22. (78) Agustin Canapino, Chevrolet, 02:35.2750 (231.847)
23. (41) Sting Ray Robb, Chevrolet, 02:35.2888 (231.826)
24. (33) Christian Rasmussen, Chevrolet, 02:35.3852 (231.682)
25. (66) Tom Blomqvist, Honda, 02:35.4554 (231.578)
26. (77) Romain Grosjean, Chevrolet, 02:35.4982 (231.514)
27. (8) Linus Lundqvist, Honda, 02:35.5034 (231.506)
28. (45) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 02:35.5308 (231.465)
29. (24) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 02:35.6803 (231.243)
30. (30) Pietro Fittipaldi, Honda, 02:35.7768 (231.100)
31. (51) Katherine Legge, Honda, 02:36.4590 (230.092)
32. (28) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 02:36.5037 (230.027)
33. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 02:36.5396 (229.974)
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com