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IndyCar News: McLaughlin wins Pole for Firestone GP of St Petersburg

Lucille Dust

Scott McLaughlin will lead the field to green in Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg after clocking the fastest lap in Saturday’s qualifying session. Driving the No. 3 DEX Imaging Chevrolet for Team Penske, McLaughlin posted a blistering 1:00.5426 around the 1.8‑mile street circuit.

“Raul (Prados), my new engineer, gave me a great car,” McLaughlin said. “But we have a lot of experience here with a great car, as well.

“Just really pumped. Everybody knows the slog we went through last year, so to start on this note is fantastic. Bloody good, bloody good.”

Andretti Global’s Marcus Ericsson, the 2023 winner of this event, will start alongside McLaughlin on the front row after turning a 1:00.5621 in his No. 28 Honda.

Rookie Dennis Hauger impressed in his IndyCar debut, qualifying third for Dale Coyne Racing with a 1:00.5743. The reigning INDY NXT champion showed poise under pressure in his first top‑tier outing.

Defending series champion Alex Palou will start fourth in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, followed by Team Penske newcomer David Malukas in fifth with a 1:00.7638.

The biggest surprise came from Dale Coyne Racing, a grassroots team. Both drivers advanced impressively to the Fast 6 shootout for the pole contention. This is a notable achievement for the team, boosted by a technical partnership with Andretti Global, veteran engineering (including Indy 500-winning engineer Bill Pappas on Grosjean’s side), and Hauger’s proven qualifying speed from his INDY NXT rookie season last year.
Dale Coyne Racing Shines
Car #19 Dale Coyne Racing Dennis Hauger

The biggest surprise of the day came from Dale Coyne Racing, a small but resilient team that put both of its drivers into the Firestone Fast Six. The team’s performance reflects the benefits of its technical partnership with Andretti Global, strong engineering support—including Indy 500‑winning engineer Bill Pappas on Romain Grosjean’s side—and Hauger’s proven qualifying pace from INDY NXT.

Dixon Misses the Cut

Scott Dixon – Firestone Grand Prix of St_ Petersburg – By_ Chris Jones

The biggest disappointment of the session was Scott Dixon, who failed to advance to the Fast 12 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda. The six‑time champion was on a strong lap when he briefly lost control, costing him the time needed to advance. The photo above shows his car from Friday afternoon.

McLaughlin’s early edge puts Team Penske in a strong position on a street course where he has historically excelled. Palou, the reigning multi‑time champion, remains a major threat for the win.

Qualifying Results