IndyCar Bommarito 500: Will Power bags pole position at WWT Raceway, full qualifying results explored
The IndyCar Series rolled into Illinois for the second oval event of the season, and Will Power stormed to pole at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500. The Australian veteran set the fastest average top speed to seal his maiden pole of the 2025 season.
The 44-year-old, who continues to outperform his Penske teammates this season, posted an average speed of 180.329 MPH at the short oval circuit to clinch the highest starting spot ahead of teammate Scott McLaughlin. The Penske duo were followed closely by Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who edged past David Malukas to lock out an all-Chevrolet-powered front row.
Malukas had to settle for fourth place and was followed closely by five-time Gateway race winner Josef Newgarden, who could only muster an average speed of 178.91 MPH. The top six was completed by Marcus Armstrong, who delivered a streak of brilliant laps to put his Meyer Shank car in sixth place.
Championship leader Alex Palou, with an average speed of 178.381 MPH, could only settle for ninth place, while the winner last time out at the Detroit Grand Prix, Kyle Kirkwood, followed him in 10th.
However, while the two most recent race winners struggled to set impressive lap times, it was Will Power who stole the spotlight. The Penske veteran, who was at the center of the disqualification that marred his Indy 500 run, achieved his first pole position since the Iowa Speedway race in July 2023.
With pole in hand, Will Power will now aim to convert his starting position into a long-awaited race win when the green flag drops to start the event.
Will Power reacts after claiming pole at Bommarito Automotive Group 500
Will Power shared his thoughts after clinching pole position at the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 race. The former Champ Car star went quickest of the field, topping the timing sheet to record pole at the event.
Power, who remains the driver with the most pole positions in the history of the open-wheel series, took to the media to detail his thoughts following the conclusion of qualifying.
“Yeah, I sent it a lot. I knew you would have to. You'd have to drive nearly flat through [turns] three and four, which wasn’t quite flat, but very, very close. But yeah, it's cool, man. It’s been a while since I’ve had a pole. So, really, really excited for the Verizon 12 car Chevy. They did a great job, good power, and hopefully we can execute the race, man, and also get a win here,” Power said while speaking in a video shared to X (formerly Twitter) by IndyCar on FOX
The pole position was Will Power’s fifth at the Gateway oval race. It also saw him extend his record for the most pole positions in IndyCar to 71. The two-time drivers’ champion will now aim to convert his first-place start into a race victory — a feat he hasn’t managed to achieve since the 2024 Grand Prix of Portland.