Power, Chevy Lead IndyCar Road America Qualifying

The Verizon IndyCar Series’ long-awaited and much anticipated return to Road America has so far been dominated by the powerhouse teams and Chevrolet, as Will Power captured the pole for Sunday’s Kohler Grand Prix.

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The new chapter at Road America is being written almost exclusively by Chevrolet-powered teams. The Chevy squads absolutely powered through each qualifying session on Saturday, taking eight of the 12 spots in Round 2.

Of the four Honda cars that made it to that group, Graham Rahal was the only one to transfer into the Firestone Fast Six. Rahal saw Power, Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves get by him in the closing minutes of the final qualifying round but he continues to prove that he is a force to be reckoned with no matter what type of power is under the engine cover.

Honda’s Graham Rahal continues to be an intriguing story in the Verizon IndyCar Series. Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /

Power is another driver with something to be proud of after Saturday. The qualifying process and yet another pole position win for the Australian may indicate a turning point for his season.

After a less-than-stellar start, Power has recently taken a turn for the better. He snapped a 19-race winless streak by winning the second race of this year’s Dual in Detroit and he vaulted four spots in the championship standings. Power is now seventh in the pack of drivers chasing down points leader Pagenaud.

The stories of Rahal, Power, Chevrolet, and the powerhouse teams of Penske and Ganassi show that two factors will be paramount in Sunday’s race: experience and drive.

Rahal and Power clearly have the drive to succeed no matter what obstacle is in front of them, while names like Dixon, Kanaan, and Castroneves show that experience will likely be an advantage in IndyCar’s return to Road America.

The only question now is which factor will decide the race? Will it be a veteran’s experience or will it be the drive to win that puts a driver into the victory circle? Or could it even be both? Fans have been waiting for this race all year and judging by qualifying, it shouldn’t disappoint.

Here is the full starting grid for the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America:

Will Power, Chevrolet, Team Penske
Scott Dixon, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Tony Kanaan, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Simon Pagenaud, Chevrolet, Team Penske
Helio Castroneves, Chevrolet, Team Penske
Graham Rahal, Honda, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Max Chilton, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Ryan Hunter-Reay, Honda, Andretti Autosport
Conor Daly, Honda, Dale Coyne Racing
Carlos Munoz, Honda, Andretti Autosport
Charlie Kimball, Chevrolet, Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Sebastien Bourdais, Chevrolet, KVSH Racing
Mikhail Aleshin, Honda, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports
Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, Team Penske
Takuma Sato, Honda, A.J. Foyt Racing
Alexander Rossi, Honda, Herta-Andretti Autosport
Spencer Pigot, Chevrolet, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
Jack Hawksworth, Honda, A.J. Foyt Racing
Gabby Chaves, Honda, Dale Coyne Racing
Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, Ed Carpenter Racing**
Marco Andretti, Honda, Andretti Autosport
James Hinchcliffe, Honda, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports**

**Josef Newgarden had his two best lap times invalidated in his session after going off course and causing a red flag that ultimately ended the session. James Hinchcliffe had his two best lap times invalidated after an on-track incident involving Alexander Rossi and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Next: IndyCar Rewind: Road America 2001

The Verizon IndyCar Series returns to Road America for the 2016 Kohler Grand Prix on Sunday, June 26. The race will air on the NBC Sports Network with the broadcast beginning on Sunday at 12:30pm ET.