You have to go back to mid-April to find the most recent NTT IndyCar Series race which featured a polesitter not named Alex Palou.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver has taken five consecutive pole positions at five very different venues, and he heads into Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the host of this weekend's Honda Indy 200, as the two-time reigning polesitter at the track.
But this 90-lap race around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile (3.634-kilometer) natural terrain road course in Lexington, Ohio hasn't been won by the polesitter since Team Penske's Josef Newgarden won it in 2021. Palou has earned five consecutive podium finishes at the track, but only one win in 2023, when he won from fourth on the grid.
Just two other times since 2016 has the race been won from lower than the front row, with Scott Dixon's 2025 victory, which came after a late mistake by Palou allowed his teammate to take the lead, making Dixon the lowest-starting winner (ninth) since Graham Rahal won his home race in 2015.
Because Mid-Ohio is a road course, rather than a street course, IndyCar will not use the new single-car qualifying format for the Firestone Fast Six. This format, which debuted on the streets of Arlington, Texas earlier this season, has only been implemented for street course races.
Follow along with our live qualifying updates from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Mid-Ohio IndyCar qualifying: Round 1, Group 1 results
1 - Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
2 - Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
3 - Pato O'Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
4 - David Malukas, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
5 - Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
6 - Graham Rahal, No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
7 - Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
8 - Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
9 - Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
10 - Louis Foster, No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
11 - Romain Grosjean, No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
12 - Scott Dixon, No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
Mid-Ohio IndyCar qualifying: Round 1, Group 2 results
1 - Alex Palou, No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
2 - Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
3 - Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
4 - Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
5 - Will Power, No. 26 Andretti Global Honda
6 - Caio Collet, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
7 - Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
8 - Mick Schumacher, No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
9 - Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
10 - Kyffin Simpson, No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
11 - Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
12 - Marcus Armstrong, No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
13 - Dennis Hauger, No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Mid-Ohio IndyCar qualifying: Round 2 results
1 - David Malukas, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
2 - Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
3 - Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
4 - Will Power, No. 26 Andretti Global Honda
5 - Pato O'Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
6 - Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
7 - Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
8 - Alex Palou, No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
9 - Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
10 - Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
11 - Caio Collet, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
12 - Graham Rahal, No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
Mid-Ohio IndyCar qualifying: Firestone Fast Six results
1 - Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
2 - Pato O'Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
3 - Will Power, No. 26 Andretti Global Honda
4 - David Malukas, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
5 - Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
6 - Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Full Mid-Ohio IndyCar starting lineup
1 - Christian Lundgaard, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
2 - Pato O'Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
3 - Will Power, No. 26 Andretti Global Honda
4 - David Malukas, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet
5 - Christian Rasmussen, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
6 - Rinus VeeKay, No. 76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
7 - Marcus Ericsson, No. 28 Andretti Global Honda
8 - Alex Palou, No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
9 - Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet
10 - Kyle Kirkwood, No. 27 Andretti Global Honda
11 - Caio Collet, No. 4 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
12 - Graham Rahal, No. 15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
13 - Felix Rosenqvist, No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
14 - Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet
15 - Mick Schumacher, No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
16 - Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet
17 - Alexander Rossi, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet
18 - Louis Foster, No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
19 - Kyffin Simpson, No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
20 - Sting Ray Robb, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
21 - Romain Grosjean, No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
22 - Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 A.J. Foyt Enterprises Chevrolet
23 - Scott Dixon, No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
24 - Marcus Armstrong, No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda
25 - Dennis Hauger, No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda
Fox is set to provide live coverage of the Honda Indy 200 from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course starting at 12:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 5. Start a free trial of FuboTV now if you have not yet done so, and be sure to catch all of the action!
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