The NTT IndyCar Series witnessed Rahal-Letterman-Lanigan Racing's Takuma Sato claim pole position ahead of team-mate Graham Rahal in a front-row lockout for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.
Sato had been carrying similar pace to team-mate Graham Rahal who had been setting faster times throughout the session, however, on his final run, the Japanese driver bolted on a fresh set of tyres and beat Rahal by just a tenth of a second.
Rahal was fastest after the first set of runs in the fast six on the harder black Firestone tyres, but as his rivals put on the softer red rubber Rahal had to re-engage and put in a faster time, but it wasn't enough to hold off his 42-year old team-mate.
The PNC Bank #10 of Scott Dixon used his wealth of experience and success at the Alabama circuit to great effect to put his Chip Ganassi-Honda into third place on the grid.
After a disappointing performance at the Circuit of the Americas, Dixon eased his way through the early groups in qualifying and put himself in the Firestone Fast Six and was consistently showing front-running pace.
James Hinchcliffe was unable to turn the pace he had shown through the practice sessions into the pole position and had to settle for the second-row and fourth on the grid in his #5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry.
Four-time champion Sebastien Bourdais got himself into the Firestone Fast Six for the first time in 2019 after two unlucky sessions in the first two events in St.Pete and CoTA. The Frenchman will start the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama from fifth ahead of Ed Carpenter Racing's Spencer Pigot who also showed a quick turn of pace.
Team Penske's Will Power suffered his worst qualifying performance at Barber Motorsports Park in 7 years after failing to make the Firestone Fast Six. The Australian will head the fourth row ahead of Andretti Autosport's Alexander Rossi.
IndyCar Classic race-winner Colton Herta, like Hinchcliffe, showed front-running pace throughout practice but could only manage ninth on the grid, he heads the fifth row ahead of the #19 Dale Coyne Racing of Santino Ferrucci who was able to secure his best qualifying position in 10th.
Team Penske appeared to struggle extract speed out of their cars as both championship leader Josef Newgarden and 2016 series champion Simon Pagenaud who both got knocked out in the second group of the first part of qualifying.
The Swedish duo of Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Ericsson will have plenty of work to do in Sunday's race, the pair were unable to make it out of their respective qualifying groups while their respective team-mates share the second row of the grid.
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