The final qualifying session of Saturday afternoon was set aside for the Fast Six shootout for pole.
Shadows crept across the track as the sun sank lower, bringing track temperatures into the perfect range for the fastest speeds of the weekend.
Takuma Sato was the first driver to hit the track, completing four laps at an average speed of 232.478 MPH.
READ MORE: Indianapolis 500 – Full Qualifying Results
Sato’s speed stood on top of the pylon through Alex Palou and Scott Dixon’s run, but no longer than that.
IndyCar rookie Robert Shwartzman hit the track and was over 233 MPH for his first lap, which caused the crowd to erupt in cheers.
Over the course of four laps, Shwartzman averaged 232.790 MPH. That time stood through Pato O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist’s runs, and secured an unlikely pole for the rookie.
Shwartzman was mobbed by cameras as soon as he climbed from the car, which prompted him to stand on top of his car to salute the fans in the stands.
The Israeli driver’s achievement is a rare one, as he is the first rookie to win a pole at the Indianapolis 500 since Teo Fabi won the pole in 1983.
In an equally impressive achievement, PREMA is the first first-year team to win the Indianapolis 500 pole position since Mayer Motor Racing in 1984.
Sato and O’Ward will fill out the front row by starting second and third on the grid. Dixon Rosenqvist, and Palou will fill the second row on account of their efforts.
None of the three drivers for the powerful Team Penske outfit were present in the fight for pole, as two were disqualified in earlier rounds of qualifying and the other crashed earlier in the day.
The field is now completely set, and only a couple hours of practice and seven days separate 33 drivers from the green flag for the 109th Indianapolis 500.
