James Hinchcliffe claimed pole for the 100th Indianapolis 500, a year on from his near-fatal crash at the track.
The Schmidt-Peterson racer snatched the top spot from Josef Newgarden with the final run in the Fast Nine pole shootout, clocking an average speed of 230.760mph – just 0.060mph quicker than Newgarden.
Hinchcliffe missed last year’s 500 qualifying after a heavy practice accident left him hospitalised and forced him to sit out the remainder of the IndyCar season.
“I came into this month hoping for a new story to talk about after last year, and I think we did it,” said the Canadian after scoring his maiden IndyCar pole position.
Ryan Hunter-Reay was third for Andretti, behind Newgarden, after a small mistake on his final run.
Townsend Bell, Carlos Munoz and Will Power will start next Sunday’s race from the second row.
Mikhail Aleshin, current IndyCar points leader Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves rounded out the nine runners in the pole shootout.
Oriol Servia was quickest in the opening part of qualifying – to decide positions 10-33 – and will start from 10th.
Servia will be joined on the fourth row by IndyCar rookie Alexander Rossi and Takuma Sato.
Scott Dixon was the fastest of the Chip Ganassi Racing drivers in 13th, with team-mates Cahrlie Kimball, Tony Kanaan and Max Chilton, 16th, 18th and 22nd.
Marco Andretti will start from 14th despite an issue which left him without fifth gear, while two-time Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya was just 17th.
The defending winner had his first run cancelled after a plastic bag attached itself to his wing and left him propping up the timesheets, but was allowed a second run.
Alex Tagliani will start next Sunday’s 500 last after a crash during his qualifying warm-up lap.
