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Indianapolis 500 Qualifying: Honda Teams Prepare For Key Race Weekend
Honda teams have been busy with four days of practice ahead of the Indianapolis 500 qualifying. Alex Palou led the combined practice times, achieving a speed of 227.546 MPH. Kyle Kirkwood, from Andretti Global, recorded the fastest non-tow speed in his #27 Honda at 222.760 MPH. On Friday, Honda drivers secured the top four non-tow speeds, with Scott Dixon leading, followed by Palou, Kirkwood, and Colton Herta.
Qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 is unique compared to other NTT INDYCAR SERIES races. With only 33 spots available and 34 qualifiers, competition is fierce. Positions are decided by the highest average speed over four laps on the 2.5-mile track. Saturday's session will lock in positions 13-30 and determine who advances to Sunday's Top 12 qualifying show.
Honda has secured pole position in 14 out of 25 Indianapolis 500 races, with Alex Palou taking pole in 2023. Before 2024, Honda drivers had a streak of four consecutive poles starting in 2020 with Marco Andretti. Scott Dixon claimed pole in both 2021 and 2022, followed by Palou in 2023.
The Top 12 shootout on Sunday will decide positions 7-12 and those moving to the Firestone Fast Six. The day concludes with Last Chance qualifying for the final grid row and determining which driver misses next week's Indy 500. The Firestone Fast Six will then see six drivers compete for pole position for the race's 109th edition.
Alex Palou, reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, has started his title defence strongly with four wins in five races this year. His worst finish was second at Long Beach behind Kyle Kirkwood, giving Honda five consecutive wins this season. Despite his success, Palou seeks his first oval win after finishing second at the Indy 500 in 2021.
Television coverage of the Indianapolis 500 qualifying begins on FS1 at 11 AM Eastern on Saturday, May 17th. It continues at FS2 at 1:30 PM and moves to Fox at 4 PM ET. Sunday's events will air on Fox starting at 4 PM ET on May 18th.
2025 NTT INDYCAR SERIES Honda Lineup
The lineup for Honda includes several notable drivers across different teams:
| Team | Driver |
|---|---|
| Andretti Global | #26 Colton Herta (W), #27 Kyle Kirkwood (W), #28 Marcus Ericsson (I) (W), #98 Marco Andretti (W) |
| Chip Ganassi Racing | #8 Kyffin Simpson, #9 Scott Dixon (C) (I) (W), #10 Alex Palou (C) (W) |
| Dale Coyne Racing | #18 Rinus VeeKay (W), #51 Jacob Abel (R) |
| Meyer Shank Racing | #60 Felix Rosenqvist (W), #66 Marcus Armstrong, #06 Helio Castroneves (I) (W) |
| Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | #15 Graham Rahal (W), #30 Devlin DeFrancesco, #45 Louis Foster (R), #75 Takuma Sato (I) (W) |
This year's Indianapolis qualifying promises intense competition as drivers aim for top positions and a chance to shine in one of racing's most prestigious events.
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