Indy Lights rookie Hunter McElrea has qualified on pole position for Race 1 of the 2022 season, at St Petersburg.
The Andretti Autosport driver set a 1:05.2812s with the chequered flag out to beat Linus Lundqvist (HMD Motorsports w/ Dale Coyne Racing) to pole by 0.2923s.
That was the last of six changes to top spot in the final five minutes of the half-hour session, with Sting Ray Robb (Andretti) ending up third and Benjamin Pedersen (Global Racing Group w/ HMD Motorsports) fourth.
McElrea was surprised with the pace he managed to extract from Car #27 in the final moments.
“I knew I had to do it on that last lap, and the tyres were honestly a little bit past their peak,” said the New Zealander.
“I just did a lap. I didn’t expect to be on pole by three tenths.
Secure your spot today.
“I thought it was good enough for pole, probably, but when they said, ‘Pole by three tenths,’ I was shocked.”
Fellow Andretti driver Matthew Brabham qualified sixth on his return to Indy Lights, setting a personal-best 1:06.0424s in Car #83.
The session was red-flagged once, just before the halfway mark, when Danial Frost (HMD Motorsports w/ Dale Coyne Racing) locked up and skated into the tyre wall at Turn 10.
He was towed back to the pits and is set to start from 12th position in the 14-car field.
The 45-lap race is due to get underway on Monday morning at 01:30 AEDT.
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