Takuma Sato has taken pole position for IndyCar’s ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway as Ryan Hunter-Reay was hospitalised after a 200mph (320km/h) crash.
Hunter-Reay was finishing the warm-up lap for his qualifying run when his Andretti Autosport Honda got loose at Turn 3, spun, and made heavy contact with the outside wall before sliding down into the inside wall.
The 36-year-old managed to climb out of his car and limp to the ambulance with help from the medical crew, but was later conveyed to Lehigh Valley Hospital.
Hunter-Reay had told his crew “It’s my hip” when asked on the radio if he was okay by team owner Michael Andretti.
“Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay was evaluated by IndyCar Medical Director Dr. Geoffrey Billows and will be transported by ground to Lehigh Valley Hospital – Credar Crest for further evaluation,” read an update issued by IndyCar.
Sato, a team-mate of Hunter-Reay, provided a positive for the team as he edged Simon Pagenaud (Team Penske Chevrolet) from pole position.
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The Japanese driver set the fastest one-lap time as one of only two men to clock a lap under 41s during his two-lap qualifying run.
Row 2 will be an all-Chip Ganassi Honda affair with Charlie Kimball starting inside of Tony Kanaan.
Toowoomba’s Will Power qualified his Team Penske Chevrolet in fifth-fastest.
It was a troublesome day for a number of championship contenders with Helio Castroneves also crashing out during his qualifying run in his Team Penske Chevrolet.
Scott Dixon put his Chip Ganassi Honda ninth on the grid while series leader Josef Newgarden was only 14th for Team Penske Chevrolet.
Ed Carpenter was the third driver to not set a qualifying time and will start last in the 22-car field after he crashed his Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet during practice and didn’t make qualifying.
The 14th race of the Verizon IndyCar Series will get underway tomorrow at 0440 AEST.
Qualifying: Pocono 500
| Pos | Driver | C/A/E/T | Lap 1 | Lap 2 | Total time |
| 1 | Takuma Sato | D/H/H/F | 40.9008 | 41.0518 | 01:21.9526 |
| 2 | Simon Pagenaud | D/C/C/F | 41.0308 | 41.0129 | 01:22.0437 |
| 3 | Charlie Kimball | D/H/H/F | 41.0235 | 41.0301 | 01:22.0536 |
| 4 | Tony Kanaan | D/H/H/F | 41.1149 | 41.0725 | 01:22.1874 |
| 5 | Will Power | D/C/C/F | 41.0999 | 41.2093 | 01:22.3092 |
| 6 | Alexander Rossi | D/H/H/F | 41.3626 | 40.9712 | 01:22.3338 |
| 7 | Graham Rahal | D/H/H/F | 41.2368 | 41.2945 | 01:22.5313 |
| 8 | Gabby Chaves | D/C/C/F | 41.2375 | 41.3237 | 01:22.5612 |
| 9 | Scott Dixon | D/H/H/F | 41.2721 | 41.3655 | 01:22.6376 |
| 10 | Max Chilton | D/H/H/F | 41.2114 | 41.4530 | 01:22.6644 |
| 11 | Ed Jones (R) | D/H/H/F | 41.4143 | 41.3197 | 01:22.7340 |
| 12 | James Hinchcliffe | D/H/H/F | 41.3224 | 41.4148 | 01:22.7372 |
| 13 | Esteban Gutierrez (R) | D/H/H/F | 41.3359 | 41.5018 | 01:22.8377 |
| 14 | Josef Newgarden | D/C/C/F | 41.2537 | 41.6060 | 01:22.8597 |
| 15 | Sebastian Saavedra | D/H/H/F | 41.4527 | 41.5185 | 01:22.9712 |
| 16 | Marco Andretti | D/H/H/F | 41.3561 | 41.6693 | 01:23.0254 |
| 17 | Conor Daly | D/C/C/F | 41.6895 | 41.6576 | 01:23.3471 |
| 18 | Carlos Muñoz | D/C/C/F | 41.8369 | 41.8393 | 01:23.6762 |
| 19 | JR Hildebrand | D/C/C/F | 41.7134 | 42.0122 | 01:23.7256 |
| 20 | Helio Castroneves | D/C/C/F | No Time | ||
| 21 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | D/H/H/F | No Time | ||
| 22 | Ed Carpenter | D/C/C/F | No Time |
(C)hassis: D=Dallara | (A)erokit: C=Chevy, H=Honda | (E)ngine: C=Chevy, H=Honda | (T)yre: F=Firestone
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