Will Power stares at Barber IndyCar hat-trick

Penske leader Will Power has claimed the prime starting spot for the Honda Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama.

It was his third pole position in five starts at the circuit where he compiled wins in 2011 and 2012.

The IndyCar series leader clocked a 1:8.3210s lap to top the fast six at the 17-turn road course.

James Hinchcliffe (Andretti Autosport) will start beside Power after finishing just .0289s short of claiming pole.

The defending race champion Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) will start on the second row beside Josef Newgarden (Fisher Hartman Racing).

Rounding out the top six are Scott Dixon (Ganassi), a four-times runner-up at Barber and Power’s team-mate Helio Castroneves.

The third Penske of Juan Pablo Montoya will start from eighth.

The KV Racing Chevy driver Sebastien Bourdais found himself in trouble in part two of qualifying with officials scrubbing his fastest two laps for interference.

Bourdais, the four-times Champ Car champion, will now start from 12th while series runner-up Mike Conway fared worse and will start from the rear of the grid after being the slowest in Group 1.

Meanwhile in the opening Indy Lights race Andretti Autosport high flyer Zach Veach took victory from rookies Luiz Razia and Jack Harvey.

Australia’s Matthew Brabham was fourth after starting sixth in the second Andretti Autosport entry.

“I was battling with Jack Harvey there and it was a lot of fun even though I couldn’t get around him,” Brabham said.

“In the end, I made a few little mistakes just pushing a little bit too hard, trying to get a little bit too close, and I was losing a lot of aero behind him.”

See below for full IndyCar qualifying results