INDYCAR: Colton Herta Takes Honda Indy 200 Pole at Mid-Ohio - Full Qualifying Results

Drama was oozing out of the confines of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday, where Colton Herta walked away with pole position for the second consecutive race. Herta took the top spot from hometown favorite Graham Rahal on the final lap in qualifying. Rahal nearly earned his first pole since 2017 but will still make his first start from the front row in four years. That is good news for he and Herta, as seven of the last eight races here have been won from the front row.

Kyle Kirkwood and championship points leader Alex Palou will start from Row 2 tomorrow while Christian Lundgaard and Scott Dixon share Row 3. Lundgaard capped a great day for RLL Racing, with two cars inside the Firestone Fast Six. Dixon has six wins at this track, but he has just one podium finish here in his last nine starts. This was the first time since 2012 that Honda swept the top six starting spots.

Team Penske missed the final round of qualifying, but Will Power and Scott McLaughlin will start from Row 4 tomorrow. Power, who is the all-time leader in poles with 68, still has not qualified inside the top-six this season. The organization still has yet to win a pole this year. Now nine races into the season, it is the longest Penske has gone without a pole since the 1999 season.

Several big-names will be starting in the back of the field on Sunday. Former winners Alexander Rossi (13th) and Josef Newgarden (15th) will have some heavy lifting to do in order to get to the front. Pato O'Ward was at the top of the timing chart during the first round of qualifying when he spun and stalled his Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. That ruined his entire day, as he was unable to advance and will start 25th tomorrow.

The biggest moment of the day came during the morning practice session when Simon Pagenaud had a massive shunt when the brakes failed on his Meyer Shank Racing Honda. The series champion and Indy 500 winner went airborne at full speed before hitting the sand trap, causing his No. 60 machine to barrel roll nearly eight times before finally coming to a stop on its side against the tire barrier. Fortunately, he was okay but the medical team still has not cleared him to get back in the car. Conor Daly is on standby should Pagenaud not be cleared to race tomorrow.

Previous Mid-Ohio winners

2022: Scott McLaughlin

2021: Josef Newgarden

2020: Colton Herta

2020: Will Power

2019: Scott Dixon

2018: Alexander Rossi

2017: Josef Newgarden

2016: Simon Pagenaud

2015: Graham Rahal

2014: Scott Dixon

2013: Charlie Kimball

2012: Scott Dixon

2011: Scott Dixon

2010: Dario Franchitti

2009: Scott Dixon

2008: Ryan Briscoe

2007: Scott Dixon