INDYCAR: Alex Palou Earns Indianapolis 500 Pole, Graham Rahal Bumped - Full Qualifying Results

After a dramatic day of qualifying at Indianapolis, the starting field for the 107th Indy 500 has been set. In a bizarre twist, the race is shaping up eerily similar to the 1993 event. The race 30 years ago featured a Ganassi car on pole, with Bobby Rahal being bumped. Today, a Ganassi car captured pole, and Graham Rahal was bumped from the field of 34 drivers.

Alex Palou is aiming for the trifecta next weekend at Indy. The 2021 IndyCar champion won the GMR Grand Prix on the IMS road course last weekend, earned pole position today, and will try to win the biggest race in the world next Sunday. Palou earned the third straight pole for Ganassi, as Scott Dixon was responsible for the last two. Dixon could have been the first driver ever to win three straight, and would have tied Rick Mears for the all-time record, but came up just short in his bid.

Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist will join Palou on the front row next Sunday. It was a roller coaster day for VeeKay, as the 21-year old had a major issue with his engine in the practice session less than two hours before qualifying. The Ed Carpenter Racing crew quickly went to work and had the car back and even better than before. This is the third consecutive front-row start for VeeKay, who has never started worse than fourth.

The real drama surrounded the driver that will not be competing in the Greatest Spectacle in Racing next weekend. Graham Rahal had to sit and watch teammate Jack Harvey go out as the clock expired. Harvey, making his third attempt, found something on his final run and narrowly edged out the veteran driver. Rahal was understandably emotional in the moment, as his 16th Indy 500 race will have to wait at least another year.

Rosenqvist was unable to match his speed from earlier in the day, but he seems to be the strongest of the four Arrow McLaren cars, which are all starting inside the first three rows. Santino Ferrucci had a monster run and just missed out on the front row, but will start 4th next Sunday for the legendary AJ Foyt Racing team. Row 3 features three former winners - something that has only happened eight times in the history of the Indy 500, and the first time since the 1991 race.

A two-hour practice session tomorrow will allow teams and drivers to hone in their machines for the race, as there will be no on-track activity from Tuesday through Thursday. Carb Day on Friday will give teams one more final hour of practice before the race, and also features the Pit Stop Competition.

Previous Indianapolis 500 winners

2022: Marcus Ericsson

2021: Helio Castroneves

2020: Takuma Sato

2019: Simon Pagenaud

2018: Will Power

2017: Takuma Sato

2016: Alexander Rossi

2015: Juan Montoya

2014: Ryan Hunter-Reay

2013: Tony Kanaan

2012: Dario Franchitti

2011: Dan Wheldon

2010: Dario Franchitti

2009: Helio Castroneves

2008: Scott Dixon

2007: Dario Franchitti

2006: Sam Hornish Jr

2005: Dan Wheldon

2004: Buddy Rice

2003: Gil de Ferran

2002: Helio Castroneves

2001: Helio Castroneves

2000: Juan Pablo Montoya

1999: Kenny Bräck

1998: Eddie Cheever Jr

1997: Arie Luyendyk

1996: Buddy Lazier

1995: Jacques Villeneuve

1994: Al Unser Jr

1993: Emerson Fittipaldi

1992: Al Unser Jr

1991: Rick Mears

1990: Arie Luyendyk

1989: Emerson Fittipaldi

1988: Rick Mears

1987: Al Unser

1986: Bobby Rahal

1985: Danny Sullivan

1984: Rick Mears

1983: Tom Sneva

1982: Gordon Johncock

1981: Bobby Unser

1980: Johnny Rutherford

1979: Rick Mears

1978: Al Unser

1977: AJ Foyt

1976: Johnny Rutherford

1975: Bobby Unser

1974: Johnny Rutherford

1973: Gordon Johncock

1972: Mark Donohue

1971: Al Unser

1970: Al Unser

1969: Mario Andretti

1968: Bobby Unser

1967: AJ Foyt

1966: Graham Hill

1965: Jimmy Clark

1964: AJ Foyt

1963: Parnelli Jones

1962: Rodger Ward

1961: AJ Foyt

1960: Jim Rathmann

1959: Rodger Ward

1958: Jimmy Bryan

1957: Sam Hanks

1956: Pat Flaherty

1955: Bob Sweikert

1954: Bill Vukovich

1953: Bill Vukovich

1952: Troy Ruttman

1951: Lee Wallard

1950: Johnnie Parsons

1949: Bill Holland

1948: Mauri Rose

1947: Mauri Rose

1946: George Robson

1941: Floyd Davis / Mauri Rose

1940: Wilbur Shaw

1939: Wilbur Shaw

1938: Floyd Roberts

1937: Wilbur Shaw

1936: Louis Meyer

1935: Kelly Petillo

1934: Bill Cummings

1933: Louis Meyer

1932: Fred Frame

1931: Louis Schneider

1930: Billy Arnold

1929: Ray Keech

1928: Louis Meyer

1927: George Souders

1926: Frank Lockhart

1925: Pete DePaolo

1924: LL Corum & Joe Boyer

1923: Tommy Milton

1922: Jimmy Murphy

1921: Tommy Milton

1920: Gaston Chevrolet

1919: Howdy Wilcox

1916: Dario Resta

1915: Ralph DePalma

1914: Rene Thomas

1913: Jules Goux

1912: Joe Dawson

1911: Ray Harroun