Alex Palou starts Indy 500 from pole

Alex Palou will start from pole for the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday after posting a four-lap qualifying average of 232.248 mph at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last weekend. The Spaniard enters the race as the defending Indianapolis 500 winner and the reigning NTT IndyCar Series champion. Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar said the green flag was scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET on May 24, with race-day coverage beginning earlier in the morning. ### How did Palou end up on pole? Alex Palou earned the top starting spot in the Firestone Fast Six qualifying session on May 17, driving the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to a 232.248 mph average. IndyCar said the run gave him his second career Indianapolis 500 pole and his 15th NTT P1 Award. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Palou became the first reigning Indianapolis 500 winner to win the pole for the next year’s race since Helio Castroneves in 2010. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Fox59 reported that pole also carried a $100,000 prize and 12 IndyCar standings points. ### Who joins him on the front row? (indycar.com) Alexander Rossi qualified second at 231.900 mph, and David Malukas qualified third at 231.877 mph, according to Fox59’s posted starting grid. Sporting News reported that Felix Rosenqvist had been fastest earlier in qualifying at 232.599 mph but dropped to fourth in the final Fast Six round. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) The 33-car field was set through three rounds of qualifying, with the final session deciding the first two rows and the pole winner. Fox59 said that process cut the field from 33 to 12 and then to the Fast Six. ### Why is Palou the main pre-race storyline? Palou is a four-time and reigning IndyCar champion, and Fox59 said he is chasing a fifth series title this season. (fox59.com) IndyCar said he will begin the defense of his 2025 Indianapolis 500 victory from the front of the grid. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said Palou’s pole made him the reigning winner starting “from the best spot possible” in the race. (fox59.com) The same official race coverage listed him as the 2025 winner entering Sunday’s event. ### What was the race-day schedule? Indianapolis Motor Speedway said gates opened at 6:00 a.m. (indycar.com) ET on Sunday in Speedway, Indiana. The official event schedule listed cars to pit lane at 9:00 a.m., cars to the grid at 10:30 a.m. and driver introductions at 11:47 a.m. ET. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Sporting News reported that pre-race coverage began at 10:00 a.m. ET. Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s schedule listed the command to start engines at 12:38 p.m. ET and the green flag at 12:45 p.m. ET. ### What happens next once the field rolls off? The 110th Indianapolis 500 was scheduled for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) IndyCar’s event page said FOX coverage began at 10:00 a.m. ET, and the race schedule set the start for 12:45 p.m. ET, with Palou on pole and 32 other drivers behind him. (indycar.com) (sportingnews.com)