---
title: "Team Penske’s Will Power Claims 51st Career Pole at the IndyCar Grand Prix"
description: "This marks' the Australian's third pole on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.4-mile road course."
date: "2018-05-11"
modified: "2018-05-14"
authors:
  - name: "Jerry Perez"
    job_title: "Deputy Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20805/team-penskes-will-power-claims-51st-career-pole-at-the-indycar-grand-prix"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Indianapolis Motor Speedway"
  - "Indy 500"
  - "Indycar Series"
  - "James Hinchcliffe"
  - "Sebastien Bourdais"
  - "team penske"
  - "will power"
---

# Team Penske’s Will Power Claims 51st Career Pole at the IndyCar Grand Prix

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2018/05/fm57800.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

[Team Penske](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20136/team-penske-celebrates-2500-race-starts-since-1966>) and Will Power's Month of May is getting off to a great start at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Power just defeated the hot temperatures and poor track conditions to place his Chevrolet-powered racer on pole position for tomorrow's [IndyCar Grand Prix](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19561/indycar-teams-hit-the-grand-prix-track-at-indianapolis-motor-speedway>).

While the rest of the field complained of poor grip and the lack of balance, the Australian simply got on with the program and recorded a lap time of 1:09.81, edging out SMP Racing's Robert Wickens and his Honda racing machine by less than a tenth of a second. Today's pole marks Power's third pole for the IndyCar Grand Prix, which is contested on the 2.4-mile, 14-turn road course that's surrounded by the Speedway's iconic oval.

![message-editor%2F1526087906572-04cj6717a.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1526087906572-04cj6717a.jpg>)
*IndyCar*

![message-editor%2F1526087929970-2018wk2157p.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1526087929970-2018wk2157p.jpg>)
*IndyCar*

"We did have to dig deep," said Power at a press conference following the qualifying session. "I mean, that was everything I had. We made a downforce adjustment after the first round when we saw how fast the other guys were and kind of got close to them. And on used tires, the car was really good, so stoked, man, really, really stoked!"

The impressive feat also marked the 51st pole position of Power's IndyCar career, which means he's now ahead of fellow Penske teammate Helio Castroneves, and just two behind the legendary A.J. Foyt. [Mario Andretti](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19895/mario-andretti-opens-up-about-indycar>) is the all-time leader with 67 pole positions.

Dale Coyne Racing's Sebastien Bourdais placed his No. 18 Team SealMaster Honda on the third spot of the grid, while SPM Racing's James Hinchcliffe and Ed Carpenter Racing's Jordan King wrapped up the top-five.

![message-editor%2F1526087966504-2018wk2716p.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1526087966504-2018wk2716p.jpg>)
*INDYCAR*

![message-editor%2F1526087978090-16c\_7488-1.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1526087978090-16c_7488-1.jpg>)
*INDYCAR*

"I'm a bit gutted with P2," [Wickens](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/19153/alexander-rossi-and-robert-wickens-indycar-collision-whos-to-blame>) said. "We're obviously in the front row, but when you lead the whole qualifying, you want to finish like that."

"It was close. I ended up losing a few hundredths (of a second) in the end, but I can see why,” Wickens continued, “it wasn't the tidiest lap. You have to do the perfect job to get the pole here."

Upon the completion of tomorrow's IndyCar Grand Prix, the [Indianapolis Motor Speedway](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/20763/indycar-champ-scott-dixon-wheels-a-police-car-at-indianapolis-motor-speedway>) and all IndyCar drivers will officially be on high-speed, Indy 500-mode, ahead of the 102nd running of the 500-mile race on May 27.

## Author
Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/drive_jerry/>)