By David Morgan, Associate Editor
NEWTON, Iowa – The field for the Iowa Speedway doubleheader has been set in a dual qualifying session Saturday afternoon, with Lap 1 setting the field for tonight’s Synk 275 and Lap 2 setting the field for Sunday’s Farm to Finish 275.
Josef Newgarden, a six-time NTT IndyCar Series winner at the 0.894-mile oval, posted the fast time in his No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet with a lap of 17.491 seconds at 183.999 mph to claim the pole in Race No. 1.
“I think it just priorities,” Newgarden said of the dual qualifying format. “Unfortunately, the cars are just so close. Very close today. I don’t want to say easy, but they’re kind of easy to drive in this state. That’s why you saw the lap times so very, very, very close, and you sort of prioritize lap one, lap two.
“Definitely with the hybrid usage, depending how you use it throughout the run, it’s going to favor lap one or lap two, and then each one is important because it dictates the grid for each race.
“I think our lap one was really solid. I don’t know that we could have done much better except being more risky and putting something more aggressive on the car.
“Then lap two was good as well. So we’re in the mix. It’s certainly a tough qualifying session because you got to get it just right.”
Starting alongside Newgarden on Saturday evening will be Conor Daly, followed by Felix Rosenqvist, Alex Palou and Pato O’Ward. The remainder of the top-10 starting positions for Race No. 1 went to Scott Dixon, Will Power, Nolan Siegel, Santino Ferrucci, and. David Malukas.
For Race No. 2, it was Palou jumping to the top of the board in his No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda with his lap of 17.490 seconds at 184.014 mph.
The three-time and defending IndyCar champion, who won his first oval race in this year’s Indy 500, will be looking to add another oval win to his resume.
“Hopefully we can win both of them and get my first short oval win,” Palou said. “I don’t know. The mindset is just to, I think we have a great opportunity in terms of speed and the car, the car speed and my confidence to try and fight for wins for both of them, both of the races.
“If we can make it today, it would be great because we’re starting on the best spot tomorrow, and if we cannot, we have something to look up for tomorrow.
“Yeah, I’m excited. Hopefully it’s a great track for us, and hopefully we can get a win.”
Felix Rosenqvist will roll off from the outside of the front row on Sunday, with Malukas, Newgarden, Siegel, Power, Daly, Dixon, O’Ward, and Graham Rahal to round out the rest of the top-10 starters.
McLaughlin Relegated to Last Place Start after Qualifying Crash
After posting the fast time in practice to start the day, Scott McLaughlin will have his work cut out for him in both races, having to start from the back of the grid after crashing his No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet in Turn 1 on his warm-up lap.
OH NO! 🫣
Scott McLaughlin SPINS in qualifying, making hard contact with the wall. pic.twitter.com/0Wg7okTe0C
— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) July 12, 2025
“I don’t know. I got a little high, I guess,” said McLaughlin. “I wouldn’t say I was too much higher than I was in practice and the nose just sort of went around on me. It was hard to sort of come back from where I was, how much lock I had in the car.
“Really sad for the XPEL Chevy and tomorrow with the Gallagher Chevy, as well. Both starting at the back with a car that we could have easily put on pole there. But never say die. I know this team will keep working, but yeah, just a mistake on me and thankfully I’m OK.”
The Synk 275 is scheduled for 5:00 pm ET on FOX, with Sunday’s Farm to Finish 275 taking place at 1:00 pm ET, also televised on FOX.
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