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Will Power will start on the pole for the Firestone 550 IndyCar Series race after winning Friday's qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway.
Power recorded a two-lap average of 219.182 mph around this 1.5-mile racetrack. The Team Penske driver collected his second pole of the season and the 31st of his career, which placed him in a tie with Dario Franchitti and Sebastien Bourdais for seventh on IndyCar's all-time pole winners list.
"The race car has been pretty good," Power said. "We were wide open, trimmed out enough, the gears were right. Last year, we thought we should have been on the pole, but we got it right this time."
Power has been winless in the series since April 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil (19 races ago). He is currently 15th in the point standings, with his best finish of fifth this season coming two months ago in Birmingham, Ala. Power's only victory on an oval came in the second race of a doubleheader at Texas in 2011.
Marco Andretti earned the second starting position after posting a two-lap average of 217.553 mph.
"I'm pleased with our front row," Andretti said. "The guys did a good job, because our focus wasn't even on qualifying. I'm pleased just like I was at Indy (qualified third), because it was the same focus at Indy."
Ryan Hunter-Reay, the defending IndyCar champion, will start third, followed by Dario Franchitti and E.J. Viso.
Helio Castroneves, Josef Newgarden, Charlie Kimball, Ed Carpenter and James Jakes will roll off sixth through 10th, respectively.
Alex Tagliani, who had won the pole at Texas the past two years, qualified 16th for this year's event. Justin Wilson, the defending race winner, will start 22nd in the 24-car field.
Takuma Sato and rookie Tristan Vautier did not participate in qualifying and therefore will start from the rear of the field. Sato experienced a gearbox issue prior to qualifying, while Vautier had to make an engine change.
Saturday's 228-lap race at Texas is scheduled to start at 8:45 p.m. ET.
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