LONG POND, Pa. -- After the last car sped past the finish line at Pocono Raceway, Mikhail Aleshin raised his arms in triumph.
Fastest in morning practice on the tricky 2.5-mile triangular track, Aleshin was fastest in qualifying to win the IndyCar pole on Saturday. He turned a fast lap of 220.454 mph in his No. 7 Honda to edge Josef Newgarden for the top spot.
It's the first career pole for the Russian, who drives for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
"I had two good laps. I knew I couldn't do better," Aleshin said.