LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Alexander Rossi cruised to the pole Saturday for the IndyCar race Sunday through the downtown streets of Long Beach.
Rossi waited on pit lane until the final minute in qualifying. He began his fast lap just as Josef Newgarden slapped the wall ahead of him, which could have clogged Rossi's path. But Rossi and his Andretti Autosport Honda had the fastest car and his lap of 1 minute, 6.5528 seconds claimed the top starting spot.
The pole for an Andretti team, or any team other than Penske at Long Beach, was a bit of an upset.