Marco Andretti captured the first IndyCar pole position of his career Saturday, notching the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s race at the Milwaukee Mile.
The 21-year-old from a famous US racing family clocked 168.079 miles per hour to top the qualifying times, booking the third front-row start of his three-year career.
Andretti was joined on the front row by another youngster with a solid racing pedigree, 19-year-old Graham Rahal, who lapped the one-mile oval at an average speed of 167.654 mph.
“I gave up a little on the first lap, hoping that it would hang very good for the next three laps, and it definitely was able to,” Andretti said. “But, having said that, it was very on the edge on the last lap. It was just right and you have to get it just right to beat these guys.”
Andretti, winning the first pole of his career, became the youngest IndyCar pole winner at 21 years, 79 days, breaking the record of 21 years, 260 days set by Tomas Scheckter in 2002 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Rahal, who earlier this year became the youngest IndyCar driver to win a race when he took the checkered flag on the street circuit in St. Petersburg, Fla., had never run on the suburban Milwaukee track until Thursday afternoon’s special one-hour practice for rookies and other drivers transitioning from the defunct Champ Car World Series.
“Obviously, the rookie practice yesterday helped, especially to get a little more familiar with the track,” Rahal said. “The car was really good. ... As Marco just said, it feels like it’s on the edge at all times. But it seems like, to go fast, that’s the way these things have to be.”
Andretti, who also won a race as an IndyCar rookie in 2006, agreed, noting, “I think it’s very special to see how we’re able to carry it on. Obviously, we both have a lot of unfinished business. He’s just getting started and, well, so am I to an extent.”
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