Indy 500 qualifying results: Pole, starting lineup for 2021 race at Indianapolis

For the first time since 2017 and the fourth time overall, Scott Dixon will be on the pole for the Indianapolis 500.

Dixon blazed the fifth-fastest qualifying time in Indy 500 history Sunday as part of Fast Nine Shootout qualifying. His speed of 231.685 mph trailed only Tony Stewart (233.1 mph), Roberto Guerrero (232.482), his own speed from 2017 (232.164) and Helio Castroneves (231.725) in the race’s century-long history.

“I didn’t expect the speed that we had on the first day,” Dixon said after winning the Fast Nine. “It’s been a little while since I had a pole, so it’s nice to get it here.”

Dixon will now look to earn his first win at the Indy 500 since he won from the pole in 2008.

Here’s all you need to know about the starting lineup for the 105th running of the Indy 500 and more on Dixon’s pole win ahead of the race on Sunday, May 30, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (11 a.m. ET; NBC).

Who won the pole for the Indy 500?

Scott Dixon won the pole for the 2021 Indy 500 after finishing second in pole qualifying in 2020. He edged Colton Herta by 0.03 mph for the pole spot with an average lap time of 231.685 mph. Dixon posted the fastest time at Saturday’s qualifying session, so he was the last to run in the Fast Nine Shootout and knew the time he had to beat to secure the pole.

It wasn’t an easy run for Dixon, however, as he felt some insecurity with his car in the fourth and final lap of qualifying.

“So I was holding on, and obviously you could see towards the end of that lap, it got pretty sketchy and we scrapped a ton of speed,” Dixon said. “But [we won by] three one-hundredths of a mile per hour? Three one-thousandths? Doesn’t matter what it is, we’ll take that.”

Dixon spoke well of his teammates at Chip Ganassi Racing after his qualifying win and discussed how a loss in last year’s rain-shortened affair has impacted his mindset ahead of this year’s race.

“We lost as a team last year, but I can tell you we’re all very hungry and we’re going to try and take the PNC Bank car to the lead,” Dixon said. “If it’s not me, I hope it’s one of my teammates.”

The pole was the fourth for Dixon during his Indy 500 career. He previously held the pole position in 2008, 2014 and 2017 and won the race in 2008, his lone Indy 500 win.

Indy 500 qualifying results, starting lineup

Most of the 33-car Indy 500 starting lineup was set Saturday, when the 10th through 30th spots were set based on qualifying times. On Sunday, the nine fastest drivers competed in the Fast Nine Shootout to set the order for the first nine spots.

Additionally, the five slowest drivers from Saturday’s qualifying fought for the final three spots in the race. Those spots ended up being clinched by Sage Karam, Will Power and Simona de Silvestro, who will be the lone woman in this year’s Indy 500 field.

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