LONG BEACH, Calif. — Alexander Rossi will try to win his second consecutive race through the streets of Long Beach from the pole.
The defending race winner snagged the top starting spot for Sunday’s race as the qualifying session ended. He won from the pole last year. The Andretti Autosport driver scored victories three of the four times he started an IndyCar race out front.
Scott Dixon qualified second Saturday, his best starting position at Long Beach, followed by the Team Penske trio of Will Power, Josef Newgarden and Simon Pagenaud. Graham Rahal was sixth for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
The Fast Six qualifying was split evenly between Honda and Chevrolet, but the Honda drivers represented three teams, including Chip Ganassi Racing.
The car owner was visibly upset when Dixon’s rookie teammate Felix Rosenqvist crashed during the second round of qualifying. Rosenqvist was second-fastest when he went off course into a tire barrier, and the penalty for causing a caution was the loss of his two fastest qualifying laps.
http://www.espn.com/racing/story/_/id/26515837/defending-champ-rossi-nabs-long-beach-pole
