James Hinchcliffe will sit in the pole position for the 2016 Indianapolis 500, the 100th running of the prestigious race. Hinchcliffe was in a very serious accident at practice for last year’s Indy 500, and nearly lost his life. Now he’s the pole-sitter for the biggest race of the IndyCar calendar with an average speed of 230.760 mph over four laps.
James Hinchcliffe wins 2016 Indy 500 pole position
Hinchcliffe took pole for the 100th running of the Indy 500 with an average time of 230.760 mph.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Josef Newgarden held provisional pole for quite awhile as the qualifying progressed with the final nine on Sunday, holding a four-lap average of 230.700 mph. He just narrowly edged out Ryan Hunter-Reay to complete the first row of drivers. After Newgarden’s time held for so long, most thought it would take a 231 mph average time to unseat him. However, Hinchcliffe pulled it out at the very end to take the pole with his No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda.
Hinchcliffe was also the fastest driver on Saturday, showing no fear from his previous crash. The other drivers in the fast nine, in order of qualifying, included Townsend Bell, Carlos Munoz, Will Power, Mikhail Aleshin, Simon Pagenaud and Helio Castroneves.
This is Hinchcliffe’s first career pole win, and marks the first non-Penske pole this season. He is also the second Canadian ever to take the pole for the big race after Alex Tagliani set it in 2011. The margin between Hinchcliffe and Newgarden, with his No. 21 Preferred Freezer Chevrolet, was the closest margin in the race’s history.
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