NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — IndyCar points leader Helio Castroneves claimed the pole for Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway, but he’ll start 11th after switching out his engine.
Castroneves earned nine championship points by winning the top heat while extending his lead over defending champion Ryan Hunter-Reay to 25 points.
But teammate Will Power, who was second in the final heat race, will now start first alongside James Hinchcliffe.
This was the second straight year that the IndyCar series seeded the field at Iowa with heat races. The runs were extended from 30 to 50 laps this year, and the heats were set by a single-lap qualifying run rather than practice times.
