Day 1 of qualifying for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 was nothing short of spectacular, filled with speed, drama, and determination. For New Zealand fans, all eyes were on the three Kiwi drivers, each of whom found themselves on vastly different paths by day’s end.
The Indy 500 qualifying format is a high-stakes, multi-stage battle for grid position. Each driver gets one initial four-lap qualifying run. Once every car has completed a run, teams may choose to make additional attempts in pursuit of a better time.
The fastest 12 drivers from Day 1 advance to the Top 12 Qualifying session, where they’ll fight for a spot in the prestigious Fast Six and ultimately the pole.
Drivers ranked 13th through 30th after day 1 are safely locked into the field for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
However, those placed 31st to 34th face a nerve-wracking Last Chance Qualifying session, where only three of the four will earn a spot on the final 33-car grid. One driver will be bumped from the greatest spectacle in racing.
In the Kiwi contingent, Scott McLaughlin was right in the fight for pole position. Scott Dixon delivered with his signature calm. And Marcus Armstrong endured a gut-wrenching crash before launching a last-minute bid to salvage his qualifying hopes.
Armstrong Crashes, Returns in Backup Car, and Faces Last Chance Qualifying
The day started with a scare for Armstrong, who crashed heavily in the final practice before qualifying.
Caught by swirling winds approaching 30 mph, Armstrong lost control at over 230 mph entering Turn 1 and made heavy contact with the outside wall, destroying his Meyer Shank Racing Honda.
Armstrong emerged from the wreck under his own power, waving to the crowd from a stretcher before being transported to the medical centre. He was cleared 90 minutes later to return to action, but the challenge was only beginning.
With his primary car destroyed, Armstrong’s team scrambled to prepare a road course-spec backup car, not optimised for the 2.5-mile oval. They worked furiously to convert it for superspeedway use, completing the build with just five minutes to spare.
The effort paid off in getting Armstrong on track, but his four-lap average wasn’t enough to secure a place in the top 30.
He now faces Last Chance Qualifying, scheduled for 6:00 AM NZT Monday, alongside Rinus VeeKay, Jacob Abel, and Marco Andretti, where only three drivers will advance to complete the 33-car grid.
“It was a rather large hit, but I’m OK. One of my first reactions when I got to the medical unit was that I’m ready to go flat into Turn One again. We have fast cars, and I am looking forward to the race. Massive credit to the MSR crew for putting the car together so quickly,” said Armstrong
“We made our two attempts. In the first one, we didn’t have telemetry, and in the second, we went out with the same exact setup. I said, ‘If the car is good enough to do it, then I’m not going to be the reason we can’t.’”
McLaughlin Flies to Second Fastest, Eyes Back-to-Back Poles
McLaughlin, the 2024 Indy 500 pole winner, nearly repeated the feat on Saturday. Despite a costly gearshift error on his second lap that sent his Penske Chevrolet into the rev limiter, McLaughlin posted a scorching four-lap average of 233.013 mph, good enough for second overall.
He now advances to the Top 12 Qualifying session, scheduled for 5:00 AM NZT Monday and remains a strong contender for a front-row start or a repeat pole.
It’s the best feeling ever,” McLaughlin said
“It just was pretty quick there towards the line. I started to build a little loose at the end, so maybe just in a little bit of balance, but yeah it’s close. I own that one too, I hit the limiter, going into the turn one, so I lost the chunk of speed. I think we can easily stay in the 33’s. I’m really proud of the guys, the Pennzoil “yellow submarine” and Team Chevy. This car’s good and we can definitely run for pole tomorrow. It’s good in race trim. But I tell you, it is my fifth one of these, and it just does not get any easier.”
“Around this place, you guys know, just getting one done, it is honestly the most nerve-wracking day of the year for anyone. Tomorrow, if you make it, it’s fun. You get to go out there and just lay the hammer down. Here, it’s tough. You’ve got a lot of risk and not that much reward today.”
Team Penske owns the most pole positions in the history of the Indianapolis 500.
Classic Dixon: Quiet, Fast, Effective
No fuss, no drama – just classic Scott Dixon. The six-time IndyCar champion and 2008 Indy 500 winner was 14th in the qualifying order and put in another strong showing with a four-lap average of 232.659 mph, placing him fifth fastest overall.
Driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Dixon showed both speed and composure in the blustery conditions.
Palou Leads the Field After Day 1
The man to beat? Alex Palou.
The current points leader and 2021 IndyCar champion continued his dominant 2025 season with a blistering 233.043 mph average on his only qualifying attempt, leading all 34 entries on the day.
“It’s tough out there,” Palou said.
“Yesterday it was with the temperature; today it was with the wind. The car has been really good. We were struggling this morning (in practice). I was unable to finish a four-lap (qualifying simulation) run. Now we were able to finish it quite strongly.”
Palou and 11 others move on to the Top 12 Qualifying session, which will narrow the field to the Fast Six for the final pole shootout.
The Fast 12 – Full Results
Here are the 12 drivers advancing to Sunday’s Top 12 session, listed with their four-lap average speeds:
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 233.043 mph
- Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) – 233.013 mph
- Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) – 233.004 mph
- Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) – 232.820 mph
- Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 232.659 mph
- Robert Shwartzman (PREMA Racing) – 232.584 mph
- David Malukas (AJ Foyt Racing) – 232.546 mph
- Felix Rosenqvist (Meyer Shank Racing) – 232.449 mph
- Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) – 232.415 mph
- Will Power (Team Penske) – 232.144 mph
- Marcus Ericsson (Andretti Global) – 232.132 mph
- Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren) – 231.809 mph
Just missing out was Conor Daly, who made a last-ditch run late in the session and was in the Top 12 after three laps, but faded on the final circuit to end up 13th at 231.725 mph, just 0.056 seconds shy.
The Drama Down the Order
The battle outside the Top 12 was no less intense:
Graham Rahal locked in the final guaranteed spot at 30th (229.863 mph), then endured a two-and-a-half hour wait to see if he would be bumped.
Colton Herta, after flipping violently in Turn 1 just after noon, miraculously returned in a short oval backup car and qualified 29th at 230.192 mph. His bravery drew praise across the paddock.
Kyle Larson, attempting the “Double” with Indy and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, managed 21st (231.326 mph) after a crash-filled buildup.
Marco Andretti made four attempts to get into the field but came up short. He joins Armstrong, VeeKay, and Abel in Last Chance Qualifying.
What It Means for the Kiwis
McLaughlin is right in the pole fight and will be a front-row favourite.
Dixon is typically poised, right in the mix and flying under the radar.
Armstrong faces a nerve-wracking last-chance showdown after an unforgettable crash-and-comeback.
Three very different stories, one goal: a shot at immortality in the 2025 Indianapolis 500.
