IndyCar defending champion Will Power has led a Team Penske sweep in qualifying for the long-awaited opener in Florida.
It was no surprise at all to see Power twice break the track record Saturday (Sunday AEDT) in qualifying, and lead teammates Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya in a Penske romp.
Montoya even hinted at what was to come after three Penske drivers paced the opening practice of the weekend. Asked if that early showing meant anything, he replied it was a surprise Penske wasn't 1-2-3-4 on the leaderboard.
Now the only question lingering is if the Penske quartet can be stopped in Sunday's race.
Power has led every on-track session around the temporary street circuit in downtown St Petersburg.
He was briefly bumped from the top starting spot by Pagenaud, but quickly reclaimed it with a lap at one minute, .6931 seconds.
"I was really satisfied to get pole," said Power, who has now won five of the last six poles at St. Petersburg, and opened last year's championship season with a win here.
His lap at 1:00.6509 in the second qualifying group stands as the track record, breaking the mark of 1:00.928 set by Sebastien Bourdais in 2003.
"I think just the way the team is, the teammates, it provides a lot of motivation," Power said.
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