Australia's Will Power remains confident his IndyCar championship tilt is on track despite a poor qualifying run for Sunday's season finale in California.
The 33-year-old will start the 500-mile race the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana in a lowly 21st position after Saturday's qualifying at the two-mile oval circuit.
To compound Power's poor day, his main championship rival Helio Castroneves posted the day's best lap and will start from pole position in the twilight race.
Power heads into the race with a 50-point lead in the series, after Castroneves picked up a bonus point for his pole position on Saturday.
That means the Australian must finish sixth or better to guarantee the title.
Having finished runner-up three times in the past four years, Power has every right to feel nervous following his poor qualifying effort but says being at the very back of the field at the start is better than being stuck in the middle.
"With the starting position, I'd rather start at the very front or the very back to stay out of trouble early on," Power said.
"It's obviously all about the race. It's very long and we'll be racing in different conditions."
With track temperatures in the Californian sun topping 50 degrees, Castroneves was the final runner in Saturday's session and he did enough to pip Juan Pablo Montoya to the pole.
He says his aim is to hold onto the No.1 throughout the day and put as much pressure on fellow Team Penske driver Power as possible.
"It ain't over, it's just beginning," Castroneves said.
"Our job is to be aggressive over the 500 miles and finish where we started."
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