All Arrow McLaren Drivers Qualified for Indy 500

All four drivers from Arrow McLaren successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500 after an exciting qualifying session on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Among them, Nolan Siegel and NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson are still in contention for the pole position.

Both drivers are attempting to do the “double” this year, following last year’s rain delays that prevented Larson from competing in the Coca-Cola 600.

Meanwhile, Pat O’Ward and Christian Lundgaard both finished in the top 12, advancing to the next round for qualifying on Sunday.

“It was a good day,” Lundgaard noted in the team’s report. “We may have started a bit slow, but our second run was solid, which put us in a strong position for tomorrow. I feel optimistic, and I think we can carry that momentum forward.”

Lakson mentioned feeling “a bit of tension” during his initial qualifiers but managed to improve his position to P21 after a tie for 17th in his second attempt.

“After the first run, I was concerned I might be fighting for the last spot,” Larson confided. “We obviously want to qualify in the top 12 again. Overall, it was a decent day with both runs. I felt fairly balanced, though that came at a slight speed cost.”

“Last year, I had a rough start and fell back. This time, we were able to improve. We’re putting down good laps and are ready for strong results.”

Siegel, who fell short last year while trying to qualify for the 500 with Dale Coin Racing, secured his spot this year with a respectable 26th place. He described the day as “disappointing and confusing,” yet remains optimistic that his car will perform better on race day.

“It was a confusing and somewhat disappointing day for us. We’re in the show now. Race Day should be fine, but I’m not sure why the speed was lacking. The car felt balanced, but I felt off on full speed,” Siegel expressed. “However, I believe we’ll understand it better by race day, even if we’re not starting where we’d like.”

On the other hand, O’Ward is in a strong position in the IndyCar standings, currently sitting fourth and finishing second in the Sonsio Grand Prix last week. He ended Saturday’s qualifying with the fourth fastest time, labeling it as the “Best Indy 500 Qualifiers” of his career.

“We didn’t feel the need to practice this morning; the car felt solid,” O’Ward commented. “I’m pleased with the efforts we’ve made over the past month. The Arrow McLaren and Team Chevy crew have provided an excellent car that was right where we wanted it.”

“This was the best qualifying run I’ve ever had for the Indy 500.”

Both O’Ward and Lundgaard will compete in the Fast 12 on Sunday. The top 12 from Saturday’s qualifying are guaranteed a chance to qualify again, with positions determined from slowest to fastest.

This means Lundgaard will be the first to go during the Fast 12 session on Sunday.

The top six drivers will move on to the Firestone Fast 6 with a shot at pole position, while the remaining six from the Fast 12 will fill spots 7 through 12 for the 109th Indianapolis 500.