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"On Friday, Verizon IndyCar Series points leader Will Power qualified fifth for Saturday's inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis on the 2.439&#8211;mile road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Team Penske driver not only raved about the circuit, but he also thinks he can extend his championship lead on race day. Power topped the timesheets several times during a qualifying session that began in the dry, then experienced rain, then a red flag for heavy rain. It was ultimately stopped short of its finish when Ryan Hunter-Reay spun coming out of turn 14 and backed his Andretti Autosport Dallara-Honda into the front-straight wall. Sebastian Saavedra ultimately claimed the pole in his KV Racing Technology Dallara-Chevrolet after IndyCar stripped Hunter-Reay of his two best laps for causing a red flag. &#8220;I think it was the absolute drivers' qualifying session because the first session was dry to start, then it sprinkled -- so you went from black tires to soft red slicks, then rain totally soaked the track, so the next session, you had to be good in the rain to get through,&#8221; Power said. &#8220;And then it really rained for the next one, and the track had a lot of standing water. So, yeah, it was a very interesting qualifying. &#8220;The circuit is fun, man. I love it,&#8221; Power said of the 14-turn layout that looks better than it ever did during its Formula One days, thanks to modifications IMS made to the areas in turns three and four, seven-nine, and 12-13. &#8220;Every you speak to loves it. It's just so, you know, it's just very European-style, not a bump on the track. It's smooth, technical and has passing zones. It's a cool track.&#8221; The 33-year-old Australian is confident his third-row starting position is good enough to win from, in part due to drivers' expectations that passing opportunities will be more prevalent than they were on IMS' original road-course design. &#8220;Turns one and seven for sure all the passing is going to happen,&#8221; Power said. &#8220;Maybe if you get a very good run into turn 12, too. You can win here from fifth, especially with the two guys at the front. It's not that they're not &#8230; they'll be strong as hell--and fast--but as far as stops and strategies and all that, we'll see how it plays out.&#8221; More rain is one thing Power is not looking for. &#8220;Yeah,&#8221; he said with a smile. &#8220;Hoping for dry tomorrow. I think in the dry it will be a great race.&#8221; He is likely to get his wish: Local forecasts call for only a 10-percent chance of rain on Saturday."
<https://www.autoweek.com/racing/indycar/a1895596/will-power-thrilled-grand-prix-indy-road-course-says-he-can-win-fifth-grid/>