IndyCar Gateway starting lineup: Will Power ties Mario Andretti for IndyCar pole record

Will Power made history Friday while bolstering his championship run in World Wide Technology Raceway Gateway qualifying, earning the top spot in the starting lineup with his 67th career pole position to tie Mario Andretti for the all-time IndyCar record.

Power, who leads Scott Dixon by six points in the NTT IndyCar Series standings with three races remaining, turned a lap at 182.727 mph in his No. 12 Dallara-Chevrolet on the 1.25-mile oval and paced qualifying for Saturday’s race (6 p.m. ET, USA Network).

“Amazing,” Power told NBC Sports’ Kevin Lee. “I never ever would be able to do this without Verizon and Penske. Such a fantastic career, they’ve given me such great opportunity, and of rouse Chevrolet, too because a lot of those poles were with a Chevy engine. I’m still shaking. There was nothing left on the table.

INDYCAR AT WWTR GATEWAY: Details, schedules, start times for this weekend

QUALIFYING RESULTS: Speeds from Friday’s session

“Just an amazing year so far. This is a big victory for me to reach the 67 (poles) and equal such a legend of the sport in Mario Andretti. I just can’t believe I’m right there with Mario because there’s been no one like him.”

'@12WillPower has equaled @MarioAndretti for the most poles in @indycar racing history.

Will anyone else match Mario and Will's feat? pic.twitter.com/ldxYmdHDOM

— INDYCAR on NBC (@IndyCaronNBC) August 19, 2022

Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson qualified second (182.070 mph) in the No. 8 Dallara-Honda and narrowly missed his first IndyCar pole as title contenders took the top seven spots.

“It doesn’t change a lot, we still need to win the race,” Ericsson told NBC Sports’ Dillon Welch. “I’m very proud of the Bryant Honda. The No. 8 car was really good. We had a good