Kanaan wins pole for IndyCar race at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — The way Tony Kanaan saw it, it was his good fortune to be the last of the Andretti Green racers to qualify for the SunTrust Indy Challenge on Friday night.

And it was about time that he had luck go his way.

“That’s pure luck. It’s the number that you draw. If we want to talk about luck with me this year, I guess, I think I deserve a little bit,” said Kanaan, who was the 22nd of 26 drivers to make his attempt. He’s fourth in the points race with five top-five finishes.

Kanaan’s four-lap average speed of 167.876 mph allowed him to nudge Andretti Green Racing teammate Marco Andretti to the outside of the front row. Andretti’s average was 167.795.

“It helped that my teammates all qualified in front of me,” Kanaan said. “If there’s one track I want to start on the pole, it’s this one.”

Kanaan and Andretti will be the 36th teammates in history to share the front row, and the seventh from Andretti Green. The pole is the 10th of Kanaan’s career and second this season.

The second row of the surprising grid will have rookie Graham Rahal and points leader Scott Dixon, with Buddy Rice, 17th in points, and Dan Wheldon on the third row.

“This is one of the places that’s kind of an equalizer,” said Rice, whose Dreyer &Reinbold team is underfunded compared to the power organizations. “It’s good for us.”

For Rahal, the run was a complete surprise after struggling in practice.

“We had been struggling so bad. I just didn’t know wat to expect or where we’d be,” he said after posting an average of 167.250 as the 24th driver to take his qualifying laps.

When rain came earlier in the day and washed out the last portion of practice, Rahal figured it was positive because he’s 16th in points and thought he’d start further back.

“We were thinking, ‘Where are we going to qualify? 22nd? 20th? Somewhere around there. But third,” he said, glancing again toward the scoreboard. “That’s obviously a little better.”

Dixon, Wheldon and Helio Castroneves, who struggled and will start 18th, are the only former winners at Richmond entered in this year’s eighth running at the 0.75-mile oval.

“The good news is that tomorrow is the day that counts,” Castroneves said.

Danica Patrick also struggled and will start 14th.

After Friday qualifying; race Saturday

At Richmond International Raceway

Richmond, Va.

Lap length: 0.75 miles

(Car number in parentheses)

(All chassis Dallara, all engines Honda)

1. (11) Tony Kanaan, 167.876 mph.

2. (26) Marco Andretti, 167.795.

3. (06) Graham Rahal, 167.250.

4. (9) Scott Dixon, 167.120.