IndyCar qualifying at Pocono canceled due to bad weather

Despite the weekend schedule looking extraordinarily open, due to only vintage IndyCar parades supporting the NTT IndyCar Series on the 2.5-mile tri-oval, the rainy conditions at Pocono have apparently so restricted action that what track time is available will be consigned to race practice.

That means Team Penske-Chevrolet’s Josef Newgarden will start from pole position alongside defending Pocono race-winner Alexander Rossi of Andretti Autosport-Honda. However, Newgarden will not earn a championship point despite his P1 status.

Behind these two will be reigning Indy 500 winner Simon Pagenaud (Penske) and Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda’s Scott Dixon who won the previous round of the series at Mid-Ohio.

Two-time Pocono winner Will Power, still seeking his first victory of the season, will line up fifth in the third Penske alongside 2015 Pocono winner Ryan Hunter-Reay, with the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Hondas of Takuma Sato and Graham Rahal locking out the fourth row.

Felix Rosenqvist in the second Ganassi car will start as top rookie in ninth, alongside Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports-Honda of James Hinchcliffe.

The morning practice session, which was eventually cancelled due to rain, had already been pushed back as low cloud cover had prevented the medical helicopter from arriving.

The rain has now cleared, the sun is out, and once the medi chopper is in place and the track is dry, IndyCar will hold a two-hour practice session, with the teams allowed to use the final 30mins to also include pitstop practice.

Starting line-up for ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway