Indianapolis, Indiana – Four laps. Just four laps were all Alex Palou needed to remind everyone why he’s the man to beat in the 2024 NTT INDYCAR SERIES. On a breezy Saturday afternoon at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Palou laid down a blistering four-lap average speed of 233.043 mph. That one shot — his only qualifying attempt of the day — launched him to the top of the leaderboard during the opening day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
The Spaniard, who has already won four of the first five races this season and leads the championship standings, is showing no signs of slowing down. The 2023 Indy 500 pole winner is on the hunt for another top starting position, and if Saturday’s run is any indication, he’s got every reason to be confident.
“It’s tough conditions out there,” Palou said after his run. “Yesterday it was with the temperature; today it was with the wind. The car has been really good. We were struggling this morning (in practice). I was unable to finish a four-lap (qualifying simulation) run. Now we were able to finish it quite strongly. Super happy. I don’t know if there’s more (speed in the car), but there’s always more. The line between more and too much is very thin here at IMS. We’ll see what we have for tomorrow.”
Qualifying opened at 11 a.m. ET with cool air temperatures hovering around 70 degrees and a track surface reaching 100 degrees — a significant drop from Friday’s scorching practice. But while the heat dropped, the wind picked up. Gusts of over 30 mph whipped across the 2.5-mile oval as conditions shifted from manageable to unpredictable. Still, Palou mastered the moment, making the most of his opportunity while many struggled to keep their cars steady over four laps.
Palou now heads into Sunday’s Top 12 Qualifying session as the fastest driver on the board. He’ll be joined by a formidable group, including Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O’Ward, Scott Dixon, and rookie standout Robert Shwartzman. The fastest six from Sunday’s run will then battle for the coveted NTT P1 Award in the Firestone Fast Six at 6:25 p.m. ET.
Among Saturday’s most thrilling moments was the last-minute effort by local favorite Conor Daly, who took to the track just before the session ended. Daly, already holding the 21st spot, was desperate to crack the top 12. After three scorching laps, he was on pace to make the cut, but a slight mistake on the final lap dropped him just outside the Fast 12, ending with an average speed of 231.725 mph — missing the mark by just 0.0564 seconds.
“I really wanted to get into that Fast 12,” Daly admitted. “I investigated holding sixth gear through Turn 1 and 2, and it worked for those middle two laps. But I didn’t get the weight jacker back time for Turn 1 on the last lap. Literally, the team deserves to be in the Fast 12. I made the mistake of trying to push it too much and not getting the weight jacker back in time. Just got a little bit tight in (Turns) 1 and 2.”
Other drivers who secured a spot in the Top 12 include David Malukas, Felix Rosenqvist, Takuma Sato, Will Power, Marcus Ericsson, and Christian Lundgaard. It was a day full of high speeds, late drama, and no shortage of emotional highs and lows — classic Indy 500 qualifying.
The day wasn’t kind to everyone, though. Marco Andretti, chasing a 20th Indy 500 start, made four attempts but couldn’t break through. He’ll now face Last Chance Qualifying along with Rinus VeeKay, Jacob Abel, and Marcus Armstrong, who crashed heavily during morning practice and never fully recovered despite heroic efforts by his team.
Graham Rahal, who’s had a tough week of practice, managed to hang on to a guaranteed spot in the field after qualifying 30th at 229.863 mph on his second attempt. The longtime IndyCar driver then had to wait nervously for over two hours to see if his time would hold.
“This day didn’t start off well, but we found a lot and we improved a lot as this day went on,” Rahal said. “Our guys kept our cool today and head’s down. That beer’s going to taste good tonight. I was praying all day somehow this would happen.”
Saturday also saw big-name incidents. Colton Herta had perhaps the scariest crash of the day when his car flipped upside down after making contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1. Miraculously, he emerged unscathed. Just a few hours later, after intense work from his Andretti Global crew, Herta qualified 29th with a speed of 230.192 mph.
Also drawing attention was Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Attempting the ambitious “double” — running the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day — Larson qualified 21st at 231.326 mph. His performance impressed many in the paddock, as he continues to transition smoothly into open-wheel competition.
The intensity will only ramp up on Sunday. Before the big show on May 25, drivers still need to secure starting spots, earn pole honors, and survive the notorious final day of qualifying that has dashed many dreams. Last Chance Qualifying will determine who fills the final three spots in the 33-car grid, while the Top 12 and Firestone Fast Six will decide who starts up front.
Coverage will continue on FOX, the FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge takes place on Sunday, May 25, with the green flag scheduled to wave at 10 a.m. ET.
With momentum on his side and a car that looks nearly unbeatable, Alex Palou could be on the verge of something special. The way he’s performed this season — calm, consistent, and blisteringly fast — it’s no wonder the racing world is watching closely. He may have already led the field once at Indy, but if this weekend goes his way, he’ll have a chance to do it again — this time from the best seat in the house.
