Honda Secures Front Row for Detroit Grand Prix

Honda-powered cars will occupy the entire front row for the upcoming NTT INDYCAR SERIES Detroit Grand Prix, following a dominant qualifying performance. Championship leader Alex Palou secured his third consecutive pole position, while Will Power qualified second, marking his best starting spot since joining Andretti Global.

Qualifying Performance Highlights

Honda demonstrated significant strength during qualifying, with four of the six cars in the Firestone Fast Six shootout utilizing Honda power. Eight of the top twelve qualifiers were also Honda-powered entries, underscoring the manufacturer's performance advantage on the Detroit street circuit.

Alex Palou's pole position is his third in a row, following top qualifying efforts at the Sonsio Grand Prix and the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 earlier this month. This achievement marks a clean sweep of pole positions during the Month of May for the Chip Ganassi Racing driver. Will Power's second-place start represents his strongest qualifying result since his move to Andretti Global for the 2026 season.

Palou's Championship Form and HRC Livery

Palou, driving the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, currently leads the NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship by 37 points. He has already secured three victories this season at St. Petersburg, Barber Motorsports Park, and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. His car for the Detroit Grand Prix will feature a fan-favorite HRC livery, a special red, white, and blue design previously seen when he won from pole at Barber Motorsports Park in 2025.

This HRC livery not only celebrates the long-standing success between Honda and Chip Ganassi Racing but also promotes new HRC US business ventures. These initiatives include a performance parts business that will offer genuine HRC components for Acura and Honda road cars, bridging the gap between racing technology and consumer vehicles.

Honda's Detroit Success and Race Expectations

Beyond the front row lockout, Honda-powered cars will start strong throughout the field. Scott Dixon qualified fourth, and Kyle Kirkwood secured sixth position. Other Honda drivers making it into the Top 12 included Marcus Armstrong (P8), Marcus Ericsson (P10), Louis Foster (P11), and Graham Rahal (P12). Four out of five Honda-powered teams advanced to the Top 12 qualifying round.

Honda has maintained a winning streak at the Detroit Grand Prix, having won every race held on the downtown street circuit since its introduction in 2023. Both Palou and Power expressed confidence in their Honda engines and their cars' setup for the demanding street course, anticipating strong race pace and fuel efficiency for Sunday's event.

This strong qualifying performance positions Honda and its teams favorably for the Detroit Grand Prix, aiming to continue their recent success on the challenging street circuit and further extend Alex Palou's championship lead.