Indy 500 qualifying results: Pole winner, full starting grid for 2023 race at Indianapolis

Nick Brinkerhoff

Indy 500 qualifying results: Pole winner, full starting grid for 2023 race at Indianapolis image

The unofficial start of summer is upon us, and that means it's time for racing in Indianapolis. As is tradition, drivers will start their engines on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend to battle it out in the Indy 500.

Before we get there though, we must set the field. Alex Palou held off five challengers on Sunday to capture the pole for the big event on May 28. 

So pour yourself a nice glass of milk and cue up "Back Home Again in Indiana" while the week-long wait begins for race day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

MORE: Watch the Indy 500 live on Fubo (free trial)

The Sporting News tracked the qualifying results for the Indy 500. Here are the full results:

Who won the pole for the Indy 500?

For the first time since 2020, a different driver will be sitting on the pole at IMS on Memorial Day weekend — Alex Palou. 

The Chip Ganassi Racing driver took the top spot with an average four lap speed of 234.217 MPH, defeating Rinus VeeKay, who had an average speed of 234.211. The 26-year-old Palou has only ever finished runner-up at the Indy 500, which came in 2021 behind Helio Castroneves.

Despite not being the one to drink the milk or wear the big wreath at the biggest spectacle in racing, Palou's career has been in an upward trajectory. He won the IndyCar Championship in 2021 and has been consistently in the conversation at Indianapolis. 

Five other drivers competed in the final portion of the Indy 500 qualifying on Sunday: Felix Rosenqvist, Santino Ferrucci, Rinus VeeKay, Scott Dixon and Pato O’Ward.

MORE: Who will win the Indy 500 in 2023?

Indy 500 qualifying results, starting lineup

The top 12 drivers from Saturday's round of qualifying competed for the pole on Sunday. Positions 7-12 were determined earlier in Sunday's qualifying, with the top six cars advancing to time trial laps. The fastest of the top six remaining cars earned the pole position at the Indy 500.

Stefan Wilson originally qualified 25th, but following a crash in Monday's practice session caused by Katherine Legge, he will be unable to compete. Wilson suffered a fracture of the 12th thoracic vertebrae.

Pos.Car No.Driver
110Alex Palou
221Rinus VeeKay
36Felix Rosenqvist
414Santino Ferrucci
55Pato O’Ward
69Scott Dixon
77Alexander Rossi
811Takuma Sato
966Tony Kanaan
108Marcus Ericsson
1155Benjamin Pedersen
1212Will Power
1333Ed Carpenter
143Scott McLaughlin
1527Kyle Kirkwood
1620Conor Daly
172Josef Newgarden
1823Ryan Hunter-Reay
1928Romain Grosjean
2006Helio Castroneves
2126Colton Herta
2260Simon Pagenaud
2318David Malukas
2498Marco Andretti
2529Devlin DeFrancesco
2678Agustin Canapino
2777Callum Ilott
2850R.C. Enerson
2944Katherine Legge
3045Christian Lundgaard
3151Sting Ray Robb (R)
3230 Jack Harvey 
3324Graham Rahal

Nick Brinkerhoff

Nick Brinkerhoff is a content producer at The Sporting News covering the NFL, NBA and other sports. A proud New Jerseyan, Nick is also a graduate of Rutgers University. He is always in the mood for a good joke, the day’s best bets, or a debate about the mediocrity of the New York sports scene.