Will Power on qualifying lap at Auto Club Speedway

In the IndyCar Auto Club Speedway qualifying session, Marco Andretti took the pole for the MAVTV 500 with an average speed of 216.069 MPH.  Will Power, series leader and favorite for the Championship going into the final race of 2012 qualified third at 215.940 MPH.  His Team Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe was second with a speed of 215.058 MPH.  Power’s closest competitor for the series title, Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport qualified seventeenth at 212.773 MPH.  Hunter-Reay comes into the race seventeen points behind Power and must have a strong finish combined with Power misfortune in order to take the series crown.  Rookie Josef Newgarden qualified fourth at 215.919 MPH.

James Hinchcliffe burns some rubber heading out to qualify at Auto Club Speedway

Simon Pagenaud on a qualifying lap at Auto Club Speedway

Brutally Hot Conditions At Auto Club Speedway

Qualifying was tough on the hot day in Fontana with air temperatures over 100 degrees and track temperature reaching over 140 degrees.  Similarly hot weather is forecast for race day on Saturday.  With the IndyCar Auto Club Speedway race being a grueling 500 miles under difficult conditions, many teams opted to change engines while accepting a 10 place grid penalty.  Troubles also forced some drivers into an unplanned engine change.

James Jakes heads out for qualifying at Auto Club Speedway

Final Starting Grid

After engine change penalties are factored in, the starting grid looks like this:

1. Marco Andretti, #26
2. Ryan Brisco, #2
3. Tony Kanaan, #11
4. JR Hildebrand, #4
5. Ed Carpenter, #20
6. Rubens Barrichello, #8
7. Katherine Legge, #6
8. Oriol Servia, #22
9. Dario Franchitti, #10
10. Sebastian Saavedra, #17
11. EJ Viso, #5
12. James Jakes, #19
13. Will Power, #12
14. Josef Newgarden, #67
15. Scott Dixon, #9
16. Alex Tagliani, #98
17. Helio Castroneves, #3
18. Graham Rahal, #38
19. James Hinchcliffe, #27
20. Simon Pagenaud, #77
21. Takuma Sato, #15
22. Ryan Hunter-Reay, #28
23. Charlie Kimball, #83
24. Wade Cunningham, #14
25. Justin Wilson, #18
26. Simona de Silvestro, #78

Helio Castroneves on qualifying lap at Auto Club Speedway

JR Hildebrand on qualifying lap at Auto Club Speedway

More pictures are posted in a gallery here.