FORT WORTH, Texas — Australia's Will Power won pole position for Saturday's IndyCar Firestone 550 night race by setting the pace in Friday's time trials at Texas Motor Speedway. Power claimed his 31st career IndyCar pole in a Chevrolet-powered Dallara with a two-lap average around the 1.455-mile oval course at 219.182 mph (350.691 k/hr) with American Marco Andretti a distant second at 217.553. American Ryan Hunter-Reay and Scotsman Dario Franchitti will start in row two, followed in order by Venezuela's E.J. Viso, Brazil's Helio Castroneves and Americans Josef Newgarden, Charlie Kimball and Ed Carpenter. A field of 24 will start the 228-lap event, with Indianapolis 500 winner Tony Kanaan starting 15th. Andretti and Castroneves share the season points lead on 206 with Hunter-Reay third on 191 and New Zealand's Scott Dixon another five points adrift. While there have been six different winners in seven IndyCar races this year, neither Ganassi or Penske have a victory even though Penske driver Castroneves is tied for the season points lead with Andretti — who also hasn't won. “Certainly we know that it is extremely important to win races,” said Castroneves, who qualified sixth. “We are going into the mode, attack and get to the front and if it's meant to be, it will be. We cannot be desperate.” Castroneves is a three-time winner in Texas, tied with Sam Hornish for the most victories at the track. But he has never been a season champ. “If it takes more second places than firsts to win the championship, then sign me in, and I'm ready to do that,” he said. Castroneves has finished lower than 10th only one time this season, 13th in his hometown race at Sao Paulo. Andretti has finished seventh or better in all but the first race of the Detroit doubleheader last weekend, when he was 20th before moving to sixth the next day. Rain washes out track activity at Pocono Rain washed out Friday's qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway. Points leader Jimmie Johnson will automatically sit on the pole for the start of Sunday's 640-kilometer (400-mile) race. It rained all day and cars never got on the track. There are only 43 entries for the race so no driver will miss the field. — Agencies
