IndyCar points leader Will Power qualified third for the season finale at Auto Club Speedway in California but will drop 10 spots on the starting grid due to an unapproved engine change.
Australian Power leads the title race by just 17 points from Ryan Hunter-Reay, who qualified 17th but copped the same penalty as the Aussie for an unapproved engine change.
Mario Andretti claimed pole with his qualifying average of 216.069 mph, narrowly holding off Ryan Briscoe’s challenge of 216.058.
It’s the first pole since 2008 for Andretti, who is stuck in the worst season of his career. Andretti is ranked a career-worst 17th in the standings headed into Saturday’s (Sunday AEST) race.