Qualifying Report: Bommarito Automotive Group 500

MADISON, IL—For the first time this season both of the ABC Supply Chevrolets will be starting in the top half of the field for the Bommarito 500 at Gateway Motorsports Park tomorrow night.

Carlos Munoz will start eighth after posting a two-lap qualifying average speed of 183.620mph on the 1.25-mile oval.

“I’m very happy in general,” Munoz said after his run. “I think it’s our best qualifying run of the year on the ovals. Really happy to be in the top 10. I knew we had a good car from testing. We have one more practice to go so we need to make some changes to improve it for the race tomorrow night.”

In fact it is his best start of the season on both ovals and road/street courses. His teammate Conor Daly will start 11th with his speed of 183.283mph. Daly was slightly disappointed in his run especially since he was in the top 3 in both test sessions here earlier in the year.

However, Daly was happy for the team overall, saying, “It’s a good day for the team obviously to have both cars in the top 11. Really wanted to qualify a little bit better than I did because we’ve been fast here in previous sessions. Just had a big moment in Turn 1 – the car was a little bit loose. We’re starting quite a bit forward than we normally do so that’s a good thing. I think we’ve always had better cars in the race so I’m excited for tomorrow night.”

Will Power won the Verizon P-1 Award with a sizzling 189.642mph run which marked his 50th career pole. His teammates filled out the first two rows with Josef Newgarden in second followed by Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. Ed Carpenter was fifth quickest with a run of 184.528mph.

The teams have an hour long practice this evening to fine-tune the cars before tomorrow’s race which will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network starting at 9 p.m. ET.