McLaughlin, the 32-year-old New Zealander, pulled off a clutch flying lap in the waning seconds of 1m00.5426s (107.032mph) around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit. Pole means he’ll lead the field to the first green flag of the 2026 IndyCar season.
Marcus Ericsson’s No. 28 Andretti Global Honda also delivered a stellar run, falling short of pole by a narrow 0.0195s.
Rookie Dennis Hauger, last year’s Indy NXT champion, led a surprise outing by Dale Coyne Racing and vaulted to third, just 0.0317s behind. Reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou, in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, was fourth.
David Malukas, in his first race with Team Penske, claimed…