Power Takes Pole At Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, August 7, 2010: Will Power overcame a crash in the morning practice session to earn the PEAK Performance Pole Award for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio.

Power, who has participated in all eight Firestone Fast Six sessions this season, claimed the top spot for the 85-lap race with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.1997 seconds (120.965 mph) in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car during the 10-minute shootout. It is his seventh of the season, tying teammate Helio Castroneves' IZOD IndyCar Series record.

In the 60-minute practice session, Power's car clipped the curb at the apex of the corner, ran wide into the wet grass and spun trying to point it back onto the track. It backed hard into the tires at the end of the Turn 1 runoff.

"Bad mistake on my behalf this morning," said Power, who got out of the car without assistance, though the Indy Racing League medical staff reported he has a thigh bruise. "The guys had to put together the spare car in a two-hour space. I can't thank them enough."

Four different teams entered the Firestone Fast Six, and seven different teams are represented on the first six rows. Dario Franchitti (1:07.2846), who advanced to the Firestone Fast Six the past four races (all with podium finishes), will start on the outside of the front row.