DETROIT (AP) — Helio Castroneves has won the pole for the first race of the Detroit Grand Prix doubleheader.
The Brazilian heads into Saturday afternoon’s race coming off a close runner-up finish to Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Indianapolis 500. Castroneves has two victories at Belle Isle, including the first win of his career, in 2000.
Castroneves was challenged for the pole by James Hinchcliffe, who wrecked out of the Indy 500 last week late in the race in an accident with pole-sitter Ed Carpenter.
The rest of the final Fast Six qualifying round included rookie Jack Hawksworth, defending race winner champion Mike Conway, Ryan Briscoe and Juan Pablo Montoya.
It was Montoya’s first appearance in the Fast Six round of qualifying, and gave Team Penske two cars in the first three rows.
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