In AJ Foyt's first race at the track since Texas in June, his driver Takuma Sato didn't disappoint and won his boss pole for today's race one at the Grand Prix of Houston, setting the fastest lap at 1:00.4535 seconds. It is Sato's third career pole and first since Edmonton in 2011. Will Power was fastest in group one and will start second on the grid.
Scott Dixon did all he could but was still a tenth and a half behind Sato but will roll off the grid from third position. Joining Dixon on row two will be Simon Pagenaud. Sébastien Bourdais was second in group one but will serve a ten grid spot penalty for an engine change. Simona de Silvestro will start fifth with James Hinchcliffe starting sixth. Luca Filippi will start a career best seventh next to EJ Viso in eighth. James Jakes will start ninth with Marco Andretti rounding out the top ten.
Dale Coyne Racing teammates Mike Conway and Justin Wilson occupy row six with Tony Kanaan in thirteenth and Bourdais fourteenth after his penalty. Ryan Hunter-Reay will roll off fifteenth with Charlie Kimball in sixteenth. Oriol Servià will start seventeenth with Josef Newgarden in eighteenth.
Sebastián Saavedra starts nineteenth with Dario Franchitti in twentieth after serving a ten grid spot penalty for an engine change. Helio Castroneves will start twenty-first with Ed Carpenter joining him on row eleven. Honda drivers Tristan Vautier and Graham Rahal round out the field. Graham Rahal is also serving a ten grid spot penalty for an engine change.
NBCSN's coverage of race one of the Grand Prix of Houston will be at 3:00 p.m. ET with green flag around 3:40 p.m. ET.
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