KV Racing Technology's Mario Moraes, who is starting in the top-ten for the fifth time this season, was fourth, while series points' leader Dario Franchitti will start fifth.

Franchitti's #10 Polaroid car for Target Chip Ganassi Racing spun entering Turn 11 in the Fast Six and he made rear contact with the tyre barrier, creating a full-course yellow midway through the session that limited the laps. As a result he lost his two fastest tours.

He had been due to start sixth, but was bumped up to P5 as Graham Rahal was penalised 10 grid positions after his car failed a post-qualifying technical inspection.

"Qualifying is always fun here; it really physically tests you those three sessions if you make it to the Fast Six," Dario reflected. "You're really hanging it out there, and that's what I did in the Fast Six.

"I knew I had a guaranteed top six and the Polaroid car felt really good, so I just pushed hard and I got a little loose on the entry to that last corner, and it just bit me. There's so much grip in those Firestone reds (tyres) and you have to take advantage of it, and that's what I was trying to do."

Further down the order, Mike Conway and Andretti Green Racing trio, Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti and Tony Kanaan rounded out the top ten - although all of course move up a position as a result of Rahal's penalty.

"I think we could have gotten a little more out of the Boost Mobile/Motorola car," said Danica. "The last lap was our quickest, but we had gained some understeer by then. If the car had been able to stay more consistent, we definitely could have started higher on the grid.

"There are so many good drivers this year though; the field is super-competitive, so to be eighth [now seventh] is still good.

"This is the highest start I've had on a road course this year, so I think we can still pull out a strong finish."

EJ Viso was just outside the top-ten on the original timesheets, followed by Dan Wheldon and then Hideki Mutoh and Penske's Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves, the pole winner in 2005-07, was bumped in the first 20-minute segment by Wheldon's final lap of 1min 29.6398secs.