Romain Grosjean took his first IndyCar pole position in his third race since joining the series this year.
The 35-year-old Frenchman was 0.126 seconds faster than Josef Newgarden at the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.
“I’m happier than I have been in a very long time,” said Grosjean.
He left Formula 1 after a horrific accident at the Bahrain Grand Prix in November, but will make a one-off return for a demonstration run at the French Grand Prix in June.
Grosjean, who drives for Dale Coyne Racing, will head a 25-strong field for the race, which starts at 19:00 BST on Saturday on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
