Dario Franchitti captured pole position for the IndyCar Long Beach Grand Prix, the first bright spot in a so-far disappointing season for the Scot.
Dario Franchitti celebrates his pole position on April 20, 2013 for the IndyCar Long Beach Grand Prix. Franchitti is enduring the worst start to a season in his IndyCar career. His last victory was at the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
Franchitti, a four-time IndyCar series champion, had finished 25th in each of the first two races to lie last in the points standings.
He lapped the Long Beach street circuit in 1min 7.2379sec to claim the 30th pole position of his IndyCar career but his first since last July in Toronto.
"It was nice to go out there and really have a great car and get everything out of it," Franchitti said.
Franchitti is enduring the worst start to a season in his IndyCar career. His last victory was at the 2012 Indianapolis 500.
Defending series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay had claimed the provisional pole with a lap of 1:07.2934, but Franchitti topped it in the closing seconds of the "Fast Six" final session of qualifying.
Hunter-Reay will start second as he tries to add a second straight victory after his triumph in Alabama two weeks ago.
Australian Will Power, who won last year's race at Long Beach, was third-quickest.
"It was good to get to the Fast Six, just because of how close everything is at the moment," Power said. "We got caught out there on the end there. I'm still very happy with third. It's a good starting position."
Japan's Takuma Sato will share the second row with Power. Mike Conway, the 2011 Long Beach race winner, and Helio Castroneves, who is the current points leader, will roll off from row three. Conway is making his first start of the season, driving the No. 17 car for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
New Zealand's Scott Dixon will start from the rear of the 27-car field for causing a red flag when he spun and blocked the course, impeding Oriol Servia.
Servia hit a tyre barrier trying to avoid Dixon.