IRL Sonoma Qualifying **SPOILER**

Team Penske sweeps the front row. They'll be setting things on fire a lot from now on! Recovering from something like this (or the flood at the old shop in PA) is what makes this team so great.

Will Power in third, certain to strengthen the rumors of his switch to Ganassi. That kid is impressive.

From Indycar.com:

SONOMA, Calif. - Apparently, the Aug. 20 fire that severely damaged a team transporter and its contents didn't snuff out Team Penske's internal fire.

Castroneves was the fastest of the Firestone Fast Six to win the PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award for the PEAN Antifreeze & Motor Oil Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma County. His quick lap of the 10-minute session (1 minute, 16.9027 seconds; 107.809 mph) around the 2.303-mile, 12-turn permanent road course was just a shade faster than teammate Ryan Briscoe's 1:16.9185 (107.787 mph).

"We tried to burn their cars and trailers and nothing seems to works," lamented Andretti Green Racing's Tony Kanaan, who qualified fourth at 1:17.1286 (107.493 mph). "I guess I'm going to have to put in a call to some of my Brazilian friends tonight to find a way to stop them."

Castroneves and Briscoe qualified 1-2 for the third consecutive street/road course race. It's the sixth time this season that teammates will start 1-2, tying an IndyCar Series record set in 2005.

"What a great comeback from Team Penske after what happened this week," Castroneves said. "Ryan and I tried everything we could to get this front row. It was a close call between Ryan and I, but we kept pushing. But my hat is off to the crew guys because they did this for us.

"This pole definitely tastes sweeter than the others because of what happened (with the fire). They turned the page. They kept going. They worked many, many hours. They brought a spare car back from Charlotte along with spare pieces. And the result just showed. We really worked hard, we really wanted it and the good news is it paid off."

Castroneves and Briscoe also shared the front row at Infineon in 2005, when Briscoe won the pole with Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

"It was great to get the front row again with Helio," Briscoe said. "We help each other out a lot as the weekend goes along as we really push each other and learn from each other. That really helps us get the front row as well as all the hard work Team Penske has had this weekend. It's good to reward them with a good qualifying effort."

Will Power qualified third at 1:17.0875 (107.551 mph) for his fourth top-five start of the season, followed by Kanaan and Scott Dixon, who brings a 78-point lead over Castroneves in the IndyCar Series standings into the race.

"Our car was fairly decent and we were struggling a little bit for time as we have been all weekend," Dixon said after running a fast lap at 1:17.6682 (106.746 mph). "The last session we tried to lower the car a lot to see if it would magically pick up some time. Magically, it went a lot slower. It didn't work out too well. I locked up the brakes and that was the end of the day."

Oriol Servia of KV Racing Technologies rounded out the Fast Six at 1:17.8377 (106.514 mph). The Spaniard has qualified eighth or better at every road/street course race this season.

Castroneves is second in points but has yet to score a victory this season.

"I'm past the time to climb the fence," Castroneves said. "Scott Dixon is making it tough for me to do that. Sunday is going to be tough because the difference in times is just so close. It's going to be difficult to pass unless someone makes a mistake. We have to try to make the championship tighter. Hopefully, it's time to turn it around."

So if he wins at Infineon, will Castroneves celebrate with the team by having a bonfire or a cookout?

"That's funny," he said. "I think we covered that area already. But I want to give my crew a big reward, I'll tell you that."

Round 1
(Top six from each group of 20 minutes advance to Round 2)

Group 1: Oriol Servia (1:17.1462; 107.469); Tony Kanaan (1:17.3636; 107.167); Marco Andretti (1:17.4633; 107.029); Ryan Hunter-Reay (1:17.5547; 106.903); Mario Dominguez (1:17.7082; 106.691); Mario Moraes (1:17.8039; 106.560)
Not advancing: Bruno Junqueira (1:17.8306; 106.524); Graham Rahal (1:17.9012; 106.427); Tomas Scheckter (1:18.1238; 106.124); Townsend Bell (1:18.3267; 105.849); Darren Manning (1:18.3885; 105.766); Ed Carpenter (1:18.4034; 105.745); Marty Roth (1:19.9435; 103.708)
Group 2: Will Power (1:16.9543; 107.737); Ryan Briscoe (1:17.0343; 107.625); helio Castroneves (1:17.0477; 107.606); Scott Dixon (1:17.1941; 107.402); Danica Patrick (1:17.2155; 107.372); Justin Wilson (1:17.3021; 107.252)
Not advancing: E.J. Viso (1:17.4189; 107.090); Dan Wheldon (1:17.4738; 107.014); Vitor meira (1:17.5399; 106. 923); Hideki Mutoh (1:18.0038; 106.287); Buddy Rice (1:18.1139; 106.137); A.J. Foyt IV (1:18.3715, 105.788); Jaime Camara (1:19.4711, 104.325); Enrique Bernoldi (No time)

Round 2
(Top six from 15-minute session advance to Firestone Fast Six)

Castroneves (1:16.6819, 108.119); Kanaan (1:16.7244, 108.059); Briscoe (1:16.7409, 108.036); Dixon (1:16.8413, 107.895); Servia (1:16.8433, 107.892); Power (1:16.8946, 107.820)
Not advancing: Wilson (1:17.0056; 107.665); Hunter-Reay (1:17.0378; 107.620); Patrick (1:17.0458, 107.609); Andretti (1:17.2705, 107.296); Dominguez (1:17.4614, 107.031); Moraes (1:17.5882, 106.856)

Firestone Fast Six
Castroneves (1:16.9027, 107.809); Briscoe (1:16.9185, 107.787); Power (1:17.0875, 107.551); Kanaan (1:17.1286, 107.493); Dixon (1:17.6682, 106.746); Servia (1:17.8377, 106.514)