For the only the 36th time in Indy league history, drivers from the same racing team captured the top two pole positions when Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti took 1-2 in qualification for the SunTrust Indy Challenge at Richmond International Raceway.
Kanaan took advantage of being 22nd driver to collect an average speed of 167.876 during his four lap qualification run while Andretti ran second 167.795.

And while Kanaan drove the car, he said it was his Andretti Green Racing teammates, Andretti, Danica Patrick and Hideki Mutoh, who put him out front by providing feedback before he hit the track. “I think I got the advantage of going last out of my teammates,” Kanaan said. “I got a read on their cars.” Shortly before Kanann took off, Andretti’s crew informed him that a wing adjustment could prove beneficial.

“We had the exact same setup so I was able to make my car a little bit quicker than his,” Kanaan said. “I’ve got to thank him and my team.”

Now that Kanaan has the pole, he must manage the difficulties of driving 300 laps on the ¾ mile oval at Richmond.

“I love it,” Kanaan said. “This is a place that you can make a difference. This is a place that you either love or you hate. You love because you have a good car and you can do good things or you hate when you can find the car that you have. I have a lot of fun, although I respect this place a lot because I’m starting on the pole, it doesn’t mean anything. And our friends here in Richmond they added 50 laps to the race, which I have to say, 250 was really tough. It’s going to be an exciting race tomorrow for sure.”

Taking 1-2 on the pole marked the seventh time that AGR has completed such a feat.