Newgarden, a two-time series champion and defending Indianapolis 500 winner, executed a stout lap of 59.5714s around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit to claim the top spot by 0.0058s over Meyer Shank Racing’s Felix Rosenqvist.
“It’s an elevated level when you start out the year,” said Newgarden, who now has 17 career poles.
