INDIANAPOLIS, May 16 (UPI) -- Ed Carpenter, stepson of Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George, Carpenter, won the pole Friday for Saturday's inaugural Freedom 100 Infiniti Pro Series race.
Carpenter took the top spot by driving the Dallara/Infiniti owned by A.J. Foyt at 188.490 miles per hour. That surpassed Mark Taylor's speed of 188.062 for Panther Racing.
It was the first career Infiniti Pro Series pole for the 22-year-old USAC short-track ace from Indianapolis. Foyt won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 in 1965, 1969, 1974 and 1975.
"I'm just really happy," Carpenter said. "A.J. Foyt had a great car and (chief mechanic) Jack Starne has worked to get this car ready for this track. It was our goal to start here on the pole and ultimately to win this race.
Carpenter said the team got off to a "perfect" start. What makes it even better is racing at his home track.
"It just makes you feel a lot better," he said. "I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. This place means so much to me. I've been coming here since I was 8. I've been waiting and dreaming for the day that I get to turn laps here."
It's the first time a race other than the Indianapolis 500 has been held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the month of May.
Taylor will start on the outside of the front row. The rookie from London has qualified for the front row in all three Infiniti races this season.
"The car's working well," he said. "The speed was quicker than we ran this morning, so you're always happy about that. I think if we'd run again, we would change a few things to go a little bit quicker, but that's life."
Rookie Jeff Simmons rounded out the top three at 187.459 mph.
"I think we could have gone a little quicker," he said. "I hit the rev limiter as I hit the start-finish line here. We just didn't have enough gear today. But tomorrow we know what we have to do to run for the race, so I think we'll be right up there."
