Power was quickest by a large margin on both of his laps. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Qualifying for the double-header on the short oval of Iowa Speedway was delayed by nearly two hours due to a rain storm that moved through just as Ed Carpenter was set to begin the session.
The wet track shifted qualifying later into the morning, but still offered drivers a chance to earn their starting positions as opposed to being lined up be entrant points.
The starting grids for both races were set in a single session, with the first lap counting for the first race and the second lap setting the lineup for the second race on Sunday.
READ MORE: IndyCar Iowa – Full Qualifying Results
Just as he did last year, Will Power dominated both parts of qualifying around the 7/8-mile oval and earned two more poles to his illustrious record.
The poles are the 69th and 70th career IndyCar poles for the veteran, and he was over one mile-per-hour faster than his nearest competitor.
That nearest competitor was his own Team Penske team-mate Scott McLaughlin, with the Kiwi earning the second position for both races.
Josef Newgarden made for the Penske trifecta in race one by earning the third starting spot. David Malukas earned the third starting spot for race two with a quick second lap in his Dale Coyne Racing Honda.
Team Penske was a mile ahead of the rest of the field in general, and no others looked nearly as solid while cruising the short oval at 180 MPH.
Drivers overall were forced to qualify with a race setup due to impound rules being in effect, which meant many were quite uncomfortable behind the wheel as they pushed the limits.
Grosjean qualified in eighth for race one, but was considerably slower on his second lap. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
No driver hit the wall, but a few did get loose and were forced to lift the throttle to prevent a spin.
Benjamin Pedersen did not take part in qualifying due to his AJ Foyt Racing Chevy not passing technical inspection, and will start in the final position for both races.
Jack Harvey was assessed a grid penalty for his part in the opening lap wreck in Toronto last weekend, and will start from 26th instead of 17th for the first race.
Race one of the double-header takes place later Saturday afternoon, with the green flag waving near 4:00 PM central time.
Keyword: Power blasts to pole for both races of the IndyCar Iowa double-header