Indianapolis (AP) - After the first round of time-trials, the top of the Indianapolis 500 Qualification Committee is three familiar faces, with two-time defending IndyCar series champion Alex Palou holding temporary pole positions.

Palou, the four-way champion of four of the first five races of the season, qualified for a Honda-driven race at 233.043 mph, is Scott McLaughlin's Penske Drivers of Scott McLaughlin and two defending Indiana 500th champion Josef Newgarden.

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McLaughlin scored 233.013, with Newgarden ranked third in 233.004. A year ago, all three Penske cars swept the front row of the Indianapolis 500, while Newgden used his last lap pass to make himself the first driver to win the "Greatest Wonder in Racing" for three consecutive years in the race next Sunday.

Saturday's eligibility determines the Fast 12, which will be held again on Sunday to set the first four lines and pole positions. The drivers who qualify for the 13th to 30th locked in their position, but the slowest four cars or drivers who cannot post time entered the final shootout Saturday to determine the last three positions on the 33-car grid.

A driver will not become a venue.

It's a nonsense and he will be playing midway through Saturday's qualifying match. While Pallow, McLaughlin and Newgden may be done the same day, Penske will regain momentum to play again, with him approving the top 12 in tenth place.

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However, track conditions were the worst of the week, with strong winds gusts that affected handling on the car and two frightening crashes: Marcus Armstrong broke during his morning practice and his backup wasn't ready when it was his turn to make the qualifying attempt. Eventually, Indycar medical staff cleared the game and he hoped to get qualifying on Saturday without relegation to Sunday's gunfight.

For Colton Herta, he nearly crashed with Armstrong in a horrific wreck during the qualifying match. Herta's car actually flipped on the side, and he rode the wall and was stuck facing the concrete cockpit side. His team desperately tried to contact him on the radio to check him, but the car was messed up and Hurta couldn't touch the button to answer Andretti Global.

Currently, if Andretti doesn't prepare a car at the end of Saturday's meeting, he's currently ineligible for time, and if Andretti doesn't prepare a car for him, he's probably at the bottom quarter-shooting.

Graham Rahal, too, has struggled, who failed to qualify for the race in 2023 and has been unable to master his car so far.

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So far, not qualified, are Rahar, Jacob Abel, Armstrong and Hurta.

Kyle Larson, who tried to run both the Indy 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, was locked to the Indy Field, but he didn't have the ability to run Fast 12.

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