Kanaan secures pole, shares front row with Franchitti source: indycar.com / Dave Lewandowski The last time Andretti Green Racing drivers earned front-row starting positions outside of the Indianapolis 500 was at Phoenix in 2005 (Dan Wheldon and Bryan Herta). Earned is the operative word as Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan started 1-2 at Richmond International Raceway in June. But because qualifications were rained out, the grid was set on entrant points. Well, that duo will share Row 1 for the Meijer Indy 300 presented by Coca-Cola and Edy's. Kanaan's momentum from winning at the 2-mile Michigan International Speedway five days earlier transferred to the 1.5-mile Kentucky Speedway oval, where he recorded a quick lap of 218.086 mph (24.4307 seconds) to claim the AAMCO Transmissions Pole Award. Franchitti, the series points leader, notched the fifth front-row starting spot of the season. He had a quick lap of 216.810 mph (24.5745) in the No. 27 Canadian Club Dallara/Honda/Firestone. Oh, in '05, Wheldon finished sixth and Herta seventh on the 1-mile oval. "We're extremely happy with our qualifying effort," said Kanaan, who is the eighth pole sitter in as many IndyCar Series races at the track. "The Team 7-Eleven guys did a great job. Tomorrow's a long day and it's a bumpy racetrack. It's not going to be easy. "I'm happy to have a good starting position for the race and having Dario starting right beside me is going to help even more." After walking away from the spectacular crash (watch it once again by clicking HERE) at MIS, Franchitti is delighted to have a fast race car - and starting the race. Franchitti is driving the car Michael Andretti competed in at the 91st Indianapolis 500 in May after his primary car was severely damaged. "All my guys had a busy week because they had to build a complete new car after the accident last weekend," said Franchitti, whose car was quickest in the morning practice session and second overall to Kanaan. "So, I've got to say to them, 'Great job.' The car was really good straight off the truck. "We've got good balance with the car on our own, in traffic. I think the car is quite quick. Maybe not as quick as (Kanaan's), but it's very, very strong. I'm just happy with that." Scott Sharp, who started from the pole in 2001 and won in '05, will start on the inside of Row 2 after a lap of 216.658 mph (24.5918 seconds) in the No. 8 Patron Rahal Letterman Racing car. Scott Dixon, trailing Franchitti by 24 points entering the 14th of 17 races, will be on the outside of Row 2 after a lap of 216.481 mph (24.6119) in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car.
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