The Chip Ganassi Racing driver set a 1min22.5259sec lap, over five seconds under the old IndyCar track record set in 2009. But it was a close-run thing as Team Penske-Chevrolet’s Will Power came within 0.0483sec of toppling the #9 car him from top spot. It was Dixon's second pole of the season and 25th of his career.

Power was somewhat fortunate to have made it to the Firestone Fast Six, as the red tires weren’t providing enough grip in the track conditions, and Penske cars seemed hardest hit. He ended Q2 in seventh.

However, Mikhail Aleshin, who had appeared to reach the top six, had his fastest two laps deleted for interfering with Juan Pablo Montoya’s qualifying run, which allowed Power to move forward. Penske took full advantage, put Power on blacks, and he rediscovered his speed.

Power then got unlucky as his engine briefly died as he was about to start his fastest lap, which cost him momentum as he came to the timing line. But he was happier than third-placed qualifier Sebastien Bourdais. His engine died completely as he came to start his fastest lap, and had blown his previous lap by running wide at Turn 1.

Helio Castroneves chose reds to set his fastest time, fourth fastest, with Tony Kanaan and Max Chilton making it three Ganassi cars in the top six. It was ex-F1 driver Chilton’s best qualifying session of his IndyCar career.

Championship leader Simon Pagenaud was a disappointing seventh, and will start alongside teammate Montoya, with Jack Hawksworth an impressive ninth for AJ Foyt Racing, the top Honda entry. Aleshin was a disgruntled 10^th, rookie RC Enerson a deeply impressive 11^th for Dale Coyne Racing, and Josef Newgarden a subdued 12^th.

Other furious drivers included Rahal – who was penalized for interfering with Hawksworth and Hinchcliffe, who was penalized for interfering with Power. They will start from unrepresentative 20^th and 13^th places.

Takuma Sato will start last after having his best two laps deleted when he crashed at the end of Q1 and brought out the red flag.

Watkins Glen - Qualifying

	N°	Driver	Team (Engine)	Time
1	9	Scott Dixon	Ganassi (C)	1:22.5259
2	12	Will Power	Penske (C)	1:22.5742
3	11	Sébastien Bourdais	KVSH (C)	1:22.7844
4	3	Helio Castroneves	Penske (C)	1:22.8748
5	10	Tony Kanaan	Ganassi (C)	1:22.9158
6	8	Max Chilton	Ganassi (C)	1:23.0064
7	22	Simon Pagenaud	Penske (C)	1:23.4660
8	2	Juan Pablo Montoya	Penske (C)	1:23.5493
9	41	Jack Hawksworth	Foyt (H)	1:23.6392
10	7	Mikhail Aleshin	Schmidt (H)	1:23.7744
11	19	R.C. Enerson	Coyne (H)	1:23.9907
12	21	Josef Newgarden	Carpenter (C)	1:24.0983
13	5	James Hinchcliffe	Schmidt (H)	1:23.7342
14	98	Alexander Rossi	Andretti-Herta (H)	1:24.0908
15	15	Graham Rahal	Rahal (H)	1:24.1716
16	18	Conor Daly	Coyne (H)	1:24.2606
17	28	Ryan Hunter-Reay	Andretti (H)	1:24.5254
18	83	Charlie Kimball	Ganassi (C)	1:24.8928
19	20	Spencer Pigot	Carpenter (C)	1:25.1826
20	26	Carlos Muñoz	Andretti (H)	1:25.5560
21	27	Marco Andretti	Andretti (H)	1:26.4285
22	14	Takuma Sato	Foyt (H)	2:12.3265