Ranking the top 5 drivers with most pole positions in IndyCar ft. Will Power

It is tricky to pick an IndyCar driver based on a single-lap pace as they all drive the same chassis. Yet, a few exceptional drivers excelled at pushing the car to the limit when it mattered the most and racked up the pole positions.

Let's take a look at the top 5 drivers with the most IndyCar pole positions.

#5. Robert Williams Unser (Bobby Unser)

The fifth driver on this list is Bobby Unser, who has 49 pole positions. The American made his Championship Car debut in 1955 before returning in 1964 as a full-time driver. Unser switched to Championship Car in 1979 and raced with Team Penske before retiring.

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#4. Helio Castroneves

The Brazilian joined the CART in 1998 and raced for Bettenhausen Racing, Hogan Racing, and Team Penske before switching to the IRL. With 50 pole positions to his name, Helio Castroneves is the driver with the fourth most pole positions in IndyCar.

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Castroneves later made the surprise move to Arrow McLaren and then Meyer Shank Racing.

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#3. Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (A.J. Foyt)

A.J. Foyt is the most successful American Championship Car driver with seven championships. He started racing in the Indycar in the late 1950s. Foyt earned 56 pole positions during his time in the American open-wheel racing.

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#2. Mario Andretti

Second in the list of IndyCar pole positions comes the former F1 World Champion and Four-time IndyCar champion Mario Andretti. The American held the record for most IndyCar pole positions with 67 poles before Will Power broke the record in 2022.

Mario Andretti raced in the USAC Championship Car during the 60s and 70s. He raced for Dean Van Lines Racing Division, STP Corporation, Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, and Penske Racing. During this period, he scored a total of 36 pole positions.

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Andretti then raced in the CART IndyCar series until the start of the 90s. He raced for Penske Racing, Patrick Racing, and Newman Haas Racing during this period scoring 31 pole positions.

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#1. Will Power

Will Power is the current record holder for most pole positions in IndyCar with 70 poles to his name. Six of these came in the Champ Car World Series with Team Australia during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

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Power went on to drive for KV Racing Technology for the 2008 IndyCar season but didn't get a pole position. The following year, he joined Penske Racing (now Team Penske) and racked up 64 pole positions.

Will Power continues to race for Team Penske. Surprisingly, the Australian didn't get a single pole position in the 2024 IndyCar Championship. With Power still active and driving for a top team, there is a great chance that the record number will go up.