Qualifying: Meira bags pole

Brazilian Vitor Meira will start the final round of the Indy Racing League at Texas Motor Speedway from pole position after pipping the resurgent Al Unser Jr in qualifying. The Team Menard driver, in only his fourth ever IRL race, circulated in 23.6378s (221.594), 0.0609 faster than Unser Jr to take his first pole in the series

Sep 15, 2002, 9:02 AM

Championship leader Sam Hornish Jr will start from third, while his sole rival for the title, Helio Castroneves, is only tenth. The Brazilian currently trails Hornish by 12 points with 50 points available for victory.

Castroneves' team-mate, Max Papis, who is filling in for the unfit Gil de Ferran, qualified 18th on his first appearance for Team Penske.

Briton Dan Wheldon, who finished within one second of race winner and team-mate Hornish on his debut last weekend, missed qualifying after crashing in practice, and will start 28th and last.

Vitor Meira (Team Menard), 23.6378s
Al Unser Jr (Kelley Racing), 23.6987s
Sam Hornish Jr (Panther Racing)
Buddy Rice (Cheever Racing)
Eddie Cheever (Cheever Racing)
Tony Renna (Kelley Racing)
Scott Sharp (Kelley Racing)
Alex Barron (Blair Racing)
Sarah Fisher (Dreyer & Reinbold Racing)
Helio Castroneves (Penske Racing)

Dan Wheldon (Panther Racing) - no time