Motor racing-Carpenter wins Indy 500 pole with Patrick seventh

Carpenter, a local resident and the penultimate qualifier, averaged 229.618 mph for four laps to claim the third pole of his career, holding off the Penske team of Simon Pagenaud, Will Power and Josef Newgarden.

"That first lap blew my mind," said Carpenter, a team owner for whom Patrick drives, after he hit 230 mph on his opening run to big cheers from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway crowd. Frenchman Pagenaud (228.761) and Power (228.607) will join him on the front row for the May 27 race.

Patrick, who is retiring, will lead off the third row after averaging 228.090 with Brazilian Helio Castroneves, who had the fastest average speed on Saturday, beside her. The three-time Indy 500 winner averaged 227.859.

"It's all good and I am glad that part is over with," Patrick told ABC television. "Now it is time for 500 fun miles."

Reigning champion Takuma Sato of Japan will start on the sixth row after posting an average speed of 226.557 in a Honda. (Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Clare Fallon)