Sato, Honda Take Texas Pole
• Takuma Sato claims pole at Texas Motor Speedway
• Scott Dixon will start second as Honda drivers qualify first through fourth
• Sebastien Bourdais, Ryan Hunter-Reay round out top four for Honda

FORT WORTH, Texas (June 7, 2019) – Takuma Sato claimed his second pole of the 2019 season, and the fifth for Honda, in single-car qualifying tonight at Texas Motor Speedway for Saturday night’s DXC Technology 600. Sato also qualified on the pole in April for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama, then went on to win the race at Barber Motorsports Park.

Defending series champion and 2018 Texas winner Scott Dixon will start second as Honda drivers claimed the top four positions in the 22-car field. Sebastien Bourdais will start third for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan, his career-best start at the high-banked, 1.5-mile TMS oval. Ryan Hunter-Reay rounds out the top four in his Andretti Autosport Honda.

Honda drivers filled seven of the top 10 starting positions, with James Hinchcliffe eighth for Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. Graham Rahal will start his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda from the inside of the fifth row, ninth; and rookie Colton Herta rounded out the top 10 for Harding Steinbrenner Racing.

Saturday night’s 248-lap, 600 kilometer race, the second oval and first night race of the 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season, starts at 8 p.m. EDT, with live coverage on the NBC Sports Network.

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Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda) Pole qualifier, his second pole of 2019, ninth career pole; fifth Honda pole of the season: “I’m very happy, the car was outstanding, just a great day for the team. This is one of iconic tracks in the IndyCar Series, high banking, very fast passing. Just a phenomenal feeling to go that fast through the corners. You never know [who will win] until the very last lap. You saw [teammate] Graham Rahal won by one corner or something from [James] Hinchcliffe a couple of years ago.”