Palou and the pole

 So, then: Alex Palou, Alexander Rossi, David Malukas.

That's your front row, America. That's who leads the field of 33 six days from now, when the Indianapolis 500 goes off for the 110th time.

Rossi did it for Ed Carpenter with a brilliant final drive after squeaking into the Fast Six as the slowest of the Fast.

Malukas was cool beyond his 24 years in putting Will Power's old ride in a familiar place for Roger Penske.

And Palou?

Well, shoot. Palou was just Palou. Best wheel in IndyCar.

The Spaniard beat out Felix Rosenqvist, who'd been quickest around the ancient place all week until his pole run, when he unaccountably fell off and wound up fourth on the grid. That means the man who's won three of the last four IndyCar titles -- and three of the five races so far this season -- brings 'em to the green on race day.

But if you're inclined to just hand him a second straight bottle of milk and get it over with ... don't.

What, you haven't heard about the Pole Position Curse?

OK, so it's not a curse, exactly, but it might have bought a house in the same block. Since 2009, see, only one polesitter has gone on to win the race. That was Simon Pagenaud in 2019.

In the six 500s since, the guy on the pole has finished 13th, 17th, 21st, 4th, 6th and 26th.

In 109 runnings, the polesitter has won 21 times. 

Which is not nothing, admittedly, but it still means the race winner comes from the pole just 19 percent of the time. And that's taking into account the first decade of this millennium, when the polesitter won four times in eight years, including three in four years between 2006 and 2009.

So, just 17 times in the other 105 Indy 500s. Hardly a lock.

"Yeah, but all those guys who didn't win from the pole?" you're saying now. "None of 'em were Alex Palou."

Oh, really?

Well, one of 'em is A.J. Foyt, the greatest American racer not named Mario Andretti, who won the 500 four times but never from the pole. And one of 'em is Andretti, the greatest American racer not named A.J. Foyt, who started second in 1969 in his only win. And one of 'em is ...

Hey, look at this! It's Alex Palou!

Who, yes, started on the pole in 2023. And finished fourth. So ...

So, don't make him Mr. Automatic yet. It's Indy. No one's automatic, nor ever has been.

Eighty-eight polesitters would agree.