Will Power returned to his usual perch – the head of the field – for the first time this season as he earned the NTT P1 Award for both races of the Hy-Vee INDYCAR Race Weekend during qualifying Saturday.

Two-time and reigning series champion Power earned his second consecutive pole sweep at Iowa Speedway and extended his INDYCAR SERIES record with the 69th and 70th poles of his illustrious career. These were Power’s first two poles of 2023, as he extended another series record by earning at least one pole in 15 consecutive seasons.

SEE: Race 1 Qualifying Results | Race 2 Qualifying Results

Power turned a lap of 181.426 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet on his first lap around the .894-mile oval, which set the starting grid for the Hy-Vee Homefront 250 presented by Instacart at 3 p.m. ET today (live on NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network). His faster second lap of 181.578 earned the top spot for the Hy-Vee One Step 250 presented by Gatorade at 2 p.m. ET Sunday (live on NBC, Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network).

“It’s fantastic to get another couple of poles,” Power said. “That number, 70, is pretty nuts. Something I never would have imagined when I started in ’06. I’m lucky to be with such a great team that gives you that equipment to do so. Hopefully I can back it up with a win in one of these two races.”

These were the sixth and seventh pole positions of Power’s career at the “Fastest Short Track on the Planet.” His previous best start this season was sixth at the last round, the Honda Indy Toronto.

Team Penske showed its strength on short ovals as Scott McLaughlin will join teammate Power on the front row for both races in the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet. McLaughlin’s first lap was 180.334, with a second lap of 179.635.

Josef Newgarden will start third in today’s race after a first lap of 180.081 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet, but he will start seventh Sunday after a second lap of 177.863. Newgarden, fastest in practice Friday, won the first race of the Iowa doubleheader last year and has won four of five oval races in the series in the last 12 months, including the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in May. He has four career victories at Iowa.

“I just wasn’t quick enough – pretty simple,” Newgarden said. “Excited to go racing, though. I think we have a fast Hitachi car.”

David Malukas will start third Sunday after his second lap of 178.610 in the No. 18 HMD Trucking Honda.

Six-time series champion Scott Dixon will start fourth today after his first lap of 178.710 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, while oval specialist Ed Carpenter will grid fourth Sunday after his second lap of 178.211 in the No. 33 Bitnile.com Chevrolet.

Series leader Alex Palou, who holds a commanding 117-point edge on second place Dixon, will start seventh today and 12th Sunday in the No. 10 The American Legion Honda fielded by Chip Ganassi Racing.