Carpenter on the pole, Power 2nd at Kentucky

SPARTA, Ky. (AP) - Ed Carpenter posted a lap of 217.933 mph to capture the pole for Saturday's Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway.

The pole is the first of Carpenter's career. The veteran racer signed a three-race deal to drive for Panther Racing last month.

Series points leader Will Power, coming off a disappointing 16th-place finish in Chicago last week, will start second at the 1.5-mile oval.

Defending series champion Dario Franchitti, who trails Power by 23 points with three races remaining, qualified 11th.

Power let a chance to pick up his first career win on an oval slip away when a late pit stop gaffe left him short on fuel. He was forced to pit with a couple of laps remaining, allowing Franchitti to pull away for the win.