Due to weather delays, Saturday's qualifying session got underway 90 minutes later than scheduled. McLaughlin took the pole position on a final flying lap around the 11-turn, 2.1-mile course. A messy, shortened first qualifying group left some drivers fuming in Nashville's hot, muggy post-rain conditions.
The Team Penske driver also set the quickest time on Saturday morning practice. The New Zealander won from the pole to start the season in St. Petersburg, Florida, for his first triumph in his career.
The No. 3 Dallara-Chevrolet was "phenomenal," McLaughlin told Kevin Lee. A lovely lap, I suppose. I hope we get more of the same (Sunday). Put our heads and buttocks up, and concentrate on what we need to do.
Three drivers from Andretti Autosport were disqualified in the opening round of qualifying
And Grosjean qualified second for them. Rahal Letterman Lanigan progressed all three of its drivers to the top 12, with Lundgaard finishing third after a career-best performance.
The last three Fast Six contenders for the final round of qualifying were Alex Palou, Pato O'Ward, and Josef Newgarden.
Five teams competed for the top five starting positions: Team Penske, Andretti Autosport, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Chip Ganassi Racing, and Arrow McLaren SP.
The six drivers competing for the title had a mixed day, with defending champion Palou, placed sixth, being the highest qualifier (fourth). Only because IndyCar points leader Will Power was disqualified from the Fast Six for interfering with O'Ward's lap when he veered off course in the top 12 did O'Ward, who is fifth in the standings, proceed.
O'Ward replaced Power, who had lost his fastest lap due to the penalty. Marcus Ericsson, the previous race winner, is nine points behind Power, while Power and Palou are only 52 points apart, with Sunday's race being the first of the season's last four.
We can enjoy a wonderful Tomorrow," Power said of the eighth position start. "Get a decent plan, make smart pit stops, and see what we have."
The third-placed driver in the standings, Josef Newgarden of Penske, qualified sixth.
Ericsson told Dillon Welch of NBC Sports, "We need to develop a decent strategy and play the race as it comes. "Like previous year, there have been several occurrences this weekend. I believe there will still be chances. We've had a difficult weekend. I don't feel as comfortable in the automobile as I would. The group performed an excellent job. It felt like a step on the right path to qualify to make it more to my taste.
"We lack the fastest guys' levels of speed. It's a little odd. I will admit that the automobile was entirely consistent with driving in (the second practice). A little work tonight, but perhaps tomorrow will be better. I believe we are always strong doing that if there is someone in this pit lane who can fight from the back to the front. That confidence is ours.
Colton Herta's collision in the first group of the opening round resulted in a red flag that ended the session and disrupted the runs of several drivers, including teammate Alexander Rossi.
A little bit overly ambitious given the circumstances. Following the rain, a Herta told NBC Sports' Dave Burns, "I just overdid it, and a lot of that grip sort of dropped away just trying to find the correct braking spot. "I regret any inconvenience caused to my team, especially Andretti since I believe I messed Rossi up there as well. Perhaps a few more males as well.
"I feel horrible for everyone concerned. I don't attempt to do it on purpose, and it was really an honest mistake."
After the first group, the drivers were furious because it was so brief. Devlin DeFrancesco of Andretti Autosport also spun to bring out a yellow, which ate up three of the allotted 10 minutes in the qualifying group before Herta's incident.
I'm frustrated, man. Simon Pagenaud, starting in position 13, remarked, "That is not the sport, guy. The storm might last all day, but they don't allow us enough time to set down on our lap. Simply incredible; I can't even speak.
Your performance isn't up to your level, which is a tragedy. We'll get up just where we left off. Don't fit in. Many of the men up front don't belong there.
Felix Rosenqvist believed his lap would have progressed before the Herta disaster, which occurred earlier on Saturday during practice.
Just irritating," Rosenqvist remarked. "I hardly even got a lap. We completed a practise lap. It's worth looking into it. Perhaps we should have started the session by attempting a lap instead of being constantly stopped by red flags.
Thanks to the shortened session, Dalton Kellett progressed out of the first group for the first time in his 37-start IndyCar career. He will start in a career-high 12th position, and after finishing, the team and family members welcome him to the top-12 round.
Here is the starting lineup for the IndyCars for Sunday's Music City Grand Prix on the street course's 11 turns and 2.1 miles (qualifying position, vehicle number in parentheses, driver, engine, time, and speed):
1. (3) Chevrolet Scott McLaughlin, 01:14.5555 (101.401)
2. Romain Grosjean (28) in a Honda in 01:14.6975 (101.208)
3. Honda, 01:14.7149 Christian Lundgaard, 30th (101.185)
4. Alex Palou, a Honda, finished in 01:14.9087 (100.923)
(5) Chevrolet Pato O'Ward, 01:14.9261 (100.899)
6. (2) Josef Newgarden driving a Chevrolet in 01:15.1461 (100.604)
7. (18) Honda, David Malukas, 01:14.9616 (100.852)
Will Power, a Chevrolet, finished in 01:14.9818. (100.824)
9. (15) Honda's Graham Rahal, 01:15.3112 (100.383)
10. (21) Chevrolet Rinus VeeKay, 01:15.3897 (100.279)
11. Jack Harvey, a Honda, 01.15.9758 (number 45) (99.505)
12. (4) Chevrolet Dalton Kellett, 01:16.5600 (98.746)
Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 01:19.4039, position 60 (95.209)
14. (9) Honda, 01:15.3179 Scott Dixon (100.375)
Felix Rosenqvist, a Chevrolet, finished in 01:21.1784. (93.128)
Kyle Kirkwood, a Chevrolet, finished in 01:15.4382. (100.214)
Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:21.4579 (92.809)
18. Marcus Ericsson, a Honda, ran a 01:15.4501 (100.199)
(19) Callum Ilott, a Chevrolet, in 01:57.6982 (64.232)
Takuma Sato, Honda, 51st, 01:15.5935 (100.009)
21. (16) Chevrolet, No Time, Simona De Silvestro (No Speed)
Conor Daly, a Chevrolet, finished in 01:16.3955. (98.959)
Twenty-three. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, No Time (No Speed)
24. (06) Honda, Helio Castroneves, 01:16.5898 (98.708)
25. (29) Honda, Devlin DeFrancesco, and No Time (No Speed)
26. Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:17.5888 (number 48). (97.437)
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