Luiz Razia

Luiz Razia led Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian teammate Jack Harvey across the finish line in Race 2 of the Grand Prix of Indianapolis on May 10.

They'll start in that order for the Freedom 100 on May 23 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Razia, of Brazil, recorded a two-lap average speed of 187.710 mph (1 minute, 35.8927 seconds total) on the 2.5-mile oval to claim the Sunoco Pole Award. NBCSN will televise the 40-lap race live at 12:30 p.m. (ET) as part of Coors Light Carb Day. Harvey posted a two-lap average of 186.573 mph in the No. 42 entry.

Click it: Freedom 100 qualifications results

"The team did a great job this morning in practice (second quick to Harvey's best lap time), and the car was pretty quick in qualifying," Razia said. "As a driver you just sit there and go flat out and expect great things. It's good to be on the pole, especially at a place like this and especially since ovals are a new discipline for me. I'm thrilled to get the pole position for this race, but the race is the giant thing and we need to conquer that lap by lap."

Matthew Brabham (186.423 mph) and Andretti Autosport teammate Zach Veach (186.259) will occupy Row 2.

Veach leads Razia by five points in the championship standings following the Grand Prix of Indianapolis doubleheader on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. Razia's victory was the first of the season for four-time defending series champion Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian.

"I think we put more focus into our race car rather than qualifying because it's just so easy to pass here; you just have to have a good car under you," Veach said. "I'm very confident in my Andretti Autosport guys to give me a good car for race day."

Gabby Chaves (186.136), the final qualifier in the No. 5 Belardi Auto Racing entry, will start on Row 3 with Juan Pablo Garcia (185.585) of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports with Curb-Agajanian. Chaves was the runner-up in the race last year.

 

The championship is now finely poised, with Razia moving to within five points of Veach’s championship points lead, 229-224. Chaves has been relegated to third on 215 points, followed by Brabham on 207 as the Indy Lights field reconvenes on the legendary 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval for the Freedom 100 during the Indy 500′s Carb Day festivities on Friday, May 23. - See more at: http://indylights2014.com/2014/brazilian-razia-secures-maiden-victory-under-pressure-at-indianapolis/#sthash.7xGfIBwR.dpuf