Indy NXT | Qualifying | Gateway | Hauger continues dominance, takes pole on oval debut - Motorsport

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Qualifying for round 6 of the Indy NXT season has been run at the Gateway circuit in St. Louis, view the full report and results below. Could Dennis Hauger transfer his dominance to ovals?

James Roe did not take part in qualifying as he was handed severe penalties for late race drama at Detroit.

Nolan Allaer was first up. He did an average of 162.584mph to set the benchmark for the rest of the field to chase. Hailie Deegan went next. Like Allaer she went quicker on the second lap as she clocked a 162.274mph average.

Tommy Smith struggled a lot on his run, only managing 156.687mph across his two laps.

Juan Manuel Correa bumped Allaer from top spot as an average of 163.028mph put him top of the charts. Like the other three who went before him, he was faster on the second lap.

Mexican Ricardo Escotto ran next and he had a relatively underwhelming attempt, only going P4 behind Deegan on a 162.114.

Dutchman Niels Koolen went in behind him, logging a 160.932 across those two laps. CGR teammate Bryce Aron went next and could not beat his teammate as he did a 160.280.

Sebastian Murray slotted into 5th following his attempt. He found almost 2mph compared to his first lap, meaning he got ahead of the CGRs and Smith.

Making his first appearance in Indy NXT this year, Davey Hamilton Jr. ran in the 24. It was a solid run as he managed to beat Smith comfortably by logging a 159.411mph average.

After an incident in practice, Jordan Missig did a fine job as he clocked a 161.502mph average to slot into 5th. Jack William Miller went next and put himself P7 behind Murray and Missig on a 161.306.

Following a long spell in P1, Callum Hedge was the driver to finally displace Juan Manuel Correa. The Kiwi had an average of 163.644mph as he comfortably went fastest. Next time was Josh Pierson and he went to the top of the charts. A 163.993mph was so close to the first driver reaching the 164mph mark.

Salvador de Alba laid down a stunning 166.142 on his first lap. While he dropped back into the 164s on the second one, his average of 165.223mph put him P1 by a distance. Myles Rowe put in a very consistent run as two laps in the 165.0mph region meant he missed out by a narrow margin, but he comfortably went P2 nonetheless on a 165.082.

After clocking a 165.134mph lap, Caio Collet, who was fastest in practice, delivered a stonking second one as a 166.341mph put him on provisional pole from de Alba by over half a mile.

Australian Lochie Hughes was the penultimate car to go. Laps of 163.453 and 165.257 put him into P4 on a 164.350mph average.

Championship leader Dennis Hauger was the final driver to go. In the biggest statement to date, his laps of 166.238 and 166.087 gave him an average of 166.162, taking pole position once again. On his oval debut no less.