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WEST ALLIS, Wis. -- "Introducing the youngest IndyCar Series …"

Marco Andretti, who until April 6 held the distinction of being the youngest winner in major open-wheel racing (thank you, Graham Rahal), on May 31 laid claim to the title of youngest pole sitter in series history.

Andretti, driving the No. 26 Team Indiana Jones presented by Blockbuster car for Andretti Green Racing, lassoed the tricky Milwaukee Mile oval with a four-lap average of 168.079 mph (1 minutes, 26.9591 seconds cumulative) for his first PEAK Motor Oil Pole Award presented by AutoZone.

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At 21 years, 79 days, Andretti outdistanced Tomas Scheckter, who was 21 years, 260 days when he started from the pole at Texas Motor Speedway in June 2002, for this honor.

"I didn't know that was a record," said Andretti, who finished third in the 92nd Indianapolis 500 six days earlier. "I was just going for the Milwaukee pole. The first lap, I knew the car was good, but I, obviously, didn't want to take the tires our too soon. If you're going to take them out, it's going to be when the tires are new. I was able to do a perfect first lap that enabled me to get after it the next three laps because at the end it was on the edge of giving up. If it had given up, that wouldn't have been the pole. It was a consistent run."

Andretti will be joined on the front row by another young IndyCar Series star -- Rahal, who posted a four-lap average of 167.654 mph (1:27.1796) in the No. 06 Hole in the Wall Camps Honda-powered car for Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing.

The last time an Andretti and Rahal shared the front row was at New Hampshire in 1992. As for other Andretti family racing history, it's the 118th open-wheel racing pole, and Marco joins his father, Michael (in 1986) as a pole winner at Milwaukee.

At 19 years, 93 days, Rahal became the youngest winner of a major open-wheel racing event on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in April -- besting Andretti's 19 years, 167 days when he won at Infineon Raceway in 2006. Oh, Rahal is the youngest Firestone Indy Lights pole sitter (17 years, 178 days in 2006 at the Liberty Challenge at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway).

"Obviously, I'm pretty happy with my first front-row start," Rahal said. "It would have been great to get the pole. It was so close, but unfortunately, that's the way these go. We'll move on from here. I think we have a great race car and we'll have to see how it goes tomorrow."

Scott Dixon, the winner of the 500-Mile Race from the pole, recorded a four-lap average of 167.637 mph in the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car and will join KV Racing Technology's Will Power on Row 2 for the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225. Since 1946, nine drivers have followed an Indy 500 victory with one at Milwaukee (Juan Pablo Montoya in 2000 the most recent).

"I think our car was definitely strong enough for the pole," said Dixon, who has won both of his races this season from the pole. "If I could have put together four solid laps instead of just two, then I think we would have been up there with Graham and Marco. We've shown some pretty good speed and I think we'll have a good car for the race."

Power, driving the No. 8 Aussie Vineyards - Team Australia car, had a four-lap average of 167.265 mph for his best start on an oval.

"I am really happy for Aussie Vineyards - Team Australia, and I really like this racetrack," Power said. "You can run behind people and pass them, which is fun. I think there will be great racing."

Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, the pole sitter the previous two years at The Mile, will start fifth (166.667) with Tony Kanaan in the No. 11 Team 7-Eleven car for Andretti Green Racing (166.473) at his right. Kanaan is seeking to three-peat on the flat oval. Tom Sneva (1982-84) is the only driver to do it. Five different teams are represented in the top five.

Dan Wheldon in the No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car (166.195 mph) and Conquest Racing's Enrique Bernoldi (165.216) will be on Row 4. It's the highest starting position of the season for Bernoldi on an oval. Oriol Servia (ninth at 165.190 mph in the No. 5 KV Racing Technology car) and E.J. Viso (10th at 164.843 mph in the No. 33 PDVSA/HVM Racing car) can claim the same.

"I'm much more comfortable in the car," Bernoldi said. "Even if Indianapolis is a completely different oval than here in Milwaukee, it has given me very good experience and it's helping out for here because it's increased my comfort level on the ovals. I'm looking forward to the race. It will be another challenge because with 26 cars out there it will be pretty busy and there will be lots of traffic but it should be fun."

Panther Racing's Vitor Meira's No. 4 Delphi National Guard car made contact with the Turn 2 SAFER Barrier on his third green-flag lap (he was 13th at the time). He was checked at the infield car center and will meet with Indy Racing League medical officials on race day morning to assess his ability to compete.