New Zealand will have two drivers in next week's Indianapolis 500, however Scott Dixon and Wade Cunningham have some work ahead of them to finish on the podium after qualifying in the middle of the field.
Dixon, the 2008 champion, will start 15th on the grid, while Cunningham will make his debut in 26th place after qualifying today.
Dixon has finished in the top 10 in the previous six years but 15th is his worst starting place in his 10th visit to Indianapolis.
Australian Ryan Briscoe will start on pole alongside Canada's James Hinchcliffe and American Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Cunningham was one of nine drivers to make the field on their first qualifying attempts, ending any potential last-minute drama and assuring the Indianapolis 500 race on Sunday will start with a full field of 33 cars for the 64th consecutive year.
Things went as smoothly today as race organisers could have expected.
"We're happy to see it,'' Indianapolis Motor Speedway chief executive Jeff Belskus said.
"There was very little doubt in my mind that we wouldn't. To put it another way, I was confident we would end up with 33 cars.''
