Nazareth, Pa. ? Roger Penske’s drivers swept the front row for the first IRL race at Nazareth Speedway the track he built.

Gil de Ferran topped Saturday’s qualifying to win the pole for today’s Firestone Indy 225, with Helio Castroneves qualifying second.

They combined last year to give Penske his 11th open-wheel title and his 11th Indianapolis 500 victory. On Saturday, they were far better than IRL champion and points leader Sam Hornish.

“When you come to Penske’s home track, you know it’s going to be tough right off the bat,” said Hornish, who qualified eighth.

The pole was the first in the IRL for de Ferran, the two-time CART champion. He and Indy 500 winner Castroneves left CART when Penske switched to the younger of the two open-wheel circuits.

De Ferran turned a fast lap at 172.778 mph, and Castroneves got around in 172.587 to put Penske’s cars in prime position to win for a seventh time at Nazareth. Penske built the track in 1987 and operated it for more than a decade before selling it.

Jacques Lazier locked up the third spot on the grid with a fast lap of 171.977, and will start inside rookie Tomas Scheckter. He got around in 171.409.