INDIANAPOLIS (AP): James Hinchcliffe completed his remarkable comeback Sunday by beating out American Josef Newgarden for this the Indianapolis 500 pole.

The Canadian driver earned his first IndyCar pole with a four-lap average of 230.760 mph a year after a life-threatening leg injury forced him out of the race.

Newgarden will start second in the May 29 race after going 230.700. It was the fourth-closest differential between first and second in Indy’s 100-year history.

Hinchcliffe won it in dramatic fashion, too, on the final run of the nine-car pole shootout. And it came on the fifth anniversary of Sam Schmidt’s team winning the pole in 2011.

Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay will start third on the outside of Row 1 after going 230.648.