Italian Jarno Trulli handed Toyota their first pole position after team mate Ralf Schumacher was ruled out of Sunday's U.S. Grand Prix.
Trulli, third in the Formula One title standings, pipped McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen by 0.069 of a second in a session overshadowed by concerns about their Michelin tyres.
It was his third pole position, the others coming with Renault last year.
Briton Jenson Button, on pole at the last race in Canada, was third for BAR with Renault's Italian Giancarlo Fisichella alongside on the second row.
Ralf Schumacher was ruled out on medical grounds after crashing heavily in practice on Friday at the same place where he hit the wall during last year's race.
Renault's championship leader Fernando Alonso will start on the third row alongside Ferrari's seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher.
Qualifying Result from the Formula One Grand Prix of United States at Indianapolis on Saturday
1. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 1:10.625
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:10.694
3. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:11.277
4. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Renault 1:11.290
5. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:11.369
6. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:11.380
7. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:11.431
8. Takuma Sato (Japan) BAR 1:11.497
9. Mark Webber (Australia) Williams 1:11.527
10. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Sauber 1:11.555
11. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) McLaren 1:11.681
12. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) Sauber 1:11.691
13. Ricardo Zonta (Brazil) Toyota 1:11.754
14. Christian Klien (Austria) Red Bull 1:12.132
15. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Williams 1:12.430
16. David Coulthard (Britain) Red Bull 1:12.682
17. Tiago Monteiro (Portugal) Jordan 1:13.462
18. Christijan Albers (Netherlands) Minardi 1:13.632
19. Narain Karthikeyan (India) Jordan 1:13.776
20. Patrick Friesacher (Austria) Minardi 1:14.494