Grid
| Row | Inside | Middle | Outside |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Andretti | Bobby Rahal | Rick Mears |
| 2 | A. J. Foyt | Roberto Guerrero | Dick Simon |
| 3 | Arie Luyendyk | Johnny Rutherford | Michael Andretti |
| 4 | Ludwig Heimrath | Rich Vogler | Jeff MacPherson |
| 5 | Scott Brayton | Geoff Brabham | Gary Bettenhausen |
| 6 | Danny Sullivan | Fabrizio Barbazza | Gordon Johncock |
| 7 | Derek Daly | Al Unser, Sr. | Tom Sneva |
| 8 | Al Unser, Jr. | Randy Lewis | Kevin Cogan |
| 9 | Josele Garza | Stan Fox | Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. |
| 10 | Davy Jones | Pancho Carter | Ed Pimm |
| 11 | George Snider | Steve Chassey | Emerson Fittipaldi† |
- † - Emerson Fittipaldi qualified 10th on pole day. On Carburetion Day, he crashed his already-qualified car, and it was damaged beyond repair. The car was replaced with a back-up car, and was moved the rear of the field.
Read more about this topic: 1987 Indianapolis 500