After a twenty five minutes delay due to INDYNXT’s qualifying start moved because of lightings, it’s time for the second practice session of the weekend at Laguna Seca.
Yesterday’s session was regularly interupted, with five red flags as the drivers were getting used to the newly renovated track surface.
The Juncos Hollinger drivers were the first to come out on track for the 45 minutes session. The best early attempt is issued by Felix Rosenqvist in 1:11.5542s, for his last weekend as an Arrow McLaren driver.
After the first sets of timed laps, Marcus Armstrong leads from David Malukas and Colton Herta. The Kiwi, who will return full team in 2024 with Ganassi, signed a 1:08.5699s.
The first spin of the day happens only five minutes into the session, as at Turn 5 Ed Carpenter Racing’s Rinus Veekay misses the apex but is able to restart.
The first red flag of the day is issued by Pato O’Ward shortly after, as he crashed out into the wall at Turn 3. The Mexican is absolutely fine but his practice ends after only six laps.
Colton Herta in his special livery inspired by Bryan Herta’s in the 1998 Monterey GP, sported by his dad for his first career win, leads as the only driver in the 1:07s from Power and Armstrong.
Graham Rahal ran off track but is able to keep the car on, rejoining the track from the pits after a front left lockup, just as Alexander Rossi goes fastest with a 1:07.8522s. and Christian Lundgaard slots into third.
The second red flag of the weekend is brought out by Will Power’s second accident of the weekend, who ran wide off track at Turn 8.
With twenty minutes to go, Christian Lundgaaard leads with a 1:07.6154, followed by a recovering Veekay less than an hundredth of a second away, and championship winner Alex Palou. Newgarden ran wide at the exit of Turn 11 after McLaughlin had done so at Turn 10, kicking up gravel and dust.
Photo credits Penske Entertainment James Black
Kyle Kirkwood becomes the fastest Andretti on track in P5 with a 1:07.8714, as Herta misses the apex at Turn 11 but is able to keep the car away from the wall and can resume the session as if nothing happened.
Lundgaard improves his time enough to slot in provisional P1 with a 1:07.6154s.
The third red flag of the day is issued by Santino Ferrucci’s A.J Foyt car no. 14 stopping on track because of an engine issue with thirteen minutes to go.
Cars returned on track with slightly over three minutes left. Ryan Hunter-Reay ran wide off track on his final lap after the restart, but nobody improved the best lap times set earlier.
Fastest of the session is Christian Lundgaard, a firstime race winner in Toronto this year, with Rinus Veekay recovering speed for P2 after a spin early in the session and winner of the 2022 Laguna Seca GP Alex Palou in third. Best performing Arrow McLaren driver is Alex Rossi in P4, followed by Kirkwood, Herta, Rahal, Dixon, McLaughlin and Ericsson.
