Saturday in Portland begins with the second practice session of the weekend. After a chaotic FP1, which featured multiple red flags, it’s green flag time under a cloudy sky for the 45-minute-long session.
All the drivers immediately ran on track, with Rosenqvist getting the first timed lap on the leaderboard in 1:03s, quickly improved by FP1’s best performer Christian Lundgaard.
Two drivers are the first to venture in lapping under a second: David Malukas in 58.8029 and Colton Herta in 59.6297s. Kirkwood and Grosjean also show impressive speed as they join their Andretti teammate in the Top Five.
Debutant of the weekend Juri Vips for Rahal Letterman Laningam Racing also finds his way to the provisional top ten with a 59.5312s.
Ten minutes into the session, the Danish driver who got his first win in INDYCAR in Toronto this year is leading with a best lap of 58.4732s, followed by Malukas and Veekay, whereas leader in the Rookie of the Year battle Marcus Armstrong and Pato O’Ward round up the top five.
Scott Dixon has a small moment at Turn 10, spinning on track. He is quickly able to resume his session with no damage.
With half an hour to McLaren shoots up in the standings as Rosenqvist scores a 58.4862s for P2 and Rossi is 0.2s slower for P3.
Colton Herta ran wide and got sideways, almost hitting the wall. Romain Grosjean ran wide on the kerbs and ended up spinning off track just after jumping up in the provisional standings to P3.
At the halfway point of the session, Graham Rahal improves his best time to move up from P3 to the top spot with a 58.3054s, but is replaced by Newgarden. The final provisional top 3 position is taken by Lundgaard.
With 20 minutes to go the winner of the 2022 race in Portland Scott McLaughlin puts his name up in the leaderboard to P1, slightly faster than his teammate in P2. Best best-placed rookie is Vips, with a positive P10, as Lundgaard returns in the top 5.
Photo credits: Penske Entertainment | Karl Zemlin
A short red flag is issued for Sting Ray Robb with 14 minutes to go in the session, as the Dale Coyne driver spins and loses his engine in the middle sector of the track.
It’s a very tight session, with all the divers in less than a second and the top ten in 0.400s. In the final ten minutes of the session championship leader Alex Palou, who will definitely try to clinch his second title this weekend, joins the top five with a 58.3630s, but his performance is bested by his title contender and teammate Scott Dixon, who signs a 58.3484s.
Dixon manages an even faster lap that moves him up to the provisional podium, just behind the top two Penske drivers.
Reigning champion Will Power has a moment but is able to catch his car before it goes too much off track.
Agustin Canapino ran wide on the curbs and had a moment while rejoining the track. Returning after his first lap incident in Toronto for Meyers Shank Racing, Tom Blomqvist is sitting in P26, just ahead of his teammate Helio Castroneves.
It appears to ultimately be a tough session for Andretti, as their best-performing driver is Colton Herta in P14. Romain Grosjean collides with Callum Illot spinning out the British driver. Just before the end of the session, Alexander Rossi spins on track.
It’s ultimately a Team Penske 1-2 in a much more tamed practice session, with last year’s winner McLaughlin in P1 followed by Newgarden, Dixon, Rahal and Palou.
