After a drama-filled practice session it’s time to sort out the starting order for the Road America GP.
Group 1 saw out on track Herta, Kirkwood, Grosjean, Defrancesco, Ilott, Pedersen, Veekay, Robb, Canapino Newgarden, Ferrucci, Dixon and Malukas.
Grosjean spun out at Turn 14, luckily managing to avoid his teammate right behind him. The Swiss-French driver was able to rejoin the track without too much damage after his trip to the gravel.
Five minutes to go to the end of the session, Herta is leading the session with a 1:40.755 as the only driver under the 1:41s, followed by Ferrucci, Kirkwood, Malukas, Newgarden and Dixon, who is running a brand new car after his earlier big accident with Power.
Dixon spun at Turn 3, with two minutes to go, and session leader Herta had a short moment on the curbs as well.
The final top 6 who move to the Fast Twelve is packed with Andretti driver, as Herta, Pedersen, Defrancesco, Newgarden, Kirkwood and Ferrucci will run in Round 2.
Photo credits: Penske Entertainment | Chris Jones
David Malukas, who had showed a very impressive pace and speed in yesterday’s Practise 1 with the second fastest time of the session, is the first driver to not make the cut to Round 2 by a few tenths of a second, whereas Dixon has been stripped off his best attempt for causing a yellow flag and will thus start the race from P23.
With a totally different approach, Penske has decided to take advantage of the fact that Power will start in Group 2 and fixed the reigning champion’s car instead of running a new one. However, as soon as he was out on track he mentioned a brakes issue, and had to return to the pits.
The first attempts see Palou on top after his earlier spin in the gravel, alongside the Meyers Shank drivers and Rosenqvist.
While in Group 1 Herta had pretty much dominated the session, there is plenty of lead swaps in Group 2, with McLaughlin, Rossi, Lundgaard and O’Ward alternating in the provisional top spot. The Dane on pole at the Indy GP holds the lead for the longest with a 1:41.05s.
Power ran wide but only his timed attempt was damaged by it as he was able to resume his session.
Rossi picked up a speed violation in the pit lane, thus having to serve a drive-through penalty in the final moments of the session. With 11 seconds to go, the top 6 is consisting of O’Ward, Lundgaard, Armstrong, Rossi, Ericsson and Palou. O’Ward is the first driver of the group in 1:40.9158.
A red flag is issued 11 seconds before the end of the session due to Ryan Hunter-Reay spinning out and hitting the wall. This will allow Rossi to rejoin the grid and have the opportunity of a final flying attempt alongside his colleagues.
Many drivers opted for a quick tyre swap before returning on track, bar session leader O’Ward who chose to remain in the pits.
Will Power ran out in the grass, but he once again didn’t damage anything neither anyone. The top 6 remains the same as before the final attempt, with Graham Rahal the first driver not making the cut.
The first cars out for Round 2 were AJ Foyt’s Ferrucci and Pedersen, followed by championship leader Alex Palou. After the first round of attempts, the Spanish driver is in the lead followed by the only Penske driver still in contention for the pole, Newgarden, as well as McLaren’s Rossi and O’Ward and Armstrong.
Colton Herta spun off at Turn 1 but he is able to catch his car no. 26 back before it hit the tyre wall, just as Ericsson ran wide just like he had done earlier in practice, slightly holding up O’Ward, but no further action was taken by the stewards.
At the five minutes to go mark, Lundgaard is in the lead again with another 1:41.048, followed by Rossi, O’Ward, Palou, Armstrong and Newgarden.
Kirkwood on the primaries goes sixth fastest, just behind Pedersen, as Palou takes the top spot going under the 1:41s.
At the end of the session, Kirkwood’s engine went in smoke, not causing a red flag as the session has already ended. Unfortunately the Long Beach winner will not take part in the Fast Six in spite of having qualified in third place.
Herta, whose best attempt of the day so far is a 1:40.5476, followed by Palou, O’Ward, Newgarden and Rossi, all in the 1:40s, will actually take part in the Fast Six.
Lundgaard and Armstrong will start from P7 and P8 respectively, not making the cut but still showing impressive speed.
At the beginning of the Fast Six session everyone bar Palou went out on track. Palou, Newgarden, O’Ward and Herta are on blacks, whereas former Road America winner Rossi is on reds. The first timed lap is signed by O’Ward in 1:41.957, shortly after improved by Rossi, but Palou is the first under the 1:40s in 1:40.7065s.
Herta slots in P2, but is replaced by Newgarden. O’Ward goes on the grass but becomes provisional leader in 1:40.36s.
However, it’s short lasted as his time is once again improved by Andretti’s Herta in 1:40.19s. Newgarden spins and stops on track at the same time as the chequered flag was waved.
Colton Herta secured his tenth career pole position on the same track where he had achieved his first one in 2019, but Dario Franchitti’s track record of 1:39.55s lives to see another day. O’Ward will start from P2, followed by championship leader Palou, Newgarden and Rossi.
