The last leg of the triple-header started by the Indy 500 is now underway, as cars will get on track on track at Road America, including last minute driver replacement Nolan Siegel, set to driver car no 78 for Juncos Hollinger Racing, who is still getting his car specifics tailored to his liking.
The American driver third in the INDY NXT standings will replace Agustin Canapino following the social media hate that followed the Detroit GP, and doing double duty in both championships for the weekend.
Getting out of the pits, on his outlap Christian Lundgaard spun on track. ECR’s Christian Rasmussen as well goes straight off track, ending up in the sand after losing the rear.
With an hour to go into the session 9 drivers have posted a time, with Pourchaire’s 1:44.44s the provisional best, improved shortly after by Lundgaard, Ferrucci and Veekay. The Rahal Letterman Laningan Racing driver is also the first driver to sign a lap in the 1:43s.
Shortly after however JHR’s Grosjean has a very big shunt at the final turn of the track, severely smashing the nose and left front suspension of his car at Turn 14 as he got in way too hot, issuing the first red flag of the weekend.
The session resumed with 47 minutes left of running time. Fittipaldi completes the first lap after the restart in 1:45.360s. Power and Newgarden both have short excursions out of the track, but the reigning 500 champion then posts a 1:43.38s to jump at the top of the provisional timings.
Newgarden is joined by Herta and Palou in the provisional top3, with O’Ward and Lundgaard rounding off the top 5. The Andretti driver on pole in Detroit bests Newgarden’s previous best effort, while Rahal has a slide at Turn 13.
At the half hour mark Detroit GP winner Scott Dixon joins the top five with a 1:43.95s, while DCR’s Ghiotto, returning after Tristan Vauthier’s Detroit run, is forced to return to the pits for new steering arms. The Italian driver has been confirmed for the upcoming Laguna Seca round as well.
O’Ward becomes the latest driver to run wide at turn 14, while Ferrucci slots in P2 behind Herta with a 1:43.36s. McLaughlin gets on the radio to mention lack of feeling with his car and finding the repaved surface far too slippery for his liking.
With three minutes to go reigning champion Alex Palou bolts to P, 0.100s ahead of Herta. Frist time podium sitter in Detroit Marcus Armstrong finishes his session in the wall.
The top 10 features Palou, Herta, Ferrucci, Newgarden, Lundgaard, Dixon, Power, McLaughlin, O’Ward and Armstrong.
