The NTT IndyCar Series is attempting a new format for this weekend’s exhibition round from the Thermal Club, and Saturday evening was reserved for two separate short qualifying sessions.
The first eight-minute round saw Felix Rosenqvist set the fastest time, blasting his Meyer Shank Racing Honda around the winding course faster than Scott McLaughlin, Rinus VeeKay, and the rest of the drivers in group one.
Group two was headed up by Alex Palou, while Marcus Ericsson lost control and put his Andretti Global Honda hard into the tire barriers.
READ MORE: IndyCar $1 Million Challenge – Full Qualifying Report
The qualifying order sets the grid for the two heat races on Sunday morning, with the top six finishers in each heat race advancing to the final money round.
The 10-lap heat races take place Sunday at 9:30 AM Pacific time, 12:30 0PM Eastern, with the 20-lap main event taking place shortly after.
| Group 1 | Driver | Time | Gap | Avg. Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Felix Rosenqvist | 1:38.5831 | – | 111.999 |
| 2 | Scott McLaughlin | 1:38.6068 | 0.0237 | 111.972 |
| 3 | Rinus VeeKay | 1:38.6283 | 0.0452 | 111.948 |
| 4 | Christian Lundgaard | 1:38.6394 | 0.0563 | 111.935 |
| 5 | Josef Newgarden | 1:38.7926 | 0.2095 | 111.761 |
| 6 | Will Power | 1:38.8056 | 0.2225 | 111.747 |
| 7 | Romain Grosjean | 1:38.8774 | 0.2943 | 111.666 |
| 8 | Agustin Canapino | 1:39.5994 | 1.0163 | 110.856 |
| 9 | Scott Dixon | 1:39.7074 | 1.1243 | 110.736 |
| 10 | Santino Ferrucci | 1:39.7400 | 1.1569 | 110.700 |
| 11 | Colton Herta | 1:39.8331 | 1.2500 | 110.597 |
| 12 | Nolan Siegel | 1:40.1218 | 1.5387 | 110.278 |
| 13 | Kyle Kirkwood | 1:40.1268 | 1.5437 | 110.272 |
| 14 | Sting Ray Robb | 1:41.5352 | 2.9521 | 108.743 |
| Group 2 | Driver | Time | Gap | Avg. Speed (MPH) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | 1:38.5675 | – | 112.017 |
| 2 | Marcus Armstrong | 1:38.7575 | 0.1900 | 111.801 |
| 3 | Graham Rahal | 1:38.9723 | 0.4048 | 111.558 |
| 4 | Linus Lundqvist | 1:39.0685 | 0.5010 | 111.450 |
| 5 | Tom Blomqvist | 1:39.0820 | 0.5145 | 111.435 |
| 6 | Pietro Fittipaldi | 1:39.1117 | 0.5442 | 111.402 |
| 7 | Alexander Rossi | 1:39.1140 | 0.5465 | 111.399 |
| 8 | Callum Ilott | 1:39.2575 | 0.6900 | 111.238 |
| 9 | Pato O’Ward | 1:39.4293 | 0.8618 | 111.046 |
| 10 | Kyffin Simpson | 1:39.9502 | 1.3827 | 110.467 |
| 11 | Christian Rasmussen | 1:40.2820 | 1.7145 | 110.102 |
| 12 | Colin Braun | 1:40.7843 | 2.2168 | 109.553 |
| 13 | Marcus Ericsson | No Time | – | – |
