IndyCar took to the Portland International Raceway on Saturday morning, getting in some qualifying simulations before the heat of the afternoon settled in.
All 27 drivers searched for a clean piece of race track on the short course, hoping to get a feel for how their cars handled in undisturbed air.
Colton Herta was the quickest of the bunch, completing his lap in 58.4238 seconds on the harder compound tires.
Herta was 13th quickest on Friday, showing that his Andretti Global team has found extra pace as the weekend progresses.
Alex Palou was second quick for the second session running, completing his lap just 0.0293 seconds slower than the top time.
A couple veterans were next on the time sheets, with Scott Dixon and last year’s Portland winner Will Power setting the third and fourth quickest times.
A couple drivers took quick trips through the grass, including Power early in the run.
Nobody collided with the barriers, however, and the 45-minute session was completed without any interruptions.
Because space was tight, tempers flared from time to time. Scott McLaughlin was seen gesturing out of the top of his Aeroscreen at Devlin DeFrancesco after the two disagreed on who had the right of way through the first turn.
Rookie Louis Foster also ran into the back of Pato O’Ward when the two raced near each in Turn 7.
No damage was done to their cars, but another note in the memories of both drivers could lead to further battles later on in the weekend.
Drivers and teams only have a short 90 minute window to make adjustments before qualifying, which takes place at 11:30 AM PT.
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