The NTT IndyCar Series completed a knockout qualifying session at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Saturday afternoon, battling hot and humid weather as well as competing against each other.
Alex Palou was, once again, the fastest driver on track. The dominant Spaniard completed his lap in 1:05.0215 to earn his ninth career IndyCar pole.
Christian Lundgaard was second fastest after putting in a solid run of his own. The second row held two young drivers each with their best career qualifying efforts, with Kyffin Simpson and Nolan Siegel qualifying third and fourth respectively.
READ MORE: IndyCar Mid-Ohio – Full Qualifying Report
Team Penske’s bad year continued to get worse, as all three of the team’s drivers failed to advance out of the first round.
The best of the trio was Josef Newgarden, who denied interviews and retreated to his hauler after qualifying in 18th.
Drivers will return to the track on Sunday, with a 90-lap race on the schedule. The event is a bit longer than years past, which should help promote split strategies among the field.
| # | Driver | Time | Gap | Avg. Speed (MPH) | Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Palou | 01:05.0215 | – | 125.017 | Fast Six |
| 2 | Christian Lundgaard | 01:05.2126 | 0.1911 | 124.651 | Fast Six |
| 3 | Kyffin Simpson | 01:05.7555 | 0.7340 | 123.622 | Fast Six |
| 4 | Nolan Siegel | 01:05.9262 | 0.9047 | 123.302 | Fast Six |
| 5 | Colton Herta | 01:06.1218 | 1.1003 | 122.937 | Fast Six |
| 6 | Louis Foster | 01:06.2398 | 1.2183 | 122.718 | Fast Six |
| 7 | Kyle Kirkwood | 01:05.4443 | 0.3546 | 124.209 | Top 12 |
| 8 | Marcus Armstrong | 01:05.5469 | 0.4572 | 124.015 | Top 12 |
| 9 | Scott Dixon | 01:05.5570 | 0.4673 | 123.996 | Top 12 |
| 10 | Christian Rasmussen | 01:05.5861 | 0.4964 | 123.941 | Top 12 |
| 11 | Marcus Ericsson | 01:05.5952 | 0.5055 | 123.924 | Top 12 |
| 12 | Alexander Rossi | 01:05.9275 | 0.8378 | 123.299 | Top 12 |
| 13 | Conor Daly | 01:05.7573 | 0.4738 | 123.618 | First Round |
| 14 | David Malukas | 01:05.6384 | 0.4341 | 123.842 | First Round |
| 15 | Pato O’Ward | 01:05.7726 | 0.4891 | 123.589 | First Round |
| 16 | Felix Rosenqvist | 01:05.6392 | 0.4349 | 123.841 | First Round |
| 17 | Santino Ferrucci | 01:05.8138 | 0.5303 | 123.512 | First Round |
| 18 | Josef Newgarden | 01:05.6489 | 0.4446 | 123.822 | First Round |
| 19 | Sting Ray Robb | 01:05.8303 | 0.5468 | 123.481 | First Round |
| 20 | Graham Rahal | 01:05.6728 | 0.4685 | 123.777 | First Round |
| 21 | Scott McLaughlin | 01:05.8530 | 0.5695 | 123.439 | First Round |
| 22 | Will Power | 01:05.6745 | 0.4702 | 123.774 | First Round |
| 23 | Devlin DeFrancesco | 01:06.0593 | 0.7758 | 123.053 | First Round |
| 24 | Callum Ilott | 01:05.6757 | 0.4714 | 123.772 | First Round |
| 25 | Jacob Abel | 01:06.6460 | 1.3625 | 121.970 | First Round |
| 26 | Rinus VeeKay | 01:05.8516 | 0.6473 | 123.441 | First Round |
| 27 | Robert Shwartzman | 01:06.3827 | 1.1784 | 122.454 | First Round |
Fantastic insights! I’ll be coming back for more.