The NTT IndyCar Series took to the track on a brand new street course Friday afternoon, ripping around the 2.73-mile course in Arlington, Texas.
The bumpy and demanding course gave drivers fits as they learned the ins and outs of the streets, but some took to it instantly.
Scott McLaughlin was one driver that found his groove right away, setting the fastest time overall in the first practice session.
His best time was 1:34.8926, giving him an average speed of 103.579 MPH.
When McLaughlin climbed from his car, he was smiling from ear to ear and was practically bouncing around bit lane.
He talked to Fox Sports and declared “That is instantly my most favorite street circuit ever! That is such a blast!”
Alex Palou was second quick in his Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, with Will Power in his Andretti Global entry setting the third best time.
The fourth best time was set by Pato O’Ward, with Felix Rosenqvist rounding out the top five.
There was a wide range of times as teams attempted different setups to see what worked and what didn’t.
The top 10 cars were separated by 1.16 seconds, which is a typical spread that would cover the entire field.
Most teams already adjusted their ride heights to accommodate the bumps, but it definitely appears there will be more setup changes coming by some teams as they prepare for the rest of the weekend.
Work to do
There were are a few names down the order that are typically hanging around at the top of the time sheets.
Scott Dixon was one, with his best lap good for ninth best on the day. Because of the large spread in speeds, however, his time was barely competitive with those at the front.
McLaughlin’s Team Penske team-mates were also far down the order, with David Malukas and Josef Newgarden coming in 12th and 16th respectively.
Even Kyle Kirkwood, who typically does well on street courses and currently sits second in the overall standings, was 15th quick on the day.
The team’s engineers are some of the best, however, and there are still plenty of chances for the familiar names to find their way to the front.
Costly mistakes
Juncos Hollinger Racing had the most disappointing session, with both cars suffering issues at one point and only 15 laps turned between them.
Sting Ray Robb was the first to stop on track after making contact with the wall.
His car jumped sideways under braking for Turn 1 and crunched into the concrete barrier. The various track surfaces played into the incident, which caused him to miss most of the session.
Rinus VeeKay also stopped on track later on, having missed his braking zone and gotten stuck in the runoff area for Turn 10.
Near the end of the afternoon Felix Rosenqvist touched the wall with his rear left wheel, which broke the toe link instantly.
He expertly kept his #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda from crashing further and was able to drive back to pit lane.
Drivers will pore over the data this evening and make plans to get back on track tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM central time.
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