Motorsport picture
For the second time in his younger NTT IndyCar Collection profession, Florida’s is ready to steer the sector to inexperienced within the Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore. The Andretti International star laid down a prime time of 1:06.1921 to attain his third-career pole and second in Lengthy Seashore.
Commercial
“I’m shaking,” an excited Kirkwood instructed FOX Sports activities afterward. “That was nice. Such an excellent lap, such an excellent qualifying. Luckily, I didn’t put any wheel unsuitable and hit something. That’s all the time a query right here at avenue programs. You’ve bought to ship it to get that prime spot.”
Kirkwood’s effort was one in all a trio of strong outcomes for Andretti International. Teammate adopted in second, with simply three spots behind in fifth.
“Once you’re in an Andretti International automotive at Lengthy Seashore, you’re going to be fast,” Kirkwood mentioned. “I’m so comfortable to capitalize on that right here right this moment. Entrance row lockout with Colton. I believed it was going to be him or I after that first quali run. He was tremendous fast, I used to be tremendous fast. I knew it was going to be a dogfight between him and I.”
Herta settled for second after a busy session, slapping the wall on the exit of the ultimate nook after advancing to the Quick 12 and having to run and not using a prep lap within the closing spherical. The 2022 polesitter felt the circumstances stored him from a possible pole run.
Commercial
“That was a troublesome one,” Herta mentioned. “The prep lap is what we do to attempt to get the temperatures in the correct window, attempt to get the entrance and rear as equal as we are able to. I didn’t have that, so the tires began off just a little bit chilly. However they bought there ultimately, after three or 4 corners.
“I’m guessing the time loss to Kyle might be in these first few corners. It sucks. This can be a pole that I really feel like I ought to have gotten with out getting that penalty and going off within the first run. However I nonetheless can’t be mad at a entrance row and an Andretti 1-2.”
Championship chief and undefeated driver so far, , slotted in third for Chip Ganassi Racing. Defending pole-sitter took fourth for Meyer Shank Racing, with Ericsson and Crew Penske’s rounding out the Quick 6.
Because the Quick 12 unfolded…Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLarenPenske Leisure
Penske Leisure
Commercial
Kirkwood led the way in which in a Quick 12 impacted by a late pink flag when , who was sitting fifth on the time, slid broad and collided with the tire barrier.
Lundgaard’s exit introduced an surprising finish to the Quick 12, stopping the proceedings when drivers had been on their closing laps. It introduced an finish to the session for all three Arrow McLaren entries, who had been on the unsuitable aspect of the cutline on the time of stoppage.
“I’m glad that we have now good tempo,” mentioned. “It’s simply irritating to not get to point out that. I feel that we most likely may have transferred and had the tempo to try this. It could have been good to really make it occur, however we’ve bought one other day tomorrow. That’s when it counts.”
“I’m glad Christian’s alright, however (it’s) a bummer for me, bummer for Nolan as nicely,” mentioned. “He didn’t get his lap in, too. I feel all of us had the tempo to be in there. Unhappy to see there’s just one Chevy in there, however we are able to battle from ninth.“
Rosenqvist was seventh because the pink flag flew, however snuck via to the Quick 6 after Lundgaard misplaced his prime two lap occasions for inflicting the stoppage. and sat seventh and eighth, with O’Ward, David Malukas, Siegel and Lundgaard finishing the Quick 12.
Commercial
Earlier than his second spherical shunt, Lundgaard topped the opening group session, sneaking via to the Quick 12 along with his closing lap. Herta, Rosenqvist, O’Ward, Armstrong and Malukas adopted. Kirkwood led the second group over Palou, McLaughlin, Siegel, Ericsson and Rossi.
Former champs undergo troublesome qualifying daysScott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi RacingPenske Leisure
Penske Leisure
Defending Lengthy Seashore winner should rally from the midfield if he hopes to repeat final 12 months’s heroics within the iconic avenue race. The Kiwi and his No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing group endured a troublesome Saturday, beginning early with an uncommon hit into the wall in second observe.
Commercial
Dixon’s crew spent the hours between observe and qualifying repairing his stricken No. 9. However when qualifying lastly got here, one other atypical mistake from the typically-consistent ‘Ice Man’ stored him from advancing into the Quick 12.
“The lap I used to be on was good for, I feel, virtually fast time, however I clipped the wall on the exit of (flip) 6 and it bent the toe hyperlink, so I needed to abort,” Dixon mentioned. “Simply form of irritating. I ought to have carried out it a lap earlier, however with automotive spacing. I feel the automotive aborted in entrance of me on the primary lap so I needed to do the identical factor. So the second lap wasn’t as fast because it ought to have been.
“I feel we had been up on our teammate by a few tenth-and-a-half at that time, so (I might have been) simply via on that session.”
It was one other troublesome qualifying day for Crew Penske, who noticed star drivers Will Energy and Josef Newgarden fail to advance out of group qualifying for the second-straight race. Energy’s qualifying effort was impacted by a success within the flip 6 wall. Newgarden felt his run was impeded by a sluggish Rosenqvist within the hairpin, however no penalty got here of the lodged criticism.
Commercial
“It was form of troublesome to get a transparent lap with folks backing up rather a lot. … Virtually wanted to go on the primary lap, I assume,” Energy instructed FOX Sports activities afterward. “It’s exhausting to have an excellent out lap. You then’ve bought to (create a) hole and let folks go. Then folks cease on the hairpin.
“No excuses, man. I imply, we’re fast in observe. Each single observe this 12 months we’ve been quick. Each single one. And we haven’t gotten (into) the highest 12 but. You may make as many excuses as you need. We’ve simply bought to get it carried out when it counts on the gentle tires.”
Energy’s three-straight races and not using a Quick 12 look are probably the most for the Australian since a run of 4 races from Belle Isle via Toronto in 2022. It could have been a second-straight race and not using a Quick 12 qualifier for sequence proprietor Roger Penske’s squad had McLaughlin not made it via the second group.
Commercial
It was a troublesome qualifying session for a number of drivers, with many struggling injury after contact with the wall. Lundgaard was the one one to crash out of a run, however Herta, Energy, Dixon and Santino Ferrucci all went broad at totally different corners alongside the treacherous avenue circuit.
Ferrucci’s incident on the finish of group qualifying pressured him to cease within the runoff space. The Quick 12 was briefly delayed so his automobile may very well be retrieved.
Sunday’s race will go stay on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Community at 4:30 p.m. ET.
