For the second time in his younger NTT IndyCar Sequence profession, Florida’s Kyle Kirkwood is about to steer the sphere to inexperienced within the Acura Grand Prix of Lengthy Seashore. The Andretti International star laid down a high time of 1:06.1921 to attain his third-career pole and second in Lengthy Seashore.
“I’m shaking,” an excited Kirkwood informed FOX Sports activities afterward. “That was nice. Such a superb lap, such a superb qualifying. Luckily, I didn’t put any wheel incorrect and hit something. That’s all the time a query right here at road programs. You’ve obtained to ship it to get that high spot.”
Kirkwood’s effort was one in every of a trio of strong outcomes for Andretti International. Teammate Colton Herta adopted in second, with Marcus Ericsson simply three spots behind in fifth.
“Once you’re in an Andretti International automobile at Lengthy Seashore, you already know you’re going to be fast,” Kirkwood stated. “I’m so completely satisfied 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 with out a prep lap within the closing spherical. The 2022 polesitter felt the circumstances saved him from a possible pole run.
“That was a troublesome one,” Herta stated. “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 obtained 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 up to now, Alex Palou, slotted in third for Chip Ganassi Racing. Defending pole-sitter Felix Rosenqvist took fourth for Meyer Shank Racing, with Ericsson and Group Penske’s Scott McLaughlin rounding out the Quick 6.
Because the Quick 12 unfolded…
Nolan Siegel, Arrow McLaren
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
Kirkwood led the best way in a Quick 12 impacted by a late crimson flag when Christian Lundgaard, who was sitting fifth on the time, slid vast and collided with the tire barrier.
Lundgaard’s exit introduced an sudden 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 incorrect facet of the cutline on the time of stoppage.
“I’m glad that we’ve good tempo,” Nolan Siegel stated. “It’s simply irritating to not get to point out that. I believe that we in all probability might have transferred and had the tempo to try this. It could have been good to truly make it occur, however we’ve obtained 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 effectively,” Pato O’Ward stated. “He didn’t get his lap in, too. I believe 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 crimson flag flew, however snuck by means of to the Quick 6 after Lundgaard misplaced his high two lap instances for inflicting the stoppage. Marcus Armstrong and Alexander Rossi sat seventh and eighth, with O’Ward, David Malukas, Siegel and Lundgaard finishing the Quick 12.
Earlier than his second spherical shunt, Lundgaard topped the opening group session, sneaking by means of to the Quick 12 together 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 endure troublesome qualifying days
Scott Dixon, Chip Ganassi Racing
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
Defending Lengthy Seashore winner Scott Dixon must rally from the midfield if he hopes to repeat final 12 months’s heroics within the iconic road race. The Kiwi and his No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing staff endured a troublesome Saturday, beginning early with an uncommon hit into the wall in second observe.
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’ saved him from advancing into the Quick 12.
“The lap I used to be on was good for, I believe, 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 stated. “Simply type of irritating. I ought to have accomplished it a lap earlier, however with automobile spacing. I believe the automobile 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 believe we had been up on our teammate by a few tenth-and-a-half at that time, so (I might have been) simply by means of on that session.”
It was one other troublesome qualifying day for Group 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 successful within the flip 6 wall. Newgarden felt his run was impeded by a gradual Rosenqvist within the hairpin, however no penalty got here of the lodged criticism.
“It was type of troublesome to get a transparent lap with individuals backing up rather a lot. … Nearly wanted to go on the primary lap, I assume,” Energy informed FOX Sports activities afterward. “It’s arduous to have a superb out lap. Then you definitely’ve obtained to (create a) hole and let individuals go. Then individuals 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 obtained to get it accomplished when it counts on the comfortable tires.”
Energy’s three-straight races with out a Quick 12 look are probably the most for the Australian since a run of 4 races from Belle Isle by means of Toronto in 2022. It could have been a second-straight race with out a Quick 12 qualifier for sequence proprietor Roger Penske’s squad had McLaughlin not made it by means of the second group.
It was a troublesome qualifying session for a number of drivers, with many struggling harm 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 vast at totally different corners alongside the treacherous road circuit.
Ferrucci’s incident on the finish of group qualifying compelled him to cease within the runoff space. The Quick 12 was briefly delayed so his car might be retrieved.
Sunday’s race will go stay on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Community at 4:30 p.m. ET.
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