Christian Lundgaard is hoping to unlock the puzzle to his early season qualifying woes this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.
Race tempo hasn’t been a problem for the 24-year-old Dane, however qualifying has. Within the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, he began twelfth and methodically marched by the sector to complete third. The following week he progressed 4 spots after rolling off a lowly seventeenth at Phoenix Raceway. At the latest spherical on the streets of Arlington, he was the sufferer of backmarker chaos and spun from contact on the second lap after beginning 18th, however performed injury management with a cost again to complete seventh.
And that race tempo is why, after being fourth-fastest in opening apply (0.0539s behind chief Scott McLaughlin’s 1m07.3840s) on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn highway course on Friday, Lundgaard is placing an emphasis on getting his #7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet into the Firestone Quick Six.
“The one concentrate on the #7 automotive for this weekend is simply execution,” mentioned Lundgaard, who completed runner-up on the Alabama circuit final 12 months.
“I do not assume we have to attempt to discover numerous tempo. I feel we simply must go on the market and execute. Qualifying has been a battle for us this 12 months. We have been good on Sundays.
“For us, it is see if we are able to get into the Firestone Quick Six. We weren’t final 12 months. Nolan (Siegel, his teammate within the #6 Chevrolet) was in final 12 months. I feel that is actually the place we have to acquire some floor to have the ability to battle for the win.”
Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren
Picture by: Penske Leisure
If there’s one concern for Lundgaard popping out of the day’s solely apply session, it’s that of his 23 laps run, his finest have been on the softer alternate tires (pink sidewall) and never on the more durable main compound (black sidewall).
“We have been solely quick on the alternates,” Lundgaard mentioned. “We weren’t quick on the primaries.
“Clearly Pato (O’Ward, teammate within the #5 Chevrolet) was quite a bit sooner than we have been. That is actually the place the shock was, the shift from alternates to primaries on the #7 automotive. Each time I would come into the field, I would be like, ‘I do not know the place I will discover half a second.’ Placed on the alternates and there it was.”
Lundgaard, who sits seventh within the championship, has completed seven instances since becoming a member of Arrow McLaren forward of the 2025 season, however none have been on the highest step. So, whereas his teammate, O’Ward is leaning on consistency with finishes of fifth, fourth, and fifth to start out the 12 months, Lundgaard is pushing for his second profession win and first with Arrow McLaren.
“Yeah, I can promise you proper now we’re not aiming at ending fourth or fifth,” Lundgaard mentioned. “These are good factors, however we’re attempting to win each single race.”
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