Practice Shots: Drivers Waste Little Time Finding Limit in Detroit
With the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge in the mirrors of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, the road ahead features 11 races at 10 venues to end the season. The pursuit of the Astor Challenge Cup is in high gear. Up next: Sunday's Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear.
Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood turned the fastest lap of the first practice on the downtown street circuit, but the No. 27 Siemens AWS Honda sat quiet on pit road for most of the session after taking rear contact from Team Penske's Will Power (No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet) in a two-corner shove that might foreshadow another chaotic race. Mid-race rain and eight cautions slowed last year's 100-lapper, and there was additional car-to-car contact that didn't necessitate a yellow flag.
Here are three takeaways from what has transpired in this event after one on-track session:
An Adventurous First Practice
The 27 car-and-driver combinations have already pushed the limits of the nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit. If the contact between Power and Kirkwood wasn't enough, Juncos Hollinger Racing's Sting Ray Robb (No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet) nosed into the tire barrier, and a slew of other drivers directed their cars to run-off areas to avoid wall contact.
The question was, who didn't have a tire lockup on the bumpy streets?
One of those who scooted off course was Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin (No. 3 TireRack.com Team Penske Chevrolet). He finished second on the speed chart, which is a morale boost after the New Zealander crashed out of the '500' before the race even started.
Indy's top two finishers, Chip Ganassi Racing's Alex Palou (No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) and AJ Foyt Racing's David Malukas (No. 4 Clarience Technology Chevrolet), went off course in this weekend's first practice session without contact. Basically, no harm no foul. But again, maybe it's a preview of what's to come for the third race held on this circuit.
The drivers will get more track time Saturday in the form of a second practice (9 a.m. ET) and qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (noon ET). Both sessions will air live on FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Sunday's 100-lap race is on FOX at 12:30 p.m. ET.
The Race for Second
With Palou clutching a staggering 112-point lead after winning five of the season's first six races, the standings reflect a battle for second place. As it stands, it's Arrow McLaren teammates Pato O'Ward (No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) and Christian Lundgaard (No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet) tussling for that position. O'Ward leads Lundgaard by 13 points.
The battle for second applies to races, as well. Five different drivers have finished second in the season's first six races. That's Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding, O'Ward in The Thermal Club INDYCAR Grand Prix at The Thermal Club, Palou in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Lundgaard in the Children's of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, O'Ward in the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course and Malukas in the '500.'
Andretti Global's Marcus Ericsson (No. 28 Siemens Honda) finished second to Dixon in last year's Detroit race, and he considers this his best track on the schedule, which is saying a lot since he has had three outstanding drives in the '500,' including a win in 2022. Dixon, who has 58 career race wins, has 52 career runner-up race finishes. Both totals rank second all time in their respective categories.
Chip Ganassi's Honda-powered team has won both downtown street races in Detroit – Palou in 2023, Dixon last year.
Lundgaard: Palou Can't Win 'for the Rest of His Life'
Lundgaard scored his best finish in the '500' – he was seventh – and continues to be one of the drivers on the upswing. Lundgaard believes he is having a championship-worthy season, but there's not a lot more he can do until Palou bobbles.
'He can't win the rest of the races for the rest of his life,' Lundgaard said of the Spaniard who was a surprising 15th on Friday's speed chart. 'They're doing everything extremely well. They're executing every opportunity they have, and even if they do make a mistake, they make up for it at the next opportunity they have. It's just a really strong group, and they're just good at every (type of circuit). There is no real weakness.
'But it doesn't take much (to slip up). A small bit of contact, and he's out of a race, you know? It could be (not) his fault, and that could end the streak.'
Lundgaard had the fifth-best lap in Friday's practice. O'Ward was seventh. Both hope to be in position to capitalize on Palou's misfortune, if or when that ever comes.
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