Dennis Hauger Edges Andretti Teammate Lochie Hughes for Detroit Pole
The INDY NXT by Firestone duel between Andretti Global teammates Dennis Hauger and Lochie Hughes continued to heat up Saturday as Hauger edged fellow series rookie Hughes for the pole at the Detroit Grand Prix.
Hauger earned his third pole in five races this season – Hughes grabbed the other two – with a series-record lap of 1 minute, 4.9896 seconds in the No. 28 Rental Group car. That broke the series track record of 1:05.1079 set last June by eventual series champion Louis Foster, also of Andretti Global.
SEE: Qualifying Results
'It was so messy, but I pushed to the limit and got the pole,' Hauger said. 'That was intense.'
Hughes was second at 1:05.0516 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship machine, also under Foster's track record.
There was a gap of nearly one second to third on the starting grid for the 45-lap race Sunday (10:30 a.m. ET, FS1, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network), as 17-year-old rookie Max Taylor qualified third at 1:05.9554 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car in just his second start in the INDYCAR development series.
2024 Rookie of the Year Caio Collet qualified fourth at 1:05.6249 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports machine. Salvador de Alba was the third Andretti Global driver in the top five with his top lap of 1:05.9772 in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car.
Callum Hedge rounded out the first three rows by qualifying sixth at 1:06.1315 in the No. 17 Abel Motorsports car.
There was plenty of suspense throughout qualifying. The session was split into two groups of drivers, with Hughes in the first group and Hauger in the second to build the drama. Hauger leads his teammate by 15 points atop the series standings after four races, and they are the only drivers to win races this season – Hauger has three victories, Hughes one.
Hughes laid down his huge lap on his final trip around the treacherous, nine-turn, 1.645-mile street circuit in downtown Detroit, finally getting clear track on the tight, bumpy circuit for his last qualifying run.
Hauger was working up his response when James Roe suffered his second crash of the weekend with about seven minutes left in the session, with his No. 29 Topcon car receiving heavy right front damage after wall impact. Roe was unhurt.
There were only three minutes, 56 seconds left in the session when the track reopened, and Hauger and his group hustled back on the circuit to complete as many laps as possible.
Hauger dropped to 1:05.287 on his second-to-last lap, just behind Hughes, but grabbed the pole with his track-record lap on his final trip around the circuit.
'That was just so nerve-wracking with the red flag because tire temperatures weren't there on the first two laps, and they came on the last one,' Hauger said. 'I hit the wall on the second-to-last lap, I almost crashed in Turn 1 on the last lap.'
recommended
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
EA SPORTS To Announce NHL 26 Cover Athlete Aug. 4
EA SPORTS will announce the cover athlete for NHL 26 on Aug. 4, the company said in a release Friday. EA SPORTS NHL changed all of their profile photos and banners on social media to a generic NHL 26 logo, finally acknowledging the games existence, as well as a standard and limited edition version of the game. With Season 8 set begin in NHL 25 on it will be interesting to see if there are any tie-ins with NHL 26. In a recent earnings call and in the Events and Presentations tab on the EA website NHL 26 is schedule to release in Q2 before EA FC 26. It was recently announce EA FC will be released Sept. 26, meaning NHL will likely release early to mid September. Comment below you think the cover athlete will be. The Hughes brothers were revealed to be the NHL 25 cover athletes in a leaked trailed on Aug. 19, 2024. Check out the new 99 overall HUT Team Builders. For more NHL Gaming news make sure you bookmark The Hockey News Gaming Site or follow our Google News Feed.
Forbes
3 days ago
- Forbes
Big Box Store Sam's Club Joins IndyCar's Andretti Global Racing
One of the pioneers in 'Big Box' stores, Sam's Club, has teamed up with Andretti Global for the final NTT IndyCar Series race of the season at Nashville Superspeedway on August 31. Sam's Club, a leading membership retail club will be the primary sponsor for the No. 27 Honda driven by Kyle Kirkwood in the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix. 'As we prepare to open a new club in Lebanon, Tennessee in early 2026, our collaboration with Andretti Global couldn't be more timely,' said Harvey Ma, Vice President and General Manager, Sam's Club Member Access Platform. 'It offers a unique way to engage with the community and showcase what Sam's Club truly represents. 'We're committed to creating memorable experiences that bring value and joy for our members and connecting them with the brands they love.' Sam's Club Sees IndyCar As a Launch Pad Sam's Club believes the high-speed world of IndyCar is a great avenue to launch the company into the future of retail by creating seamless, connected experiences, whether in the club or online. This sponsorship arrangement also underscores the mission of Sam's Club's Member Access Platform (MAP) to lead as the first retail experience network, providing members and advertisers with unique experiences they won't find anywhere else. Sam's Club driver and five-time IndyCar race winner Kirkwood will bring members closer to the action with special appearances, club meet and greets and exclusive behind-the-scenes content leading up to the 2025. 'We are proud to welcome Sam's Club to Andretti Global and the IndyCar paddock,' Andretti Global President Jill Gregory said. 'They are a nationally known consumer brand that will resonate with fans, and we are excited to collaborate on immersive race experiences for their members. 'Kyle and the Andretti team are bringing great energy to this opportunity, and we look forward to driving results for Sam's Club with this new sponsorship.' The IndyCar season finale at Nashville Superspeedway is a track where Kirkwood delivered a strong performance during last year's return to IndyCar with a pole position and top five finish for the Andretti Global team. Kirkwood will debut the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda on track at Nashville Superspeedway August 30-31 with hopes of securing his second career IndyCar oval victory. 'I'm extremely excited to have Sam's Club on board for the IndyCar season finale in Nashville,' Kirkwood said. 'It's amazing to have such a well-known, national brand join the team, and we're excited to show them what the Andretti IndyCar program is all about. We hope that we can continue to elevate their success in the Nashville market with a strong performance on track in the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda.' The Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix will air live on FOX on Sunday, August 31, at 2:00 PM ET.
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Fox Sports
Notes: Nashville Winner Can Rock Out with Unique Trophy
INDYCAR While there's no doubt the Borg-Warner Trophy awarded to the winner of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is one of the most beautiful awards in global sport, the winner of the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot also will take home a unique prize. NTT INDYCAR SERIES star Colton Herta helped to unveil July 31 the latest design of the winner's trophy for the race Sunday, Aug. 31 at Nashville Superspeedway – a custom-made Gibson electric guitar. Andretti Global w/ Curb-Agajanian driver Herta won last year's race on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Gibson, the world's most famous guitar manufacturer and a staple of Nashville's music scene for generations, created the coveted Victory Lane hardware. Herta, Big Machine Label Group and Borchetta Bourbon Founder Scott Borchetta, Gibson Chief Financial Officer Mark Taylor and Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix President Anne Fischgrund unveiled the iconic trophy at the Gibson Garage Nashville global flagship store in downtown Nashville. The trophy unveiling marks the second consecutive year that Gibson Guitars has partnered with the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot to create the special race winner's trophy. Unlike any other stop on the INDYCAR circuit, Nashville offers a prize that is as soulful as it is symbolic in a handcrafted, custom-painted Gibson guitar that embodies the spirit of Music City and the precision of NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing. 'Gibson is honored to partner for our second year with Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot and to deliver the instantly recognizable guitar trophy to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES race winner,' Taylor said. 'The skill of drivers fused with competition and engineering technology create an infectious energy on the ground that has produced some of the most passionate fans in the racing industry for this ever-growing motorsport.' The INDYCAR Championship Weekend on Aug. 30-31 at Nashville Superspeedway will feature the season finale for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and INDY NXT by Firestone. Visit Sam's Club To Sponsor Kirkwood at Nashville Kyle Kirkwood will finish his breakthrough season in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with primary sponsorship from Sam's Club, a leading membership retail club, at the Borchetta Bourbon Music City Grand Prix presented by WillScot on Aug. 30-31 at Nashville Superspeedway. Kirkwood, who has won a career-high three races this season, will drive the No. 27 Sam's Club Honda for Andretti Global on the 1.33-mile concrete oval. Entering the high-energy world of INDYCAR racing with Andretti Global is a natural fit for Sam's Club, as it is pioneering the future of retail by creating seamless, connected experiences, whether in the club or online. This sponsorship arrangement also underscores the mission of Sam's Club's Member Access Platform (MAP) to lead as the first retail experience network, providing members and advertisers with unique experiences they won't find anywhere else. recommended Item 1 of 1
