Alex Palou tops second NTT INDYCAR SERIES practice in wrecked filled session
- Jeffrey Hrunka
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Jeffrey Hrunka - INDYCAR Contributor
A session filled with spins and destroyed racecars overshadowed a resurgence to the top of the timing sheets for Alex Palou in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES second practice session at Barber Motorsports Park. Palou leads championship foe Kyle Kirkwood, who remained in the runner-up position after both practice sessions.
With temperatures about 40 degrees colder than Friday’s practice session, lap times on the 2.38-mile track were about a second faster. Palou set the benchmark for the session with a 1:06.468s, with Kirkwood five hundredths behind in second with a 1:06.522s.
Every driver ran the session on the primary tires, with an expected 15-minute group practice session after the initial 40-minute session. However, a hard crash from Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, driver of the No.3 Chevrolet, lost control entering turn one and crashed through the concrete barrier and catch fence. His wreck with six minutes left ultimately ended the session.
McLaughlin was checked and released from the medical center.
In a complete switch from practice one, in which Team Penkse dominated the session, they struggled as a whole through 40 minutes. McLaughlin led the group in 12th (1:06.87s) with David Malukas and Josef Newgarden in 15th (1:06.988s) and 22nd (1:07.577s).
Nolan Siegel, driver of the No.6 Arrow-McLaren Chevrolet, brought out the first caution of the session with a spin into Turn 13 inches away from the wall. He was the only Arrow-McLaren driver not in the top-10 on speed, with Christian Lundgaard, driver of the No.7, and Pato O’Ward, driver of the No. 5, rounding out the top-10 in ninth (1:06.754s) and tenth (1:06.857s)
Romain Grosjean, No.18 driver of the Dale Coyne Racing, and Rinus Veekay, driver of the No.76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, were two drivers who showed speed with small teams in third (1:06.595s) and fourth (1:06.609s). Veekay finished fourth last season at Barber Motorsports Park in the Dale Coyne Racing No.18.
Caio Collett, driver of the No. 4 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet, led all rookies in the session with an eighth-place effort (1:06.726s). Mick Schumacher, driver of the No.47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda and Dennis Hauger, driver of the No.18 Dale Coyne Racing Chevrolet, timed in 19th (1:07.342s) and 23rd (1:07.796s), respectively.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES Practice 2 Results (Top 10):
The NTT INDYCAR SERIES returns to the track on Saturday afternoon for qualifying at Barber Motorsports Park. Fans can tune into the action on FS1 at 2:30 p.m. EST.
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