By: Spencer Neff
August 11, 2023
Continuing a resurgence for he and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Graham Rahal earned the NTT P1 Award for Saturday’s Gallagher Grand Prix. Rahal, who last started on the pole at Detroit (Belle Isle) in 2017, posted a best lap of 1m10.1132 (125.232 mph) during the six-minute final round qualifying session.
Teammate Christian Lundgaard, pole winner of the last event on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course, will start second. It is the team’s first sweep of the front row since Barber Motorsports Park in 2019. Prior to Friday, Rahal’s best start on this course was fourth in the July 2020, where he earned the most recent of his two runner-up finishes.
Round 3-Fast 6
Rahal led a third consecutive 1-2 session finish for his team. Defending race winner Alexander Rossi and Arrow McLaren teammate Pato O’Ward will occupy Row 2 as the best Chevrolet-powered cars in the field. After making the first Fast Six appearance of his career, Devlin DeFrancesco starts fifth with teammate Romain Grosjean in sixth.
Round 2-Fast 12
Rahal continued where he left off during the opening practice, posting a best lap of 1m09.9837 (125.464), with Lundgaard completing the RLLR 1-2 to advance to the run for the pole. Rossi, Grosjean, O’Ward and DeFrancesco followed.
Marcus Armstrong, Jack Harvey,Alex Palou, Felix Roenqvist, Scott McLaughlin and Helio Castroneves did not make it and qualified 7th-12th. Armstrong was the best rookie as he looks to pad his lead in the Rookie of the Year standings.
Round 1-Group 2
Lundgaard and RLLR would lead the second group during the opening round of qualifying, with Rahal completing a 1-2 effort. Joining them in Round 2-Fast 12 would be Grosjean, Castroneves, Palou and Armstrong.
Unable to advance were Linus Lundqvist, Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Rinus VeeKay, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Agustin Canapino, Callum Ilott and Benjamin Pedersen. Pedersen will start 27th, with the other six drivers starting on the outside of Rows 7-13.
Round 1-Group 1
Andretti Autosport would top the speed chart in the opening round with DeFrancesco (1m10.2805-124.934) leading the way. Harvey, O’Ward, McLaughlin, Rossi and Rosenqvist also advanced.
Missing the cut to advance to the second round were Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Will Power, Josef Newgarden, Santino Ferrucci, David Malukas and Sting Ray Robb. They will start on the inside of Rows 7-13.
Castroneves, Malukas and Harvey penalized
Prior to the start of the weekend, INDYCAR made this announcement:
“INDYCAR officials have announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the entries of No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing (Castroneves), No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing (Malukas) with HMD and No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Harvey) for unapproved engine changes following the Sunday, Aug. 6 race on the Streets of Nashville.
The teams were in violation of:
Rule 16.2.3.2 A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points if a Full Season Entrant has completed the Full Season Entrant Engine Mileage with its first four (4) Engines. Otherwise, a fifth (5th) or more Engine does not earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Unapproved Engine change-out.
According to Rule 16.6.1.2, the penalty is a six-position starting grid penalty on road and street course events and nine positions at oval events and will be served at the series’ next event, which is the Gallagher Grand Prix Saturday, Aug. 12 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.”
Up Next
Here is the remaining on-track schedule. Keep up with the latest on the Gallagher Grand Prix and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES with Indycar1909.com-
At-track schedule (all times local):
FRIDAY, AUG. 11
4-4:30 p.m.: NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice (30 minutes), Peacock
4:55 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix “Drivers, start your engines”
5 p.m.: INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix (35 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
SATURDAY, AUG. 12
2 p.m.: USA Network on air
2:23 p.m.: “Drivers, start your engines”
2:30 p.m.: Gallagher Grand Prix (85 laps/207.3 miles), USA Network (Live)
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