By: Spencer Neff
September 9, 2023
Practice 2 Results Combined Practice Results Qualifying Order
In a 45-minute practice halted by three red flags, Rhaal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard was fastest during the second practice for Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
The Toronto winner and two-time 2023 pole winner notched a best lap of 1m07.6154 (119.156 mph) on the 2.238-mile, 11-turn WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California. Rinus VeeKay, who earned a season-best sixth-place finish last weekend at Portland, was the fastest Chevrolet in second, .0392 of a second off Lundgaard’s Honda.
2023 NTT INDYCAR SEIRES Champion and last year’s race winner Alex Palou was third on the speed chart in his Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Arrow McLaren’s Alexander Rossi was fourth and Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood rounded out the Top Five.
As he looks to wrap up Rookie of the Year honors, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong was 13th, second only to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Juri Vips (12th) among the six rookies in the field of 27.
While the track has undergone its first repave since 2008, eight combined red flags between the first two practices have limited teams’ ability to find the extra speed in the alternate (red wall) Firestone tires before qualifying this afternoon.
Less than 10 minutes into the session, Arrow McLaren’s Pato O”Ward veered off track and into the Turn 3 tire barriers, prompting the first red flag of the morning.
After going off-course in Friday’s opening practice, Will Power spun at the top of the Corkscrew between Turns 7 and 8.
Later in the session, A.J. Foyt Racng’s Santino Ferrucci stalled in Turn 2 after experiencing an engine issue. The third and final red flag of the morning was brought out.
Vips to serve grid penalty
On Saturday morning, INDYCAR released the following announcement regarding the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry (Vips)-
“INDYCAR officials have announced a six-position starting grid penalty for the No. 30 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing entry for an unapproved engine change following practice, yesterday, at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
The team was 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 Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Sunday, Sept. 10 in Monterey, California.”
Up Next
Here is the remaining schedule for the weekend. Stay with IndyCar1909 for the latest on the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Saturday, Sept. 9
12:30 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
12:35 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 1 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
2 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey NTT P1 Award qualifying (three rounds of knockout qualifying), Peacock
Sunday, Sept. 10
9-9:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock
9:55 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 “Drivers Start Your Engines”
10 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey Race 2 (35 laps / 78.33 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock
11:30 a.m. – NBC on air
12:19 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey “Drivers, start your engines”
12:26 p.m. – Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey (95 laps/212.61 miles), NBC (Live)
Header Image By James Black/INDYCAR
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