By: Spencer Neff
June 8, 2024
Qualifying Results Starting Lineup
Conditions that improved over the session would lead to a number of surprises throughout the grid.
Up front, Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Linus Lundqvist (1m45.1519-137.424 mph) earned his first career INDYCAR pole. The swede will make his first start at the 4.014-mile, 14-turn road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin from the front of the grid.
In his nine previous starts, Lundqvist’s best start was 11th at his debut in Nashville with Meyer Shank Racing a year ago.
Chip Ganassi Racing earns their 95th pole as an INDYCAR team and first at Road America since 1996 with Alex Zanardi. The team won pole last month for the Sonsio Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course with Alex Palou.
CGR has won 7 times at Road America including four of the last five events.
Lundqvist is also the first rookie pole sitter since Romain Grosjean in 2021 (IMS Road Course).
Andretti Global’s Colton Herta qualified second. Lundqvist and Herta’s teammates will each line up behind them with Marcus Armstrong and Kyle Kirkwood occupying Row 2. Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Will Power start on Row 3.
Round 3-Fast 6
After breaking a tie with Scott Dixon by appearing in his 101st Fast Six, Power spun in Turn 12. The resulting red flag would cost the 2016 Road America winner any chance at pole and relegate him to sixth on the grid.
Newgarden would crash in Turn 10 as the session drew to a close and his time would be negated as well. The 2018 and 2022 Road America winner starts fifth.
Round 2-Fast 12
Herta (1m59.2088-121.219 mph) was fastest of the six drivers advancing to run for the pole. Joining him in the final round would be Kirkwood, Armstrong, Power, Lundqvist and Newgarden.
Finishing seventh through 12th would be Palou, McLaughlin Rossi, Dixon, O’Ward and Simpson.
Round 1 Group 2
With just over three minutes remaining in the session, Helio Castroneves went off track in Turn 5 and prompted the red flag.
Castroneves would be penalized under Rule 8.3.6-“If a Car causes a Red Condition in any segment, the Car’s best two (2) timed laps of the segment shall be disallowed, the Car may not continue in the segment, and the Car shall not advance to the next segment.”
Castroneves finished 14th and will start 27th.
Herta (2m00.3275-120.092 mph) would continue showing pace and lead the 14-car session. Advancing with Herta were Palou, McLaughlin, Kirkwood, Dixon and Lundqvist.
Not advancing in addition to Castroneves were Romain Grosjean, Christian Rasmussen, Theo Pourchaire, Jack Harvey, Felix Rosenqvist, Graham Rahal and Sting Ray Robb. They will start on the outside of rows 7-13.
Round 1 Group 1
Rossi (2m00.9811-119.443 mph) led a 1-2 for Arrow McLaren as he advanced to his second Fast 12. Teammate O”Ward would advance along with Armstrong, Newgarden, Power and Kyffin Simpson.
Christian Lundgaard, Marcus Ericsson, Rinus VeeKay, Santino Ferrucci, Nolan Siegel, Luca Ghiotto and Pietro Fittipaldi did not advance. They start on the inside of Rows 7-13.
Up Next
Here is the race day schedule for this weekend at Road America. IndyCar1909 will have recaps following each on-track session and updates via our social media platforms.
At-track schedule (all times Central Time):
Sunday, June 9
11:15-11:45 a.m. NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, Peacock
12:10 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America command to start engines
12:15 p.m. INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix at Road America (20 laps/55 minutes), Peacock
2 p.m. Driver introductions
2:38 p.m. XPEL Grand Prix at Road America command to start engines
2:45 p.m. XPEL Grand Prix at Road America (55 laps/222.64 miles), NBC (live)
Header Image By Chris Owens/INDYCAR
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