By: Spencer Neff
July 20, 2024
After leading practice sessions on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, Colton Herta earned the pole for Sunday’s Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto. The Andretti Global driver posted a best lap of 59.5431 seconds (107.982 mph) on the 1.786-mile, 11-turn street circuit at Exhibition Place.
It is Herta’s second pole at this venue (2022) and third pole of 2024 (Detroit and Iowa Race 1), tying him for the season lead (Palou and McLaughlin). He know has 14 career poles as he makes his 94th start tomorrow.
Herta leads the 27-car field to the green flag in tomorrow’s 85-lap race as he looks for his first win since the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course event in May of 2022.
Round 3-Fast 6
Kirkwood was .1304 of a second off his teammate’s best time. Andretti Global has their first sweep of a front row since 2021 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a race Herta won from the pole.
Meyer Shank Racing, which shares a technical partnership with Andretti Global, has Felix Rosenqvist starting third alongside Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin in Row 2. Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Romain Grosjean, the only Chevrolet aside from McLaughlin to make the Fast Six, starts fifth.
Rosenqvist’s teammate David Malukas qualified sixth in his fourth race with MSR and giving Honda four of the Top Six qualifiers.
Round 2-Fast 12
Rosenqvist (59.596-107.896 mph) was atop the chart following the 10-minute second round, with Kirkwood, Grosjean, Herta, McLaughlin and Malukas continuing on to fight for the pole.
Missing out on the Fast Six were Josef Newgarden, Graham Rahal, Will Power, Agustin Canapino, Marcus Ericsson and Christian Rasmussen (best among the rookies). They start 7th-12th in tomorrow’s race.
Newgarden (2015 and 2017) is the only driver in the Top Eight to have previously won at Toronto.
Round 1-Group 1
Just over a minute into the opening group, Hunter McElrea made contact with the tire barrier in Turn 8, making him the third driver to crash in the area this weekend.
Due to causing the red flag, McElrea was unable to advance and did not get to record another lap. This is pursuant to INDYCAR 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.”
Kirkwood (1m00.1698-106.858 mph) led the way in the 10-minute session, with McLaughlin, Rasmussen, Rosenqvist, Malukas and Newgarden joining him in the Fast 12.
Falling outside the second round were Marcus Armstrong, Scott Dixon, Santino Ferrucci, Nolan Siegel, Toby Sowery, Pietro Fittipaldi and the aforementioned McElrea. They start on the inside of Rows 7-13.
Round 1-Group 2
Power (1m00.065-107.044 mph) would be fastest in the second 10-minute session, advancing with Ericsson, Herta, Rahal, Grosjean and Canapino.
On the outside looking in for the session would be Pato O’Ward, Christian Lundgaard, Alex Palou, Kyffin Simpson, Rinus VeeKay, Linus Lundqvist and Sting Ray Robb.
Palou was initially in the Top Six but was given a penalty for impeding under Rule 8.3.7.1-
“If the violation occurs during Segment One (1) or Segment Two (2), the Car’s best two (2) timed laps during that segment shall be disallowed and the Car shall not advance to the next segment.”
Robb will start last in the 27-car field with the other drivers starting on the outside of Rows 7-13.
Up Next
Here is the race day schedule. Stay with IndyCar1909 for the latest on the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto:
At-track schedule (all times local):
Sunday, July 21
10-10:30 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Final Practice, Peacock/TSN+
1 p.m. – Peacock/TSN4 on air
1:23 p.m. – Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto “Drivers, start your engines”
1:30 p.m. – Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto (85 laps, 151.81 miles), Peacock/TSN4/TSN+(Live).
Header Image By Chris Owens/INDYCAR
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