By: Spencer Neff
August 24, 2024
A.J. Foyt Racing’s Santino Ferrucci continued a career year on Saturday, winning pole for tomorrow’s BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland. In the final round of qualifying, Ferrucci notched a best lap of 58.2046 seconds (121.475 mph) to earn his first career pole in his 74th NTT INDYCAR SERIES start.
Ferrucci made the most of his first appearance in a Fast Six on a road course. Previously, the Woodbury, Connecticut native started second during the second race of a Mid-Ohio doubleheader and fourth at last year’s Indianapolis 500.
His previous best start at Portland was 14th in 2019, while his best finish at the 1.964-mile, 12-turn Oregon road course was a 16th in last year’s race
It is A.J. Foyt Racing’s 46th pole and first since Takuma Sato at Belle Isle Race 2 in 2014. This also eclipses their previous best qualifying effort at Portland, which was 10th in 1993 with Robby Gordon.
Round 3-Fast 6
Ferrucci bested Will Power for the pole by .1074 of a second in the final round Ferrucci and Foyt share a technical alliance with Team Penske.
Points leader Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing goes for a third Portland win from third on the grid, with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Christian Lundgaard in fourth.
Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal qualified on Row 3 but will have six-place grid penalties for unapproved engine changes.
Round 2-Fast 12
Power (58.1196-121.853) would lead the half-dozen cars moving to fight for the pole with Kirkwood, Palou, Lundgaard, Ferrucci and Rahal.
Missing out on the Fast Six were Josef Newgarden, Romain Grosjean, Marcus Armstrong, Colton Herta, Scott Dixon and Marcus Ericsson. Before the penalties to Kirkwood and Rahal, they were slated to line up in Rows 4-6.
Round 1-Group 2
Palou (58.2459-121.389 mph) would be fastest during the second 10-minute group running on Saturday afternoon. He would advance to the second round with Power, Armstrong, Ericsson, Grosjean and Newgarden.
After posting the fastest lap in both practice sessions, Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin was seventh and did not advance. Along with McLaughlin, Juri Vips, Alexander Rossi, Felix Rosenqvist, Linus Lundqvist, Nolan Siegel, Kyffin Simpson and Jack Harvey did not advance.
They will start from the outside lanes of Rows 7-14 in tomorrow’s race.
Round 1-Group 1
Lundgaard (58.2063-121.471 mph) would lead the way in the first 10-minute session. Kirkwood, Ferrucci, Herta, Rahal and Dixon would also continue on in the next round.
Missing out on the Fast 12 were Pietro Fittipaldi, Rinus VeeKay, Christian Rasmussen, David Malukas, Toby Sowery, Pato O’Ward, Sting Ray Robb and Conor Day. Malukas has a six-position grid penalty for an unapproved engine change. Those drivers will start outside Rows 7-14.
Up Next
Below is the remaining schedule for this weekend. Stay with IndyCar1909 and our social media platforms for the latest on the BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland.
At-track schedule (all times local):
Saturday, Aug. 24
4:20 p.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying (two groups/12 minutes each), INDYCAR LIVE
5:15-5:45 p.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES final practice, Peacock
Sunday, Aug. 25
10:15 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers, start your engines”
10:20 a.m. – INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix of Portland (35 laps / 68.74 miles / 55 minutes), Peacock (live)
Noon – USA Network on air
12:23 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland “Drivers, start your engines”
12:30 p.m. – BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland (110 laps/216.04 miles), USA Network (live)
Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR
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