By: Spencer Neff
June 20, 2026
Practice 2 Results Combined Practice Results Qualifying Groups
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward used a new set of alternate Firestone tires to his advantage in Saturday morning’s practice. The 2020 pole winner and runner-up at the 4.014-mile, 14-turn road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin posted a best lap of 1m44.0029 (138.942 mph) during the 45-minute session.
Despite a continuing battle with the flu, Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong picked up where he left off yesterday. The Friday practice leader was .1068 of a second back of O’Ward’s Chevrolet and was the lone Hionda-powered car among the Top Five.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas were third and Fourth, with A.J. Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet again leading the field’s three rookies.
NTT INDYCAR SERIES points leader and three-time Road America winner (2021,2023 and 2025) Alex Palou finished the morning sixth in his Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Palou will run for his fifth consecutive pole and first at Road America in qualifying in just over two hours.
After Will Power’s off-course excursion prompted a red flag for debris, the lone other stoppage of the practice occurred when Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing went off course and into the grass inside Turn 8. The 2025 pole winner at Road America did climb from his car but the short practice left.
16 of 25 drivers posted a better lap in today’s practice than in yesterday’s.
Ferrucci and Rossi penalized for engine changes
Before this morning’s practice, INDYCAR announced that the No. 14 A.J. Foyt Racing entry of Santino Ferrucci and the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing car of Alexander Rossi (both Chevrolet) were given penalties following unapproved engine changes to their cars.
| Per INDYCAR Officiating’s Saturday morning release, “The entries were in violation of: Rule 16.1.2.3.2. A fifth (5th) Engine is eligible to earn Engine Manufacturer points and will be considered an Approved Engine Change-Out 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 16.1.6.1.2., 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 XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR Sunday, June 21 at Road America.” |
Up Next
Here is the remaining on-track schedule for the weekend at Road America. Stay with IndyCar1909.com and our social media platforms with the latest on the XPEL Grand Prix of Road America and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
At-track schedule (all times Central Time):
Saturday, June 20
1:05-2:30 p.m. – Qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (Three rounds of knockout qualifying), FS1 (live)
Sunday, June 21
10:05-10:35 a.m. – NTT INDYCAR SERIES Warmup, FS1 (live)
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12:30 p.m. — Driver introductions
1 p.m. – FOX on air
1:20 p.m.–XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Command to Start Engines
1:27 p.m. -XPEL Grand Prix at Road America (55 laps/220.77 miles), FOX (live)
Header Image By Travis HinkleINDYCAR
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