Qualifying for the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America was a close fight, but it was rookie Louis Foster with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing who took his first pole.
Group One: Palou Tops, Whilst Dixon Gets Dropped
Alex Palou set the pace of the pack early on. Marcus Armstrong and Josef Newgarden were two of the drivers to be knocked out. Scott Dixon initially advanced but was noted for impeding RLL’s Devlin DeFrancesco. As a penalty, Dixon was knocked to the back of the group – allowing Newgarden to progress. In a surprise showing, Prema’s Callum Ilott made it through, marking the team’s first appearance in the fast 12.
Group 2: Heartbreak for Andretti
Group 2 saw the remaining drivers try and make the fast 12. Unlike the 1st group, some of the drivers, notably Alexander Rossi and Marcus Ericsson, attempted to only use the soft tire.
Whilst the overall times were slower than those set in group 1, it was a tight battle led by Christian Lundgaard. Rookie driver Louis Foster managed to stay in with a lap he set at the start of qualifying. But it was heartbreak for Andretti with their remaining two drivers, Colton Herta and Marcus Ericsson, not advancing.
Fast Twelve: RLL Shock
With some surprise drivers advancing, all eyes were on who would make it through to the Firestone Fast Six. Having led the group sessions, Palou and Lundgaards looked like they’d breeze through. All 12 drivers were close, with less than a second separating them by the end of the session.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan showed their pace, with both drivers, Foster and Graham Rahal, managing to advance. Foster set a fast lap to go up to P3 behind Kirkwood and Palou. Rahal managed to edge out Malukas for the final position.
Firestone Fast Six: Louis Foster Takes First Pole
Rahal Letterman Lanigan were the only team to have multiple drivers in the Firestone Fast Six. The group also included Palou, Kirkwood, McLaughlin, and Lundgaard. The strategy was split, with some drivers opting for new soft tires, and others choosing to preserve their new tires for the race and go on used.
Louis Foster was one of the drivers who went for the latter, and he only did one qualifying attempt. This lap saw him set a time of 1:44.514, knocking Palou out of the provisional pole spot. With Foster then back in the pits, the remaining drivers attempted to take the top spot from him – but none were successful.
Hearing From The Top Two
Palou said that he “wasn’t counting on that, he did a really good job” when asked about Foster taking pole position. He went on to say that he is “happy to start on the front row”. When asked about his inaugural pole, Foster noted that he was “surprised”, going on to say that he was “super happy”
Both acknowledged that tomorrow’s race won’t be easy. Palou reported that “it’s gonna be tough for everybody … a tough race on both fuel and tires.” Foster backed this up saying, “it’s gonna be a very tricky race.” But the RLL driver is ready for Road America, saying that “the target is to retain the lead” and that, as a team, “we’re not gonna make it easy for them.”
Top Ten
The top ten for the race tomorrow are as follows:
- Louis Foster (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing).
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing).
- Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global).
- Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske).
- Christian Lundgaard (Arrow McLaren).
- Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing).
- David Malukas (A. J. Foyt Enterprises).
- Will Power (Team Penske).
- Callum Ilott (PREMA Racing).
- Josef Newgarden (Team Penske).
Can Foster take his first win at Road America and in IndyCar, or will Palou be back to his winning ways? Don’t forget to keep an eye on Kirkwood too he’ll be looking to get a third win in a row. The race is at 19:30 CEST, you won’t want to miss out!