Add another point in the advance of the Alex Palou championship after the Spaniard, who won his first Indycar series victory at Barber Motorsports Park, took Pole on Saturday for the Alabama Grand Prix of children.
Palou injured the Honda n ° 10 around the 2.3 -mile road route in 1m07.2917, cleaning the Scott Mcttaughlin poletter from last year, 0.1469, which led the Tente Truck Trio in second position with the Chevrolet n ° 3. Colton Herta d’Antretti Global was the only representative of his team to have a solid race on Saturday, claiming third with a round of 1m07,4576. Penske’s Will Power finished fourth in the Chevrolet n ° 12 with a 1m07.5616 race, and in fifth, the first of the two big surprises was recorded.
Dale Coyne Racing and Rinus Veekay played with the Honda n ° 18 while the Dutch man captured fifth with a visit of 1m07,9103 ahead of Arrow McLaren Nolan Siegel, who led the team by calling for the first time by claiming last place in Le Firestone Fast Six with a 1m08,0470.
“It was great. It was very close,” said Palou. “We didn’t know if it was going to be wet or dry, so we were everything I think I panic a little.
With the expected rain, the sky held and gave the ground of 27 drivers as dry on Saturday afternoon. McLaughlin was happy to find a lacked rhythm, and was not too disturbed starting next to Palou.
“We have definitely left a little on the table,” said McLaughlin. “A tour here is very fun. Alex did an excellent job. From our team, (we) did a very good job to come back because I have the impression that we had a bad test here, we have somehow passed a little.
The qualifications were full of surprises while Kyle Kirkwood, Poleter and winner of the last long Beach race, missed the Firestone Fast 12 and was broken in 18th. The teammate Marcus Ericsson, who exceeded Friday’s activities, was further in 23rd. The magic opening of Meyer Shank Racing by Felix Rosenqvist at 2025 encountered a certain resistance, because a general lack of speed left him on the grid and the chip Ganassi Racing Scott Dixon was also among the disappointed as a U-turn and the trip in the travouque ruined his fastest turn, which relegated the champion to six times.
At the opposite end, a miserable year of qualification for the Penske team was rectified by the three pilots who made the fast 12 for the first time this season. Beyond McLaughlin and Power, Josef Newgarden rebounded after losing most of the morning session due to a unit of defective engines by executing ninth.
Half of opening of direct elimination qualifications saw Palou, McLaughlin, Armstrong, Pato O’Ward, Siegel and the transfer of power in the Firestone Fast 12. Those who were finished on the spot were led by Santino Ferrucci (P13), Alexander Rossi (P15), Christian Rasmussen (P17), Conor Daly (P19) GRAHAM RAHAL (P21), ERRICY (P23) and Jacob Abel (P25).
“The car was really good in the heat when the sun was lying,” said Ericsson, who hammered the barriers on Saturday morning in practice. “My accident did not help. Super disappointed with the results. “
For the second half of the first round of qualification, Herta, Newgarden, Christian Lundgaard, Kyffin Simpson, Veekay and Louis Foster Advanced. Rosenqvist (P14), Callum Ilott (P16), Kirkwood (P18), David Malukas (P20), Sting Robb (P22), Robert Shwartzman (P24), Dixon (P26), which sparked its last round (P27).
“I supervised, then released the brake and lost the rear,” said Dixon. “Frustrating.”
The Firestone Fast 12 was an exciting affair when the young Indycar guns were revealed in the last seconds while Power, Palou, Herta, McLaughlin, Veekay and Siegel have scammed their path in Fast Six.
LUNDGAARD (P7), O’Ward (P8), Newgarden (P9), Simpson (P10), Armstrong (P11) and Foster (P12) finished the fast 12.
Palou put a stellar turn which resisted the fire of his closest rivals and won the seventh Indycar pole of his career.
RESULTS
