Newgarden quickest in IndyCar Practice 1 at Mid-Ohio

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden has set the pace in IndyCar Practice 1 at Mid-Ohio.

Newgarden set a 1:07.0549s on alternate tyres which left the #2 Chevrolet 0.2061s clear of the field after the opening, 75-minute session of Event 9 of the season.

Alex Palou took second in the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, with Felix Rosenqvist 0.0561s further back in the #7 McLaren SP Chevrolet.

Series leader Marcus Ericsson (Ganassi) was fourth, Scott Dixon (Ganassi) ninth, Scott McLaughlin (Penske) 10th, and Will Power (Penske) 14th in the 27-car field.

Rookie David Malukas (Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports) was fastest initially at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with a 1:08.8387s and then a 1:08.4831s, both on primary tyres.

That was before heavy-hitters such as Power and Alexander Rossi (Andretti Autosport) had gone out, and the latter reset the fastest lap to a 1:08.3743s just past the half-hour mark.

A red flag period came in the 35th minute when Takuma Sato (DCR w/ RWR) spun off the quick Turn 1 and stalled, the delay lasting around five minutes.

With almost 50 minutes elapsed, Palou went top with a 1:08.1260s, only to be knocked off immediately by Newgarden on a 1:08.0778s, as McLaughlin took up third on a 1:08.1273s.

Malukas was among the first to switch to alternate tyres, and reclaimed the ascendancy with a 1:07.5361s with almost an hour down in the session.

Palou got onto reds in the final 15 minutes and clocked a 1:07.2610s, before Newgarden got back into first position thanks to the 1:07.0549s which he set with around eight minutes remaining.

Rosenqvist subsequently set a 1:07.3171s, with Ericsson ending up fourth on a 1:07.3720s, from Colton Herta (Andretti w/ Curb-Agajanian) on a 1:07.4998s.

Rounding out the top 10 were Pato O’Ward (McLaren SP), Rossi, Malukas, Dixon at 0.5060s off the pace, and McLaughlin at 0.5276s off top spot.

Romain Grosjean (Andretti) had a spin into the weeds at Turn 12 before he set a 1:07.6498s which was good enough for 12th, with Power’s best a 1:07.7623s.

Simona De Silvestro (Paretta Autosport) wound up 25th at 1.8737s off the pace and 0.7658s ahead of Tatiana Calderon (AJ Foyt Racing), while Jimmie Johnson (Ganassi) props up the timesheet.

Practice 2 starts on Saturday night at 23:30 AEST, ahead of Qualifying on Sunday morning at 04:45 AEST, with both of those sessions live and ad-free on Stan Sport.

Results: Practice 1