Newgarden tops IndyCar Practice 1 at Laguna Seca by 0.4s

IndyCar title contender Josef Newgarden has set the pace in Practice 1 at the Laguna Seca season finale by more than four tenths of a second.

The Team Penske driver set a 1:11.4103s in the 75-minute, Friday afternoon hit-out while next-best was Andretti Autosport w/ Curb-Agajanian’s Colton Herta on a 1:11.8266s.

Another two Andretti Autosport drivers in Romain Grosjean and Alexander Rossi followed, while second as far as those in contention for the title is concerned was Penske’s Will Power, the series leader, in seventh overall on a 1:11.9858s.

Among other notable items, Jimmie Johnson (Chip Ganassi Racing) had a mid-session prang while Scott McLaughlin (Team Penske) had a wild, dirt-tracking moment in the final minutes of proceedings.

In the early stages, Devlin DeFrancesco (Andretti Autosport) was quickest of the rookies as they ran around on blacks, with a 1:12.7385s in the 26th minute.

Next to shift the benchmark was Newgarden with a 1:12.3512s early in his first run, just before team-mate Power clocked a 1:12.3497s.

Scott McLaughlin made it a Penske one-two-three by going top with a 1:12.2219s before the end of his first run, although that was quickly spoilt when Ganassi’s Alex Palou moved to second on a 1:12.3102s and then McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward split those two on a 1:12.2529s.

A red flag was called in the 48th minute when Johnson ran off and hit the tyre wall at Turn 6 in the #48 Ganassi entry, before proceedings resumed with 20:56s left on the clock.

That marked the start of the switch to red tyres, with Simon Pagenaud (Meyer Shank Racing) moving the marker to a 1:11.9821s and David Malukas (Dale Coyne Racing w/ HMD Motorsports) taking up second on a 1:12.0418s.

With less than a dozen minutes remaining, Power, who had to serve a drive-through for pit lane speeding, was back up to second spot on a 1:11.9858s.

In a flash, Callum Ilott (Juncos Hollinger Racing) went quickest on a 1:11.9490s, then Rossi on a 1:11.9034s, then Herta on a 1:11.8266s, then Newgarden on a 1:11.4103s.

The order would then settle, meaning Newgarden prevailed from Herta, Grosjean on a 1:11.8697s, Rossi, Ilott, Pagenaud, Power, O’Ward, and Malukas, with another of the title contenders in Ganassi’s Marcus Ericsson rounding out the top 10 on a 1:12.0803s.

McLaughlin ended up 11th on a 1:12.8077s in a session which he finished by spraying through the gravel at the exit of Turn 10.

He was not alone, with the other four mathematical chances at lifting the Astor Cup this weekend also going fully or partially off during Practice 1, while McLaughlin himself and Power, plus Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing rookie Christian Lundgaard, shortcut the Corkscrew once each.

Ganassi’s Scott Dixon, who is tied for second in the series with Newgarden at 20 points behind Power, ended up 17th on a 1:12.3911s.

Practice 2 starts on Saturday at 13:15 ET/Sunday at 03:15 AEST, followed by Qualifying on Saturday at 17:05 ET/07:05 AEST, with both of those sessions live and ad-free on Stan Sport.

Results: Practice 1