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Will Power set the fastest lap time in the opening IndyCar Series practice session for the Music City Grand Prix.
The #12 Team Penske Chevrolet went around the 11-turn, 2.1-mile circuit on the streets of Nashville in 1:16.4042s, averaging 98.947mph (159.239km/h).
This was despite some wall contact in the final minute of the session as Power locked up going to Turn 2 with just over a minute to go in the 75-minute session.
The two-time IndyCar Series champion brushed the apex wall with the right front tire, causing the car to go directly across the pit exit lane. Power reversed the car and resumed as the session went to a red flag for another incident.
Power was nearly a full quarter of a second faster than IndyCar points leader Alex Palou in the #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Alexander Rossi was third fastest in the #7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet ahead of teammate Pato O’Ward in fourth and Christian Lundgaard in fifth.
IndyCar debutant Linus Lundqvist was 11th fastest in the #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda. The 2022 Indy NXT champion is replacing Simon Pagenaud who has not been cleared by the IndyCar medical staff to compete following his July 1st practice crash at Mid-Ohio.
There were two red flags in the final five minutes in the session. Callum Ilott hit a bump in the # 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet and went into the Turn 11 runoff. Ilott attempted to spin the car around in the runoff but stalled, requiring assistance from the safety team.
Within the final 90 seconds of the session, Benjamin Pedersen locked up going to the same area of runoff and stalled before he could spin the #55 A. J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet around.
Race Control threw the red flag for Pedersen’s car and the session clock ended under red.
2022 Nashville polesitter Scott McLaughlin was ninth fastest with Kiwis Scott Dixon in 10th and Marcus Armstrong in 12th.
