Detroit IndyCar: Newgarden on pole for final Belle Isle race

Firestone Fast Six

On used reds, Helio Castroneves was the first driver to throw down a fast lap in Q3, a 1min15.4538sec tour of the bumpy 2.35-mile, 14-turn course. That survived the first assaults from Newgarden and rookie David Malukas in the Dale Coyne Racing with HMD-Honda, but then Takuma Sato in the second Coyne car moved to the top with a 1min15.3490sec.

Newgarden then delivered a 1min15.2153sec lap, an average of 112.477sec, to go fastest by 0.1337sec and claim his 16^th pole.

Coyne can nonetheless be content with his drivers claiming second and sixth, sandwiching the two Meyer Shank Racing-Hondas and one of last year’s Detroit winners, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet.

Q2

Simon Pagenaud set a 1min15.4429sec on primary tires, while Josef Newgarden landed a 1min15.5094sec with his first flyer on fresh reds and 15.0289 on his second. However, this was swiftly eclipsed by rookie David Malukas – 1min14.8, same as he produced in Q1 – and then Pato O’Ward sprung the Arrow McLaren SP-Chevy to the top with a 1min14.6681.

Scott Dixon and Alexander Rossi were on their final flying laps, when Romain Grosjean banged the wall at Turn 12, appeared to bend his rear suspension, and then spun hard into the wall at Turn 13. That brought out the red flag, preventing Dixon and Rossi from getting a chance to advance, so Newgarden could breathe a sigh of relief as he was through to the Firestone Fast Six.

Marcus Ericsson was unhappy with teammate Dixon backing up toward him trying to find a gap, for his flyer, but it was the kind of incident seen throughout the field, throughout the session, throughout the weekend.

Q1 Group 2

David Malukas in the Dale Coyne Racing with RWR-Honda topped the times on primaries, 1min16.3251sec, ahead of the Andretti Autosport-Hondas of Alexander Rossi and Colton Herta, followed by Scott Dixon (Ganassi), Rinus VeeKay (Ed Carpenter Racing) and Will Power (Team Penske).

Alex Palou was the first major runner to switch to alternate tires, but his 1min15.9493 was swiftly pushed down by Felix Rosenqvist, Rossi, Malukas, VeeKay, and then Scott Dixon produced a 1min15.3309sec.

Josef Newgarden then found a 1min15.2262, but that was beaten by Malukas who produced the first 74sec lap of the weekend, a 74.8833sec. Rossi and Herta also improved to also demote Newgarden, but he, Dixon and Sato clung on to move on into Q2.

Surprise eliminations at this stage were VeeKay of ECR, Will Power of Penske, and defending champion Palou. Rosenqvist was sent out of pitlane into the path of Jimmie Johnson, lost his best laps for qualifying interference and will start on the back row.

Q1 Group 1

Devlin DeFrancesco went straight out on alternate tires, and on his second lap he produced a 1min17.0199sec, but the best of the drivers on primary tires were able to able to eclipse him.

Another driver on alternates, Christian Lundgaard then went to the top of the times for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda and delivered a 1min16.3068sec, but Scott McLaughlin was only two-tenths away in his Team Penske-Chevrolet.

Out came the big guns on alternates, and Helio Castroneves came up with a 1min15.7374, ahead of Marcus Ericsson’s Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda, Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP-Chevy, and the second MSR car of Simon Pagenaud. Castroneves and O’Ward then improved on their second flying laps and Helio got down to 1min15.4367sec.

Conor Daly just missed out by 0.0087sec, as did Friday pacesetter Kyle Kirkwood who had to serve a drive-through for a pit speed violation.