ELKHART LAKE, Wis. — Christian Lundgaard of Arrow McLaren scored a stunning last on the first lap to a trip to victory lane at Road America, thanks to Marcus Armstrong’s heartbreak.
Just went it appeared Armstrong was on his way to his first NTT IndyCar Series victory, heavy smoke started to pour out of his No. 66 Meyer Shank Racing Honda. Lundgaard was able to make the race winning pass over Armstrong’s crippled racing machine before more oil poured out of the exhaust, forcing IndyCar to throw the yellow flag with four laps to go.
Armstrong was able to pull his car off the race course to give the field a shot at a one-lap, green-flag finish in Sunday’s XPEL Grand Prix at Road America.
When the green and white flags waved to start the final lap, Lundgaard had a great restart as he was pursued by David Malukas’ No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.
The field made it safely around the 4.014-mile, 14-turn road course at Road America with the exception of Nolan Siegel’s spin around at the back of the field.
But at the kink heading into Canada Corner, Power’s No. 26 Chevrolet hit Graham Rahal’s No. 15 Honda, sending it off track and bringing out the yellow and checkered flags.
“How did we do that?” Lundgaard said. “This is the story of the weekend, making it work. Thanks guys.”
Lundgaard’s No. 7 Chevrolet defeated Malukas’ No. 12 Chevrolet by 0.6241 seconds in a race that finished under yellow. Will Power’s No. 26 Andretti Global Honda finished third.
But this race will be remembered for Lundgaard’s last on Lap 1 to the win on Lap 55.
“Gabby (Lundgaard’s girlfriend) as a witness, I gave him a speech on the grid, you should have an easier job starting from the front, but I never met a guy that can pass people like that,” Arrow McLaren Team Principal Tony Kanaan said. “Awesome job. Happy for Christian. He could have made my heart and Gabby’s heart (Lundgaard’s girlfriend, Gabriella Gilrowsky) easier if he hadn’t gone a lap down on Lap 1.”
Lundgaard had damage to his front wing and a flat tire on Lap 1 when he ran into the back of Scott Dixon’s No. 9 Honda. The Arrow McLaren driver had to make a pit stop, dropping him three-quarters of a lap behind the field. But he never gave up and was able to battle back in one of the most surprising IndyCar Series races in Road America’s long history..
“I knew we had a chance,” Lundgaard said. “I knew how this race panned out last year and it was a matter of sticking in the race. We’ve been on the struggle bus all weekend. To turn this one around, I have to thank the team for that.”
Malukas scored another second-place finish for Team Penske and is now second to Alex Palou in the championship, trailing by 62 points. Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global is third, 64 points back with Lundgaard fourth, 79 points behind the leader.
“We’re P2 champions, man,” Malukas said. “I just keep getting that P2. We need to look at my race pace. I need to study and see what I can do differently.
“This whole race was a game of getting strategy right and I have to thank Travis Law, and the crew did an awesome job.”
Armstrong finished 24th after his car quit.
“It was all smooth sailing, I came out of Turn 6, and the engine was sputtering like it was out of fuel, which it wasn’t, and then it just died,” Armstrong explained. “I don’t know, we have to speak to Honda and see what the issue was, but there was no indication there was something wrong.
“I’m massively proud of the guys and girls on the 66 because we had the quickest car today. Every pit stop was spot on, and I thought that was ours’ to lose. I had some time in the pocket.
“I’m just gutted, really.”
Kyffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing was fourth followed by teammate Alex Palou, who led 13 laps but was penalized for speeding on pit road after his second pit stop.
There were 240 passes in the race with six lead changes between five drivers.
