ELKHART LAKE, Wisc. — Linus Lundqvist scored the first IndyCar Pole of his career Saturday at Road America in a session that ended with two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden having a massive crash in Turn Two on the final lap.
In a qualification session that began on a very wet track as every car that made attempts were on grooved rain tires, the track dried enough that all six drivers in the eight-minute Firestone Fast Six were on racing slicks — Firestone alternate red tires.
In the closing moments before Newgarden’s big crash, Lundqvist posted the fastest lap around the 14-turn, 4.014-mile Road America road course in the No. 8 The American Legion Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Seconds later, Newgarden’s No. 2 Chevrolet hit a slick spot at speed in Turn Two that sent his car rocketing off the course and slamming into the SAFER barrier. The impact sent Newgarden’s damaged car flying through the air before it abruptly stopped.
The two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner climbed out of the damaged car. He was evaluated by the AMR IndyCar Safety Team and released.
While Newgarden was taken to the care center, Lundqvist was on pit lane celebrating the first IndyCar pole of his career.
“It’s huge,” Lundqvist said. “What makes it even bigger is to do it together with Chip Ganassi Racing and the American Legion, as well. Especially with their message, to ‘Be the One.’ It feels special to be able to say that proudly now. It feels you’re representing something bigger than racing and bigger than life.
“To be able to bring that to the forefront, to the front of the row, front of the field I should say, is something I’m incredibly proud of. Hopefully not the last time.”
It was a clutch performance by the IndyCar Series rookie driver.
“The team just tells me position, not anything more than that,” Lundqvist said. “When you’re in the car, you’re going as fast as you can, right? Not really on the top of your mind who you’re going to bump off or knock out.
“I think we got all five Ganassi cars into the Fast 12, I think. That was pretty awesome.
“The strategy was my stand telling me you need to go on slicks and me say ‘no, I’m not going on slicks.’ I just didn’t feel confident enough to do it. Then I saw everybody else doing it. I think I was the only one on rain tires on the out lap. I realized there’s a dry line coming down here. I told the guys a little bit shamefully that you were right, let me come in for the reds.
“We came in, and it was just about building the temperature because we knew it was going to be maybe the last lap that’s going to be the fastest. It was just about staying on track until then, try to build as much temperature as you can, then hopefully it will be good enough for whatever.
“I was happy firstly just transferring to the Fast 12, then the Fast Six. I was happy with that. I actually told my guys as well, ‘All right, let’s try to go for pole here, see what we got.’
“So, I’m happy it worked out.”
Colton Herta of Andretti Global was second in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda at 1:45.2913 followed by Chip Ganassi Racing driver Marcus Armstrong at 1:45.6592 in the No. 11 Honda. Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood was fourth in the No. 27 Auto Nation Honda at 1:46.4498.
Will Power and Newgarden are listed without a time because each were involved in separate incidents that brought out the red flag. Power was faster in the second round so he will start fifth while Newgarden will start sixth.
First Group, Segment One
1 – Alexander Rossi, 2:00.9811
2 – Pato O’Ward, 2:01.2712
3 — Marcus Armstrong, 2:01.3910
4 – Josef Newgarden, 2:01.8329
5 – Will Power, 2:01.8602
6 – Kyffin Simpson, 2:01.9470
Did not advance
7 – Christian Lundgaard, 2:02.3826
8 – Marcus Ericsson, 2:02.6460
9 – Rinus VeeKay, 2:02.7088
10 – Santino Ferrucci, 2:03.8144
11 – Nolan Siegel, 2:05.0248
12 – Luca Ghiotto, 2:05.1341
13 – Pietro Fittipaldi, 2:05.6079
Second Group, Segment One
1 – Colton Herta, 2:00.3275
2 – Alex Palou, 2:00.5789
3 – Scott McLaughlin, 2:01.0198
4 – Kyle Kirkwood, 2:01.0846
5 – Scott Dixon, 2:01.3999
6 – Linus Lundqvist, 2:01.4129
Did not advance
7 – Romain Grosjean, 2:01.7626
8 – Christian Rasmussen, 2:02.0944
9 – Theo Pourchaire, 2:02.1745
10 – Jack Harvey, 2:02.9443
11 – Felix Rosenqvist, 2:03.3098
12 – Graham Rahal, 2:04.8213
13 – Sting Ray Robb, 2:04.8553
14 – Helio Castroneves, 2:09.6837
SECOND ROUND
1 – Colton Herta, 1:59.2088
2 – Kyle Kirkwood, 1:59.5373
3 – Marcus Armstrong, 1:59.5949
4 – Will Power, 1:59.8475
5 – Linus Lundqvist, 1:59.9421
6 – Josef Newgarden, 2:00.5384
Did not advance
7 – Alex Palou, 2:00.8290
8 – Scott McLaughlin, 2:00.8840
9 – Alexander Rossi, 2:00.9035
10 – Scott Dixon, 2:01.2671
11 – Pato O’Ward, 2:01.5141
12 – Kyffin Simpson, 2:01.6266
FAST SIX
1 – Linus Lundqvist, 1:45.1519
2 – Colton Herta, 1:45.2913
3 – Marcus Armstrong, 1:45.6592
4 – Kyle Kirkwood, 1:46.4498
5 – Will Power, no time
6 – Josef Newgarden, no time
