Indycar photo

Today’s schedule: All Times Eastern

10:15-10:45 Indycar Warmup/ Peacock

12:10-1:05 Indy Lights Race Peacock

3:30- Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix (Green Flag t 3:45) USA Network; Peacock

Health Update: I’m feeling a bit better overall today, and I hope to improve as the day goes along.

Belle Isle’s final race begins this afternoon. It is fitting that a Team Penske car is on the pole. Josef Newgarden edged Takuma Sato on his final lap as time expired in the the Fast Six. Newgarden was fortunate to be in the last round.

In Round 2, Newgarden was in the pits as several cars were on laps pacing quicker than his best time. Romain Grosjean clipped the wall in turn 12, breaking the rear toe link and sending the car hard into the outside wall. The cars that might have knocked Newgarden out, including Scott Dixon and Colton Herta, were trailing Grosjean, thus did not get to complete their laps.

Qualifying Results:

DETROIT – Qualifying Saturday for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix NTT INDYCAR SERIES event on the 2.35-mile(s) Raceway at Belle Isle Park, with qualifying position, car number in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, time and speed in parentheses:

1. (2) Josef Newgarden, Chevrolet, 01:15.2153 (112.477 mph)
2. (51) Takuma Sato, Honda, 01:15.3490 (112.278)
3. (60) Simon Pagenaud, Honda, 01:15.3951 (112.209)
4. (06) Helio Castroneves, Honda, 01:15.4538 (112.122)
5. (5) Pato O’Ward, Chevrolet, 01:16.3301 (110.834)
6. (18) David Malukas, Honda, 01:16.6104 (110.429)
7. (26) Colton Herta, Honda, 01:15.1043 (112.643)
8. (8) Marcus Ericsson, Honda, 01:15.2279 (112.458)
9. (9) Scott Dixon, Honda, 01:15.4057 (112.193)
10. (3) Scott McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 01:15.8670 (111.511)
11. (27) Alexander Rossi, Honda, 01:16.2179 (110.998)
12. (28) Romain Grosjean, Honda, 01:16.9740 (109.907)
13. (20) Conor Daly, Chevrolet, 01:16.0154 (111.293)
14. (21) Rinus VeeKay, Chevrolet, 01:15.5482 (111.981)
15. (14) Kyle Kirkwood, Chevrolet, 01:16.1255 (111.132)
16. (12) Will Power, Chevrolet, 01:15.5731 (111.945)
17. (77) Santino Ferrucci, Chevrolet, 01:16.1390 (111.113)
18. (10) Alex Palou, Honda, 01:15.6121 (111.887)
19. (30) Christian Lundgaard, Honda, 01:16.3068 (110.868)
20. (45) Jack Harvey, Honda, 01:16.8347 (110.107)
21. (29) Devlin DeFrancesco, Honda, 01:16.3374 (110.824)
22. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Honda, 01:17.5499 (109.091)
23. (15) Graham Rahal, Honda, 01:16.4265 (110.695)
24. (11) Tatiana Calderon, Chevrolet, 01:18.3657 (107.955)
25. (4) Dalton Kellett, Chevrolet, No Time (No Speed)
26. (7) Felix Rosenqvist, Chevrolet, 01:18.6291 (107.594)

Kirkwood’s Up and Down Day

Kyle Kirkwood led Friday’s practice session, but he didn’t get very far in yesterday’s practice. He collided with David Malukas on the first lap of the practice. He rebounded to qualify 15th.

In the afternoon, he was the winning co driver In IMSA’s GTD class, driving the Vasser-Sullivan Lexus.

The Race

I think today’s winner comes from row 2 today. Simon Pagenaud will win his first race in two years this afternoon. Today will be another day which jumbles the points standings. The top four are separated by just 24 points.