Official Starting Lineup and Tire Designations
Newgarden Fastest in Warmup
A cool damp track made for a tricky warmup session this morning. Josef Newgarden edged Colton Herta for the fastest lap with a 1:02.0463 circuit. Herta was just 184 ten thousandths slower.
Early morning rain left the track still damp, especially near the walls. Many cars got sideways but the drivers were able to recover.
The session ended 90 seconds early when Theo Pourchaire had trouble refiring his car after ending up in a runoff area.
Televison coverage begins at noon on USA and Peacock. green flag is set for 12:45 Eastern..
Results
Herta Rebounds from Indy Mishap to Win Detroit Pole
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Colton Herta had a day of personal redemption and led a Honda resurgence in winning the pole for the Grand Prix of Detroit. Defending race winner Alex Palou will start second. Four Hondas advanced to the Fast Six.
Herta was one of the favorites to win the Indianapolis 500 last Sunday, but he spun and hit the wall in turn 1. Herta finished 23rd.
” A complete 180 and just super happy for the team,” Herta said of his rebound from Indianapolis disappointment. “They worked their tails off in the Month of May. To come back with some redemption, it feels good.”
Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden and teammate Scott McLaughlin make up the second row, the only Chevy representatives in the top six.
Scott Dixon and Kyle Kirkwood make up the third row. Kirkwood was on track for a top four spot until he slid into a runoff area and stalled the car, bringing out a red flag with 43 seconds left in the final round.
Ericsson Bounces Back
After a frustrating May followed by an electrical issue in the morning practice, Marcus Ericsson advanced to the second round of qualifying. He will start ninth.
Andretti Global has looked strong this weekend. The team will start first, sixth, and ninth.
Pourchaire Shines
Theo Pourchaire was fourth fastest in the morning practice, led his round one qualifying group, and just missed the Fast Six. He is the fastest Arrow McLaren qualifier. The rookie, who will drive the number 6 car for the rest of the season, looks great.
Reminder
The race tomorrow is USA network. Coverage begins at noon and the green flag is at 12:45 PM Eastern.
Results
Detroit Qualifying Groups
Herta Leads Honda 1-2-3 in Practice 2
Photo by Kyle McInnes
In one of Honda’s strongest sessions of the season, Colton Herta led Practice 2 in Detroit this morning, followed by teammate Kyle Kirkwood and Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou.
Herta turned a fast lap of 1:01.5726, which is faster than the 2023 pole speed set by Palou.
The 45 minutes featured lots of cars in runoff areas. Indycar had AMR Safety team members at the ready with starters preventing what would have been several red flags. The lone stoppage came with 75 seconds remaining when Theo Pourchaire went head on into the tire barrier in turn 9.
Traffic was an issue throughout the practice as drivers seemed unwilling to allow fellow competitors to get the gaps needed for a clean lap.
During the red flag, Kirkwood confronted Santino Ferrucci, who had tried to pass and made contact with Kirkwood on track. Ferrucci aliso had contact with Herta. Ferrucci shoved Kirkwood, who just walked away.
This is not the first on track issue the driver for A. J. Foyt Racing has had with other drivers on track. Ferrucci needs to learn to drive with respect and respect his fellow drivers..
Results
Palou Still the One to Beat at Detroit
Photo by Kyle McInnes
Alex Palou was the fastest driver at Detroit in 2023 on the new downtown street circuit. He picked up today right where he left the Motor City, recording the quickest lap in this afternoon’s opening practice session.
Palou thinks the track has improved since last year.
“It was busy,” Palou told Indycar. “I visited the run-off areas a couple of times here and there, just trying to find the limit and the grip of the track. The track is grippier, a lot grippier, than last year. Pretty happy. The car feels good so far.”
This practice period began with a 45-minute session for all drivers and ended with two 10-minute sessions, each with half the field.
Colton Herta led the 45-minute session with a time of 1:02.0219. Palou chopped three tenths from Herta’s time with a lap of 1:01.7210. Pato O’Ward had the second quickest time of 1:01.7315.
Notes
Marcus Ericsson’s difficult month of May continued as he slapped the wall hard with his right rear tire. He was 14th on the speed charts.
Woes continue for car 18. Nolan Siegel crashed attempting to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, and today jack Harvey grazed the inside wall and then slid across the track, hitting the outside wall hard. The right front wheel was torn from the car.
The view on the screen: This track does not present as an attractive venue on television. Granted, downtown Detroit is not that scenic, but the GM Tower and the waterfront could get some more tv time. Perhaps NBC could do with a few (a lot) less on-board camera shots here. The viewer has no idea where the car is, and there is not camera on Atwater with a view of a car zipping along the shore.
Practice resumes tomorrow morning at 9:15 am Eastern with qualifying at 12:15. I will cover the practice, but I will be at commencement for a favorite student of mine. I will watch the replay and post a report tomorrow late afternoon.
Results
Grid Penalties for Simpson, Rahal
From Indycar:
Detroit GP Spotters’ Guide
Race Preview- Detroit Grand Prix
The high from last Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 still lingers as the Indycar series moves on to Detroit for its second race on the downtown streets. This race is always a bit of a letdown after Indianapolis. It seems more so this year.
I don’t think the series does itself many favors by going from the 500 on national television to a slow street race on a cable channel. Not a great way to build on the momentum they received from Indy this year.
But the championship chase goes on, and there are cars on track. It’s a home game for Chevrolet, as they look to continue their early season dominance.
Here are some things to watch for.
Honda Rebound?
In 2023 Alex Palou and his Honda won the pole and dominated the race. In 2024, Palou and Honda have one win, the Sonsio Grand Prix at IMS.
2023 was a great year for Honda on street courses, with Andretti Global winning twice, and RLL and Ganassi each winning once. Detroit is where they need to start their comeback.
500 Champ Letdown?
The winner of the Indianapolis 500 usually has a letdown at the following race. It has been severe in the past, but lately the trend is turning around. In 2023, Josef Newgarden finished 10th at Detroit. Marcus Ericsson was seventh in 2022.
The strength of Team Penske could carry Newgarden to a podium, but I don’t think he lands on the top step.
Second Year Improvement
2023 was the first year for this tight, narrow circuit with just one decent corner, turn 3. The turn has been changed a bit to allow less congestion. Seven cautions slowed last year’s race. I think the teams will have a better handle on the track this time around, and we should see a cleaner event.
The split pit road went very smoothly in 2023, and is not a cause for concern this year.
Notes
I’ll be watching to see how Helio Castroneves does in his return to a street course.
I hope Tristan Vautier will get a decent result for Dale Coyne Racing.
Will Power is my pick to win this weekend in a race that could scramble the points standings.
Reminders
The race is on USA and Peacock. Green flag is 12:45 pm Eastern on Sunday.
Today’s practice is split- 45 minutes for everyone then two groups for 10 minutes each. Practice is 3:00 pm Eastern on Peacock.
The Pit Window by Mike Silver 