At the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland held on Saturday at Portland International Raceway, Arrow McLaren teammates Christian Lundgaard and Pato O’Ward delivered the fastest two laps during the Firestone Fast Six qualifying session. This marked a significant turnaround from last year when the team’s best starting positions were 18th for <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/tag/alexander-rossi/”>Alexander Rossi and 23rd for O’Ward. Christian Lundgaard took the pole position with a lap time of 58.3939 seconds, while O’Ward qualified second fastest but will start from the pole due to Lundgaard’s grid penalty.
Lundgaard Penalized After Engine Change, O’Ward Inherits Pole Position
Lundgaard was handed a six-place grid penalty for using an unapproved engine following practice on Friday, which means he will start the race from seventh place despite setting the quickest time. O’Ward, still fighting to maintain his NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship hopes, benefits from this penalty and will begin the race from the front row. Improvements on Firestone alternate tires played a critical role in their qualifying performance, with both drivers showing significant gains compared to Friday’s practice session where Lundgaard ranked seventh and O’Ward 11th on primary tires.
It’s a bit of a surprising qualifying considering where we were in practice,
O’Ward said. We were still kind of inching away at trying to make it better. So many changes where we were last year to where we are. Christian, great job getting the fastest lap time there.
The car just came alive. I don’t really have an explanation for it. We didn’t really change anything from practice, but sometimes that’s just the story with these Firestone tires.
Lundgaard Sets Fastest Lap but Contends with Penalty
Christian Lundgaard’s pole lap marked the third NTT P1 Award of his career and the first for Arrow McLaren since joining the team this season. His previous pole was at Toronto in July 2023, where he also won the race. Lundgaard expressed surprise at his performance but acknowledged the team’s overall achievement despite the penalty.
As I crossed the line, I didn’t really expect it,
Lundgaard said. I had a big push in Turn 5 and a big push in Turn 6. I didn’t really think that was it.
This is the best-case scenario for us, obviously, with a six-place grid penalty. I’m just proud of the team. Another front-row lockout for the team, except only one of them will start there. I’m happy that we could at least help Pato on that side.
Other Front-Row Starters and Race Day Preview
Pato O’Ward’s best time during the final session was 58.5343 seconds, securing the pole position after Lundgaard’s penalty. Joining O’Ward on the front row will be Felix Rosenqvist, who posted a lap of 58.5583 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda for Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian. The 110-lap race is set to begin Sunday at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on FOX, the FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Starting third will be defending Portland race winner Will Power, who recorded a time of 58.6424 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. David Malukas will start fourth after clocking 58.6557 seconds in the No. 4 Gallagher Insurance Chevrolet fielded by A.J. Foyt Enterprises. Championship leader Alex Palou qualified fifth despite a late error in qualifying that sent him off track and into the tire barrier.
Palou, driving the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, will need to extend his lead over O’Ward by 108 points in Sunday’s race to secure a third consecutive INDYCAR title and his fourth championship in five years. He currently leads O’Ward by 121 points coming into the event.
Happy that we had pace, Palou said.
Obviously not happy that I went looking for mushrooms there in the Fast Six.
Impact of Qualifying Results on Race and Championship Battle
Alexander Rossi will start sixth in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet after narrowly missing the Firestone Fast Six by just .0163 seconds in the second qualifying round. Rossi’s starting position was improved to sixth due to Lundgaard’s penalty, equaling his best grid spot of the season, previously achieved in March at The Thermal Club.
Arrow McLaren’s strong qualifying performance underlines the team’s advances this season, positioning both Lundgaard and O’Ward as key contenders in the race and the championship fight. While Lundgaard faces the challenge of climbing through the field from seventh, O’Ward will aim to capitalize on his pole start to maintain his slim title hopes. The weekend’s results will be pivotal for the season’s final stretches at Portland International Raceway.