On Saturday, August 9, 2025, Colton Herta emerged as the fastest driver in the second practice session for the BITNILE.COM Grand Prix of Portland held at Portland International Raceway. Herta’s best lap time of 58.4238 seconds in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda placed him at the top of the speed chart during the hour-long session, showcasing a significant improvement that captured the spotlight ahead of qualifying.
The Colton Herta Portland INDYCAR Practice proved to be fiercely competitive as the field recorded extremely close lap times, with all 27 drivers finishing within less than a second of each other. This remarkable closeness was the first time such a tight spread occurred in a road or street-course practice session in the <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/motorsports/indycar/indycar-series/”>INDYCAR SERIES since 2019, underscoring the intensity of the competition at this venue.
Herta’s Recovery and Honda’s Technical Turnaround Drive Success
Herta’s performance marked a strong rebound from Friday’s first practice session, where he struggled with technical issues and ranked 13th with a lap time of 58.8886 seconds. Honda’s swift resolution of the problems overnight proved critical in enabling Herta’s pace on Saturday.
Herta commented on the improvement, saying,
“Big turnaround from yesterday. Really good job from Honda, not only in session but overnight fixing issues that we had in Practice 1. Feel good going into qualifying. Just need to put it all together.”
—Colton Herta, Driver
Christian Lundgaard, who set the fastest time on Friday at 58.5320 seconds in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, remained close behind in the practice session, signaling a persistent battle at the top of the leaderboard.
Championship Leader Alex Palou Maintains Strong Form in Portland
Alex Palou, the current championship leader and a frontrunner for his third consecutive NTT INDYCAR SERIES title, recorded the second-best time at 58.4531 seconds in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou aims to become only the fourth driver in history to claim three back-to-back titles and looks to clinch the Astor Challenge Cup by maintaining or extending his lead. With just two races left in the season, Palou leads his closest rival Pato O’Ward by 122 points and needs only a 108-point advantage after Sunday’s race to secure the championship.
Close Competition Among Top Drivers and On-Track Incidents
Veteran six-time series champion Scott Dixon was third fastest at 58.5023 seconds in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda as he hunts his first victory at Portland. Meanwhile, reigning Portland winner Will Power improved to fourth with a time of 58.5376 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, followed closely by Devlin DeFrancesco in fifth at 58.5441 seconds.
The practice session was not without tensions, as DeFrancesco became involved in an on-track incident with frequent rival Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin expressed frustration after feeling impeded by DeFrancesco’s car during acceleration at Turn 1 shortly after DeFrancesco exited the pits. Additionally, Pato O’Ward, who ended the session in 11th position, experienced a collision with Louis Foster, whose No. 45 Droplight Honda made contact with the rear of O’Ward’s vehicle following an overtaking maneuver.
Challenges of Tight Racing and Implications for Upcoming Sessions
Herta reflected on the demanding nature of practicing at Portland, explaining,
“It’s tough to have a practice session in INDYCAR with a 58-second lap, it pushes us all together.”
—Colton Herta, Driver
This intense competition and closely grouped field highlight the challenges drivers face on the fast and flowing 12-turn, 1.964-mile circuit, where split-second decisions and clear track space prove crucial during qualifying and race day.
Upcoming sessions include the NTT P1 Award qualifying scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by a final practice at 7:30 p.m. ET. Sunday’s 110-lap race begins at 3 p.m. ET, with live coverage on FS1, the FOX Sports app, and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Significance of Practice Outcomes for the 2025 Portland Race Weekend
Colton Herta’s dominance in this tightly contested practice session positions him as a major contender for the race, reflecting not only his own pace but the progress of Honda’s technical team. Meanwhile, Alex Palou’s continued consistency puts him on track to secure another championship milestone, adding extra layers of anticipation to the weekend’s qualifying and race.
As tensions flare and time gaps narrow, the remainder of the Portland race weekend promises intense battles on track as drivers vie for positioning, points, and bragging rights at this historic circuit.