Pato O’Ward was fastest during Friday practice for Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix.
The NTT IndyCar Series runs its seventh round of the 2023 season with this weekend’s Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear. The new, 1.7-mile, nine-turn street circuit runs through parts of downtown and along Jefferson Avenue and back around to Atwater Street along the Detroit River, with a new split pit lane also part of the revived street race.
Pato O’Ward was fastest in during Friday practice for Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. O’Ward led the first practice with his fastest lap on the streets of Detroit course at 1:03.0773. Scott Dixon in a Honda powered car was a mere 0.0986-second behind. (AutoInformed: Josef Newgarden Driving a Penske-Chevrolet Wins Accident Marred Indianapolis 500)
“It’s definitely a unique track,” said O’Ward. I think it has a lot of characteristics from all the other street courses that we go to in terms of, like, pavements, certain type of corners. We rolled off strong. I think there’s a lot of first times, first time here, first time with the double pit lane. I think that’s going to be interesting in the race with the blend line where it is. I think the pit exit is going to be something to look out for in both qualifying, like impeding. I don’t know if they’re going to mark it as impeding but it definitely gets you out of place if someone is sent there while you’re on a flyer. A work in progress. Probably not a lot of space to work with. I know everybody is doing their best. It’s a challenging track, I can tell you that.”
Scott Dixon led practice Saturday morning at the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix. Six-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Dixon was fastest at 1 minute, 3.2317 seconds in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. However, this was slower than the top lap in Friday’s practice, 1:03.0773 by Pato O’Ward in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Dixon was second quickest Friday at 1:03.1759.
SEE: Practice Results
All told, There will be two practice sessions and a qualifying session ahead of Sunday’s 100-lap (164.5 miles) race set for 3 p.m. ET (live, NBC, Peacock, IndyCar Radio Network). Practice Results – click here.
Alex Palou took the pole for the second race in a row, this time at the all-new Detroit Grand Prix downtown street circuit aboard his #10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. The pole marks his second-consecutive P1 starting position, following his pole qualifying run at the Indianapolis 500 last month.
“We started on used alternate tires, but they didn’t feel very good, so switched right away to our second set. It feels good [to have two consecutive poles]. We’ve had a great car all weekend, all year really, so qualifying was just about maximizing everything we had. It’s a crazy track, tight and short. It’s going to be tough tomorrow in the race, but we’ll try to make it happen.”
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