Detroit, MI
- Colton Herta scores 15th career NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole position
- Andretti Global teammate, Kyle Kirkwood goes P3 for Honda
- Graham Rahal, Alex Palou transfer to Firestone Fast Six in Detroit
- All five Honda-powered teams transfer at least one car to the Round of 12
Honda took pole position today in the Motor City, with Andretti Global's Colton Herta going P1 in qualifications for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Detroit Grand Prix for the second consecutive year.
Herta will line up right in front of his Andretti Global Honda teammate, Kyle Kirkwood, who looked set for a front row start before scraping the wall on his fastest lap. Kirkwood, a winner already this year at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, will instead line up third as he tries to go for his second win of the year. Kirkwood and Herta both have found the top step of the podium on street circuits in the past and will be looking for more in tomorrow's race.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's Graham Rahal set the fifth fastest time in qualifying, making his second appearance in the Firestone Fast Six this year and going just faster than newly-minted Indy 500 winner Alex Palou.
Palou will be looking to continue his championship charge in tomorrow's race. The Spaniard currently sits 112 points in the lead of the drivers' standings as he seeks his third consecutive championship title, and fourth in just five years.
Other Honda-powered drivers that made the round of 12 in qualifying include Dale Coyne Racing's Rinus VeeKay (P7), Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon (P10), and Meyer Shank Racing's Marcus Armstrong (P11). All five Honda-powered teams transferred at least one car into the round of 12 for the Detroit Grand Prix.
Detroit Grand Prix Honda Qualifying Results
1st
Colton Herta
Andretti Global Honda
3rd
Kyle Kirkwood
Andretti Global Honda
5th
Graham Rahal
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
6th
Alex Palou
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
7th
Rinus VeeKay
Dale Coyne Racing Honda
10th
Scott Dixon
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
11th
Marcus Armstrong
Meyer Shank Racing Honda
13th
Marcus Ericsson
Andretti Global Honda
14th
Louis Foster - R
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
15th
Felix Rosenqvist
Meyer Shank Racing Honda
19th
Kyffin Simpson
Chip Ganassi Racing Honda
20th
Jacob Abel - R
Dale Coyne Racing Honda
23rd
Devlin DeFrancesco
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda
R – Rookie Quotes Colton Herta (#26 Andretti Global Honda) qualified 1st: "What a day! It's been an impressive year so far for Honda, and it's been a great day for us at Andretti Global. I think we want to continue to build off of what Honda has been able to accomplish this season, and we want to keep the streak going and secure a seventh consecutive win for them. That's what everyone on the #26 crew is aiming for, let's see how the race goes tomorrow." Kyle Kirkwood (#27 Andretti Global Honda) qualified 2nd: "Good day for Andretti Global and Honda with a pole and a third here. Walking out of qualifying with the inside spots on the two front rows, it's not a bad place to be, especially around a tricky street course like this. I'm happy with our performance, although I definitely threw away a pole here today. I was on for a lap that was about four tenths quicker than what the current pole time is, and I hit the wall. I still came out with a third, so I'm super happy with the performance. We've always had good race cars around here. Honda always gives us great power, especially at these tight street circuits where you need to get up and go. It's important that we're up front and hopefully we can just stay up front tomorrow." Graham Rahal (#15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda) qualified 5th: "I think the race car is good and I feel pretty good, even knowing that we'll be starting further down with the grid penalty. The car has been shockingly great to drive here all weekend, because we have not been good on this track in the past. What the team has brought here is a way more forgiving car that I can attack with—not even comparable to what we've had here before. I'm definitely pleased with that. Now Louis [Foster] has shown speed here and Devlin [DeFrancesco] has been quick in practice, it feels like it has translated on every track now and I feel like we are getting better, period. I think we are a team on the rise and this is a sign this weekend because all of us have been quite fast. I honestly feel like this is a car I can really attack with, so I like that because particularly here in the race, if you have to get your elbows out and be a little aggressive, I feel like I can and the car gives me a window of opportunity. This is definitely an improvement." Where to Watch
HRC US social media content and video links can be found on:
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