MADISON, Ill. – To see Team Penske driver Josef Newgarden on top of the speed sheet after an NTT IndyCar Series practice session is not unusual. He is a two-time IndyCar champion and one of the top names in the series.
The driver right below him on the speed list for Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 is a bit of a surprise because he’s been off the radar for a few months. It’s Team Penske teammate and rookie driver Scott McLaughlin, the three-time Australian Supercars champion who is in his first year as an Indy car driver.
Newgarden had the fastest speed during Saturday afternoon’s 90-minute practice session with a lap at 178.774 mph in the No. 2 Chevrolet at World Wide Technology Raceway. McLaughlin was next at 177.669 mph in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet.
“It’s always nice to be up near the top, but I’ve felt like I’ve been close in the past few races, we just haven’t put it together in qualifying,” McLaughlin said. “I’m focused on qualifying well and getting it going. It’s been an up-and-down season the past few races and that is really due to my qualifying performance.
“To me, there are expectations on myself that I need to achieve. I think in terms of my speed and what I’m doing in the races, I’m putting decent races together; you just don’t get rewarded when you are qualifying so far back.
“I’m probably on part of where I should be right now at this point of my rookie season.”
McLaughlin loves the ovals because its “different.”
“I love the ovals,” he said. “I want more of them. It’s exciting. I’ve always loved trying new things and I was so excited to hit the ovals. I’ve just really studied it and I’m in control with how we have done on the track.”
Andretti Autosport driver Ryan Hunter-Reay was third at 177.541 mph in the No. 28 DHL Honda. Graham Rahal was fourth in the No. 15 Honda at 177.473 mph followed by Scott Dixon’s No. 9 PNC Bank Honda at 177.463 mph.
Former Formula One driver Romain Grosjean is making his first start on an oval. The former Haas F1 driver, who is in his rookie season with Dale Coyne Racing with RWR, was 11th quickest at 176.608 mph in the No. 51 Honda.
“I really hope Romain gets to run the Indy 500 and I hope he gets to run superspeedways because I think he will really enjoy doing it,” McLaughlin said.
Qualifications are set for 5 p.m. Eastern Time with the race getting the green flag at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Bommarito Automotive Group 500 will be televised on NBCSN.
Josef Newgarden was fastest in practice Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway. (Al Steinberg Photo)