IndyCar spring training test: Colton Herta continues to set pace
Colton Herta was fastest for the third straight session in IndyCar's 'Spring Training' test at Austin on Wednesday morning
The Harding Steinbrenner Racing Dallara-Honda driver left it until 13 minutes to go in the two-hour session before turning up the wick and lapping the 3.427-mile United States Grand Prix Formula 1 course in 1m46.6401s.
That beat his semi-team-mate, Andretti Autosport's Alexander Rossi, by 0.3731 seconds, and eclipsed the fastest Chevrolet entry - Simon Pagenaud's Team Penske machine - by over half a second.
Scott Dixon was one of five spinners, along with Jack Harvey, Kyle Kaiser, James Hinchcliffe and Spencer Pigot, but the reigning champion went out soon after and nailed a 1m47.7899s, barely edging the second Penske entry of 2017 champion Josef Newgarden for fourth.
Harvey's Meyer Shank Racing Dallara-Honda was sixth quickest ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay and second fastest rookie Felix Rosenqvist in the second Chip Ganassi Racing car.
Sebastien Bourdais bounced back from a disappointing Monday to grab ninth on his last flying lap in the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Dallara-Honda, while Carlin Racing's RC Enerson made it three rookies in the top 10.
AJ Foyt Racing also had a better morning, series sophomore Matheus Leist and veteran Tony Kanaan clocking 15th and 17th fastest after a troubled Tuesday.
A further four-hour session takes place on Wednesday afternoon to conclude the test.
Morning times
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Colton Herta | Harding Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1m46.6401s | - | 11 |
2 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1m47.0132s | 0.3731s | 18 |
3 | Simon Pagenaud | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m47.2116s | 0.5715s | 20 |
4 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1m47.7899s | 1.1498s | 13 |
5 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m47.8136s | 1.1735s | 20 |
6 | Jack Harvey | Meyer Shank Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1m47.8892s | 1.2491s | 21 |
7 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1m47.9031s | 1.2630s | 17 |
8 | Felix Rosenqvist | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1m47.9843s | 1.3442s | 16 |
9 | Sebastien Bourdais | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1m48.0166s | 1.3765s | 18 |
10 | R.C. Enerson | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.1561s | 1.5160s | 21 |
11 | Helio Castroneves | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.1825s | 1.5424s | 17 |
12 | Will Power | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.2072s | 1.5671s | 22 |
13 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 1m48.3795s | 1.7394s | 20 |
14 | Zach Veach | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1m48.3891s | 1.7490s | 20 |
15 | Matheus Leist | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.5995s | 1.9594s | 26 |
16 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Herta | Dallara/Honda | 1m48.6098s | 1.9697s | 21 |
17 | Tony Kanaan | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.6506s | 2.0105s | 23 |
18 | Marcus Ericsson | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 1m48.6623s | 2.0222s | 14 |
19 | Max Chilton | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.7368s | 2.0967s | 16 |
20 | Spencer Pigot | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.8710s | 2.2309s | 11 |
21 | Ed Jones | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.9635s | 2.3234s | 18 |
22 | Kyle Kaiser | Juncos Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m48.9795s | 2.3394s | 24 |
23 | Santino Ferrucci | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1m49.1463s | 2.5062s | 12 |
24 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 1m49.1626s | 2.5225s | 7 |
25 | Takuma Sato | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 1m49.2373s | 2.5972s | 27 |
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