IndyCar Road America: Josef Newgarden fastest in both practice sessions
Josef Newgarden topped both IndyCar free practice sessions at Elkhart Lake, as drivers got their first taste of the new-for-2018 aerokit at the famous Road America circuit

Newgarden's Penske-Chevrolet clocked a 1m42.6279s - an average of 140.804mph - to claim top spot by over quarter of a second from Schmidt Peterson Motorsports-Honda driver Robert Wickens in the faster second session.
Sebastien Bourdais was third fastest while Will Power and Simon Pagenaud were 0.43s and 0.53s respectively behind their reigning champion team-mate.
Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato put both Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Hondas into the top 10, separated by Detroit winners Scott Dixon and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Ex-Force India Formula 1 test driver Alfonso Celis spun his Juncos Racing-Chevrolet at Turn 13 on his fourth lap of the afternoon session, launching over a curb and the grass, before tearing off his rear wing on a tyre barrier.
Newgarden was the only driver to break the 140mph barrier in the morning session, where he was four tenths clear of Sato, with Alexander Rossi third.
FP1 times
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m43.0477s | 13 |
2 | Takuma Sato | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 0.4252s | 13 |
3 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 0.5126s | 11 |
4 | Robert Wickens | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 0.5297s | 12 |
5 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Herta | Dallara/Honda | 0.8348s | 11 |
6 | Tony Kanaan | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 0.9952s | 11 |
7 | Spencer Pigot | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.0603s | 11 |
8 | Zach Veach | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1.0829s | 12 |
9 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1.1166s | 11 |
10 | Matheus Leist | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.2486s | 15 |
11 | Simon Pagenaud | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.2709s | 12 |
12 | Ed Jones | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1.3043s | 13 |
13 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1.3924s | 11 |
14 | Will Power | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.4104s | 14 |
15 | Max Chilton | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.5486s | 13 |
16 | Sebastien Bourdais | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1.6293s | 12 |
17 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 1.6522s | 12 |
18 | Jordan King | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.7007s | 15 |
19 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 1.8178s | 12 |
20 | Charlie Kimball | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.8573s | 13 |
21 | Zachary Claman | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1.8647s | 15 |
22 | Alfonso Celis | Juncos Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.8687s | 14 |
23 | Gabby Chaves | Harding Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 3.4008s | 12 |
FP2 times
Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Gap | Laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1m42.6279s | 26 |
2 | Robert Wickens | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 0.2746s | 21 |
3 | Sebastien Bourdais | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 0.3741s | 20 |
4 | Will Power | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 0.4266s | 23 |
5 | Simon Pagenaud | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 0.5320s | 23 |
6 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 0.5716s | 21 |
7 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 0.7933s | 23 |
8 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 0.8476s | 19 |
9 | Takuma Sato | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 0.9131s | 19 |
10 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Herta | Dallara/Honda | 0.9942s | 18 |
11 | Tony Kanaan | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.0280s | 20 |
12 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1.0387s | 19 |
13 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 1.0620s | 18 |
14 | Zach Veach | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 1.2809s | 18 |
15 | Zachary Claman | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1.2925s | 20 |
16 | Jordan King | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.3196s | 22 |
17 | Spencer Pigot | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.5199s | 19 |
18 | Ed Jones | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 1.5590s | 22 |
19 | Matheus Leist | AJ Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.5804s | 24 |
20 | Max Chilton | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.7945s | 22 |
21 | Gabby Chaves | Harding Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 1.8349s | 24 |
22 | Charlie Kimball | Carlin | Dallara/Chevrolet | 2.5084s | 22 |
23 | Alfonso Celis | Juncos Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 3.5313s | 3 |

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