McLaughlin speeds around Portland as Mt. Hood looms in the distance. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Saturday morning saw IndyCar take the track at Portland International Raceway for the second practice session of the weekend.
A few new faces filtered the way to the top, with Scott McLaughlin setting the fastest time in his #3 Team Penske Chevy.
He put in a time of 58.1516, just slightly quicker than Friday’s quick time, and looked on form to follow up his win in 2022 with another strong performance this year.
His team-mate Josef Newgarden set the second fastest time, just a tenth of a second off the pace.
Team Penske barely cracked the top 10 on Friday, and the team’s rebound was completed with the appropriate overnight changes.
Scott Dixon rounded out the top three, as he hopes to make a miraculous comeback against Alex Palou in the championship with only two races remaining.
Palou was fifth fastest and has been quick all weekend, however, and it seems ever more likely that he will take his second title this weekend.
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing looked quick, with Friday’s pace setter Christian Lundgaard leading the way for a while before dropping to eighth by the end of the 45-minute session.
All three Arrow McLaren racers were nose to tail in ninth, tenth, and eleventh.
Meyer Shank Racing did not have the pace they were hoping for, with both drivers putting in times that were near the back of the pack.
The veteran Helio Castroneves and the second-race rookie Tom Blomqvist both struggled to get a handle on their cars, and were 25th and 26th respectively.
Newgarden was just a hair slower than his team-mate for Saturday’s running. Photo: Kevin Dejewski
Unlike Friday, there was only one stoppage during the session. Sting Ray Robb was the driver needing assistance from the AMR safety crew to get going again.
There were a couple other trips through the grass by other drivers, including by Callum Ilott who was hip-checked off the course by Romain Grosjean in an overly aggressive move, especially for practice.
The next time all 27 drivers will be on track will be for qualifying, which takes place at 12:30 PM Pacific Time.
Keyword: McLaughlin paces the field in Saturday IndyCar practice from Portland