Herta on top again in Wednesday morning session
Colton Herta, the 2018 Indy Lights runner-up, went three-for-three in leading the IndyCar Spring Training session in the morning of Day 2.
The Harding Steinbrenner Racing-Honda left it until 13mins to go in the two-hour session before turning up the wick and lapping the 3.427-mile course in 1min46.6401sec.
That beat his semi-teammate, Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi, by 0.3731sec, 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 1min47.7899sec, barely edging the second Penske of 2017 champ Josef Newgarden.
Hinchcliffe was swiftly able to rejoin the fray following his spin, but the team then discovered a fluid leak and the car was returned to the garage, having only completed seven laps.
Harvey’s Meyer Shank Racing-Honda was sixth quickest ahead of Ryan Hunter-Reay and second fastest rookie, Felix Rosenqvist wheeling the second Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda.
Sebastien Bourdais bounced back from a disappointing Tuesday to grab P9 on his last flying lap in the Dale Coyne Racing-Honda, while Carlin’s RC Enerson made it three rookies in the top 10.
AJ Foyt Racing also had a better day, series sophomore Matheus Leist and Tony Kanaan clocking 15th and 17th fastest.
This afternoon’s session runs from 1pm until 5pm local (Central) time.
Testing times:
| Pos. | No | Driver | Lap | Gap | Laps | Engine | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | Colton Herta | 1:46.640 | --.---- | 11 | Honda | Harding Steinbrenner Racing |
| 2 | 27 | Alexander Rossi | 1:47.013 | 0.3731 | 18 | Honda | Andretti Autosport |
| 3 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | 1:47.212 | 0.5715 | 20 | Chevy | Team Penske |
| 4 | 9 | Scott Dixon | 1:47.790 | 1.1498 | 13 | Honda | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 5 | 2 | Josef Newgarden | 1:47.814 | 1.1735 | 20 | Chevy | Team Penske |
| 6 | 60 | Jack Harvey | 1:47.889 | 1.2491 | 21 | Honda | Meyer Shank Racing |
| 7 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 1:47.903 | 1.2630 | 17 | Honda | Andretti Autosport |
| 8 | 10 | Felix Rosenqvist | 1:47.984 | 1.3442 | 16 | Honda | Chip Ganassi Racing |
| 9 | 18 | Sebastien Bourdais | 1:48.017 | 1.3765 | 18 | Honda | Dale Coyne Racing |
| 10 | 23 | RC Enerson | 1:48.156 | 1.5160 | 21 | Chevy | Carlin |
| 11 | 3 | Helio Castroneves | 1:48.183 | 1.5424 | 17 | Chevy | Team Penske |
| 12 | 12 | Will Power | 1:48.207 | 1.5671 | 22 | Chevy | Team Penske |
| 13 | 15 | Graham Rahal | 1:48.379 | 1.7394 | 20 | Honda | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
| 14 | 26 | Zach Veach | 1:48.389 | 1.7490 | 20 | Honda | Andretti Autosport |
| 15 | 4 | Matheus Leist | 1:48.600 | 1.9594 | 26 | Chevy | AJ Foyt Enterprises |
| 16 | 98 | Marco Andretti | 1:48.610 | 1.9697 | 21 | Honda | Andretti Herta Autosport |
| 17 | 14 | Tony Kanaan | 1:48.651 | 2.0105 | 23 | Chevy | AJ Foyt Enterprises |
| 18 | 7 | Marcus Ericsson | 1:48.662 | 2.0222 | 14 | Honda | Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports |
| 19 | 59 | Max Chilton | 1:48.737 | 2.0967 | 16 | Chevy | Carlin |
| 20 | 21 | Spencer Pigot | 1:48.871 | 2.2309 | 11 | Chevy | Ed Carpenter Racing |
| 21 | 20 | Ed Jones | 1:48.963 | 2.3234 | 18 | Chevy | Ed Carpenter Racing |
| 22 | 32 | Kyle Kaiser | 1:48.980 | 2.3394 | 24 | Chevy | Juncos Racing |
| 23 | 19 | Santino Ferrucci | 1:49.146 | 2.5062 | 12 | Honda | Dale Coyne Racing |
| 24 | 5 | James Hinchcliffe | 1:49.163 | 2.5225 | 7 | Honda | Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports |
| 25 | 30 | Takuma Sato | 1:49.237 | 2.5972 | 27 | Honda | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing |
Previous article
Marco Andretti: “If I won the Indy 500 I’d cry, probably”
Next article
Rossi deposes Herta in IndyCar Spring Training final session
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Event | COTA February testing |
| Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
Why IndyCar is satisfying Grosjean’s appetite for his second life
After spending the majority of his 179-race Formula 1 career in middling to tail-end machinery, Romain Grosjean finds himself once again with an underdog team in IndyCar. While not without its challenges, he's relishing the more level playing field that means his Dale Coyne Racing crew can expect to claim a few scalps...
Why IndyCar's new aero parts should improve racing at Indy
Tino Belli, IndyCar’s director of aerodynamic development, believes the changes to the underside of the cars will allow them to run closer at Indy and make passes. The moment of truth comes on its biggest stage, writes David Malsher-Lopez.
Colton Herta – America's next racing hero
Last Sunday, Colton Herta demolished his IndyCar opposition in the second round of the season. David Malsher-Lopez explains why Andretti Autosport’s youngest ace bears all the hallmarks of becoming the country’s next homegrown motorsport hero.
How good is Palou and is he Dixon’s strongest title rival?
Last Sunday, Alex Palou delivered his first IndyCar victory on his Chip Ganassi Racing debut. Is the young Spaniard going to become his legendary teammate Scott Dixon’s biggest title threat? David Malsher-Lopez reports.
Preview: Why IndyCar in 2021 is too close to call
The fight for supremacy in the NTT IndyCar Series will be as intense as ever. David Malsher-Lopez is your guide to the main contenders and six intriguing sub-plots.
Is Arrow McLaren SP ready for IndyCar’s title fight?
With Patricio O'Ward and Felix Rosenqvist leading its line-up, 2021 could be the year Arrow McLaren SP-Chevrolet joins the IndyCar elite, writes David Malsher-Lopez.
Dale Coyne picks the Top 10 drivers in his giant-slaying team
Over 37 seasons, Dale Coyne has run no fewer than 80 Indy car drivers – including himself! Ahead of his first season running Romain Grosjean, we asked Coyne to pick the best 10 drivers ever to compete for him. By David Malsher-Lopez.
Why enigmatic Marco Andretti will be missed
Last Friday, Marco Andretti announced he is withdrawing from fulltime IndyCar racing. David Malsher-Lopez explains how this third-gen racer was a puzzle in the car, but a straight shooter off-track.
