Road America IndyCar: Newgarden on top again in FP2, Celis shunts
Josef Newgarden excelled again on Friday afternoon at Elkhart Lake as drivers sampled for the first time the combination of the 2018 aerokit, the Firestone alternate tire compound and IndyCar’s longest and most scenic course.
Newgarden’s Team Penske-Chevrolet clocked a 1min42.6279sec – an average of 140.804mph – to claim top spot by over quarter of a second from Schmidt Peterson Motorsports-Honda driver Robert Wickens.
Sebastien Bourdais was third fastest for Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan-Honda while Will Power and Simon Pagenaud were 0.43 and 0.53sec respectively behind their reigning champion teammate.
Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato put both Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Hondas into the top 10, separated by Detroit winners Scott Dixon (Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport-Honda).
Marco Andretti completed the top 10.
Alfonso Celis, who performed competently in his first ever IndyCar session this morning, this afternoon spun his Juncos Racing-Chevrolet off the track at Turn 13 on his fourth lap this afternoon, launching over a curb and the grass, before tearing off his rear wing on a tire barrier.
IndyCar, Road America free practice 2
| Cla | # | Driver | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | Mph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Josef Newgarden | 22 | 1'42.6279 | 140.804 | ||
| 2 | 6 |  Robert Wickens | 18 | 1'42.9025 | 0.2746 | 0.2746 | 140.428 |
| 3 | 18 |  Sébastien Bourdais | 16 | 1'43.0020 | 0.3741 | 0.0995 | 140.292 |
| 4 | 12 |  Will Power | 19 | 1'43.0545 | 0.4266 | 0.0525 | 140.221 |
| 5 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | 19 | 1'43.1599 | 0.5320 | 0.1054 | 140.078 |
| 6 | 15 | Graham Rahal | 17 | 1'43.1995 | 0.5716 | 0.0396 | 140.024 |
| 7 | 9 |  Scott Dixon | 19 | 1'43.4212 | 0.7933 | 0.2217 | 139.724 |
| 8 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | 15 | 1'43.4755 | 0.8476 | 0.0543 | 139.650 |
| 9 | 30 |  Takuma Sato | 15 | 1'43.5410 | 0.9131 | 0.0655 | 139.562 |
| 10 | 98 | Marco Andretti | 14 | 1'43.6221 | 0.9942 | 0.0811 | 139.453 |
| 11 | 14 |  Tony Kanaan | 16 | 1'43.6559 | 1.0280 | 0.0338 | 139.407 |
| 12 | 27 | Alexander Rossi | 15 | 1'43.6666 | 1.0387 | 0.0107 | 139.393 |
| 13 | 5 | James Hinchcliffe | 14 | 1'43.6899 | 1.0620 | 0.0233 | 139.362 |
| 14 | 26 | Zach Veach | 14 | 1'43.9088 | 1.2809 | 0.2189 | 139.068 |
| 15 | 19 | Zachary Claman De Melo | 16 | 1'43.9204 | 1.2925 | 0.0116 | 139.053 |
| 16 | 20 |  Jordan King | 18 | 1'43.9475 | 1.3196 | 0.0271 | 139.016 |
| 17 | 21 | Spencer Pigot | 15 | 1'44.1478 | 1.5199 | 0.2003 | 138.749 |
| 18 | 10 |  Ed Jones | 18 | 1'44.1869 | 1.5590 | 0.0391 | 138.697 |
| 19 | 4 | Matheus Leist | 20 | 1'44.2083 | 1.5804 | 0.0214 | 138.668 |
| 20 | 59 | Max Chilton | 18 | 1'44.4224 | 1.7945 | 0.2141 | 138.384 |
| 21 | 88 |  Gabby Chaves | 20 | 1'44.4628 | 1.8349 | 0.0404 | 138.331 |
| 22 | 23 | Charlie Kimball | 18 | 1'45.1363 | 2.5084 | 0.6735 | 137.444 |
| 23 | 32 |  Alfonso Celis Jr. | 3 | 1'46.1592 | 3.5313 | 1.0229 | 136.120 |
Previous article
Road America IndyCar: Newgarden leads Sato in opening practice
Next article
Foyt confirms ABC Supply, Kanaan, Leist to remain in 2019
About this article
| Series | IndyCar |
| Event | Road America |
| Location | Road America |
| Author | David Malsher-Lopez |
Opening day of Indy500 testing
Rinus VeeKay crashes during Indy 500 test
IndyCar: Defy Everything
IndyCar: Drivers Test at Texas Motor Speedway
IndyCar: Push-to-Pass test
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.
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Is the mighty McLaren M16 the greatest ever Indy car?
When founder Bruce McLaren died in June 1970, his team could have folded. Instead, his loyal band rallied to produce a string of winners - including an Indy car game-changer that won three Indy 500s in six years.
How Newgarden delivered his best season, yet still lost
Josef Newgarden was our pick as top IndyCar driver of 2020 but his finest season-long run of performances failed to yield the championship. David Malsher-Lopez explains why.
2020 IndyCar Review and Top 10 drivers of the year
David Malsher-Lopez explains how the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series was unlike any other, and why it featured familiar and unfamiliar faces competing for glory.
How Dixon won his sixth IndyCar title, in his own words
Chip Ganassi Racing’s newly crowned six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon takes us round by round through his remarkable season. David Malsher-Lopez listens.
