Iowa newcomer McLaughlin leads 19-car IndyCar test

The three-time Supercars champion, who opened his second season of IndyCar racing with a win at St. Petersburg, has not but had an opportunity to race on the 0.894-mile D-shaped oval monitor close to Des Moines, because the occasion fell off the 2021 schedule, his rookie yr.

However a greatest lap of 18.5375sec within the 220 laps McLaughlin ran in right now’s take a look at was a mean velocity of 173.61mph and made him a hair faster than teammate Will Energy, who turned a powerful 282 laps.

Takuma Sato confirmed related type within the Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing-Honda as was seen from the combo this yr at Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, whereas high rookie honors went to Christian Lundgaard within the Rahal Letterman Lanigan-Honda.

Josef Newgarden, who has gained at Iowa thrice, was fifth forward of Pato O’Ward within the Arrow McLaren SP-Chevy.

Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson was quickest of the Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda quartet forward of Graham Rahal (RLL), whereas four-time Indy winner Helio Castroneves, who scored his remaining IndyCar win with Penske at Iowa Speedway 5 years in the past, was ninth.

Though Andretti Autosport-Honda was notable by its absence, Michael Andretti’s squad has a technical partnership with MSR so will glean helpful information from the 214 lap whole accrued by Castroneves and teammate Simon Pagenaud. The Iowa take a look at is seen as significantly necessary, on condition that its return this yr sees it that includes as the one double-header on the IndyCar schedule, on July 23 and 24, as Rounds 11 and 12.

In the meantime all 4 Andretti drivers – Alexander Rossi, Colton Herta, Romain Grosjean and Devlin DeFrancesco – will take a look at on the Indianapolis street course on Thursday, together with Simona De Silvestro of Paretta Autosport, the Arrow McLaren SP pair of O’Ward and Felix Rosenqvist and Kyle Kirkwood of AJ Foyt Racing-Chevy.