DETROIT – Andretti Autosport drivers threw down the gauntlet to rivals at the Raceway at Belle Isle Park on Friday.
In both Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear practice sessions, the Verizon IndyCar Series team had all four drivers crack the top 10 on the speed charts.
It shouldn’t have come as a great surprise. Andretti Autosport qualified two cars in the top four for the first Detroit race last year and had three start in the top 10 in the second race of the doubleheader weekend. No one could close the deal, however, with Takuma Sato’s fourth-place finish in Race 2 the best result.
CHEVROLET DETROIT GRAND PRIX: Race 1 qualifying groups
Ryan Hunter-Reay, in the No. 28 DHL Honda, led the way in practice on Friday with a lap of 1 minute, 16.3598 seconds (110.791 mph) around the 2.35-mile street course in the second session that was tops of all 23 drivers competing. It was the final practice prior to Saturday’s qualifying for the first of the two weekend races. Race 2 will be held Sunday.
Hunter-Reay, whose best start and finish at Belle Isle in 13 previous is second, credited the team’s strong showing to building on its street course knowledge.
“I think we're just looking at it from what some of the things that have worked for us at the other races that don't always apply here at Detroit, and then some things that have worked in the past for us at Detroit,” Hunter-Reay said. “We're trying to mix it all up and make something happen with it.
“It’s a lot of fun around here,” added Hunter-Reay, the 2012 Verizon IndyCar Series champion. “You really have to wheel the car to get it done. But hats off to the Andretti Autosport team. We came here with a much better car this year. I was really happy with the balance, even to start out with.”
Team owner Michael Andretti was cautiously optimistic about the chances of Hunter-Reay and teammates Marco Andretti, Alexander Rossi and rookie Zach Veach, who placed fifth, eighth and 10th, respectively, in the second practice of the day – when all 23 drivers in the field went quicker on a hot, bumpy track.
“It’s nice to have four cars in the top 10,” Andretti said. “Of course, anything can happen (Saturday). But it seems like the car is reasonably good. Zach did a terrific job. He’s a great kid, a great driver and has a real future.”
Andretti would love nothing more than for one of his Honda drivers to win in rival Chevrolet’s home race. Graham Rahal from Honda-powered Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing did just that a year ago when he captured both races.
“If we can give Honda a win here, it would be really big,” said Andretti.
Marco Andretti thought his 1:16.6198 lap (110.415 mph) was stout despite brushing the wall near the end of the session.
“We were right where we needed to be,” said Andretti, piloting the No. 98 Honda with AutoNation/Curb sponsorship this weekend. “I was on a P1 lap and hit the wall in Turn 6 and had to pedal it. The amount of time we lost would have put us in P1, so I’m really happy.”
The son of the team owner admittedly struggled in recent seasons with the competitive aero kits teams ran from 2015-17, but is enjoying the new series car and its universal aero package this year. The 2018 car generates car less downforce and puts increased emphasis on driver skill.
“I love the new configuration,” said Andretti, who has three top-10 finishes in the first seven races and is chasing his first Verizon IndyCar Series win since 2011.
“I’ve been saying it all year. You can really feel the limit of the car because you are on the limit all the time. It’s a little bit harder in fast corners, but I prefer that. I think we have a shot at pole (Saturday).”
Veach is proving to be a revelation this season, with a best finish thus far of fourth place at Long Beach in April. He clocked a lap of 1:16.8133 (110.137 mph) in the No. 26 Relay Group 1001 Honda to nab 10th on the timesheet despite not racing on the Belle Isle circuit in any series before.
“We have a fast car,” the 23-year-old Ohioan said. “The car is very lively, it moves around quite a bit. I’m learning the track. You feel like you are crashing every corner. Honestly, it feels like a go-kart going 160-170 mph, but I love it.”
Rossi is flying the Ruoff Home Mortgage colors this weekend on his No. 27 Honda. The 2016 Indy 500 winner finished fifth in Race 1 last year and looks to improve on that this time around.
"The Ruoff Home Mortgage car is a fast race car,” said Rossi, whose fast lap was 1:16.7898 (110.171 mph). “We had a bit of a disjointed session with going opposite of some people on tire strategy. With that being said, we're really happy and looking forward to (Saturday).”
Qualifying for Race 1 starts at 10:55 a.m. ET Saturday, with the field split into two groups and each group getting 12 minutes of track time to log their best laps. The fastest overall driver wins the pole position, with the fastest from the other group starting the race from the outside of Row 1. The top qualifier from each group receives a point toward the championship.
Today’s 70-lap race airs live on ABC (3:30 p.m.) and the Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network (3 p.m.).