Max Taylor led the pre-qualifying practice for the Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday morning, but that pace came at a cost.

Taylor (photo, top) turned the quickest lap of the two practice sessions, 1 minute, 5.3964 seconds, in the No. 28 Susan G. Komen entry of Andretti Global. But he brought the 45-minute session on the nine-turn, 1.645-mile temporary street circuit to a close by clouting the Turn 1 concrete barrier with about 2½ minutes left.

SEE: Practice Results

“Still, we were fastest; the car is really quick,” Taylor said. “I just hit the wall in Turn 1. Went in too deep. I know the boys will get it back together in tip-top shape, and we’ll be good for qualifying.

“A little annoying. A little bump in the road but really happy with the car and confident in our pace this weekend.”

The impact inflicted moderate damage to his pink machine, creating plenty of work for the Andretti Global crew before INDY NXT by Firestone qualifying starts at noon ET today (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). Taylor was unhurt.

Taylor’s Andretti Global teammate Lochie Hughes, who led practice Friday, continued to show consistent speed by ending up second at 1:05.6246 in the No. 26 car. Rookie and series leader Nikita Johnson was third at 1:05.7211 in the No. 21 Cape Motorsports Powered by ECR machine under sunny skies but air temperatures at least 20 degrees cooler than Friday.

Rookie Enzo Fittipaldi was fourth at 1:05.7833 in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car. Colin Kaminsky enjoyed one of his strongest sessions of the season by rounding out the top five at 1:05.8369 in the No. 57 Abel Motorsports entry.

The 45-lap race is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET Sunday (FS1, FOX One, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). Just 16 points separate points leader Johnson and fourth-place Fittipaldi in the standings.