“It’s a lot of fun around here. 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 on the DHL car even to start out with. The car was basically doing the fundamentals that I needed it to do, the front was working well, and from there we just kept chipping away at it. It was a good first practice today, but a lot is riding on tomorrow with qualifying and Race 1.”
Day 1 of the Detroit Grand Prix has wrapped up and the four Andretti Autosport drivers are feeling confident in their chances to top the podium for tomorrow’s 70-lap event.
Ryan Hunter-Reay led practice for the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix presented by Lear on the 14-turn, 2.35-mile temporary street course noted for its concrete surface and constant bumps. Friday’s practices are the only scheduled for the doubleheader race weekend, with qualifying and races scheduled each of the next two days.
With all 23 entries driving cars equipped with the universal aero kit that debuted at the start of the season for the first time in Detroit, Hunter-Reay posted the top practice lap in the last of two 45-minute sessions, at 1 minute, 16.3598 seconds (110.791 mph).
“Oh, it’s certainly busy out there, I can tell you that,” said Hunter-Reay, the 2012 series champion driving the No. 28 DHL Honda for Andretti Autosport. “I don’t think anybody would be 100 percent satisfied with the balance that they have, but that’s the choice. It’s a lot of fun around here. You really have to wheel the car to get it done.”
- Finished the day first overall with a best lap time of 01:16.3598
- Has a best start of second on the streets of Belle Isle for Race 2 in both 2016 and 2017
- Has earned two podium finishes at the Detroit Grand Prix
Qualifying for Race 1 will go green tomorrow at 10:55 a.m. ET. The session will hold only one round of qualifying with the field split into groups of two. The fastest driver of the session will be awarded the Verizon P1 Award and the remaining drivers in his group will fill in odd-numbered grid spots based on quickest times. The drivers from the second-fastest group will take the even-numbered grid positions.
Race 1 will be broadcast on ABC with coverage beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. The green flag will wave over the first race of the double-header event at 3:50.
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