In a fiercely competitive qualifying session at Road America, rookie Louis Foster from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLRR) made headlines by securing the pole position for Sunday’s XPEL Grand Prix. With a remarkable lap time of 1:44.5141s, Foster achieved this milestone as the first pole of his young career in the NTT IndyCar Series. This accomplishment came as a surprise to him after a tough start in the early rounds of qualifying.
Foster expressed his disbelief and excitement, stating, “I said to the guys as we got into (the) Fast 12 not to put reds on, because I wasn’t confident that we would make it to the Fast 6. Boy, was I wrong. Absolutely awesome. …Couldn’t ask for a better start to the weekend. I still can’t believe it.”
Alex Palou, who had initially led both his qualifying group and the Fast 12, finished in second place, just shy of Foster’s time. Kyle Kirkwood followed in third, while Scott McLaughlin and Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top five. Notably, Graham Rahal also qualified for the Fast 6, making RLRR the only team to feature two contenders in this final segment.
Foster’s success came amid challenging conditions, with track temperatures soaring above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the heat, most drivers remained error-free during the session. Callum Ilott and Josef Newgarden also had strong performances, finishing in the top 10 with Ilott achieving his best qualifying position of the season.
In a twist, Scott Dixon, a two-time Road America winner, was penalized for impeding another driver and will start Sunday’s race from the back of the field. This marks a significant setback for Dixon, who was fifth in the championship standings before this event. However, there is hope as Dixon has historically demonstrated his ability to recover from difficult starting positions at this track.
Sunday’s XPEL Grand Prix will be live on FOX at 1:30 p.m. ET, promising an exciting race day ahead for fans and competitors alike. The anticipation builds as Foster looks to convert his pole position into a standout performance against experienced rivals.