HONDA INDY TORONTO
QUALIFYING REPORT
07.14.18
The starting grid has been set for Round 12 of Verizon IndyCar Series competition on the streets of Toronto. Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay led the team effort in qualifying, both advancing to the Firestone Fast Six.
The 85-lap Honda Indy Toronto will broadcast live on NBC Sports Network at 3 p.m. ET.
No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS HONDA
STARTING POSITON: 5th
QUALIFYING TIME: 1:00.6273
OF NOTE: Rossi earned his career best Toronto start with today's qualifying // Made his third Firestone Fast Six appearance of the season, his seventh top-five start of 2018
"We were really strong in the first run when it was wet. We were running P2 and conservative to transfer and when it was dry, I thought we were in range and I was feeling really good going into the Firestone Fast Six. With it being damp and kind of dry, we just didn't have the pace. I'm at a loss as to how we're a second off of the front row - Ryan and I had the same lap time, but for some reason we couldn't keep track of the time and it's pretty disappointing. I think Honda contingent has been pretty strong all weekend, and our ability to drive has been pretty good as well so that will help over race distance. The No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS car is confidently in the top five even with this session yet. It was tough to try and execute and beat Scott [Dixon] and Josef [Newgarden] which isn't easy."
No. 28 DHL HONDA
•STARTING POSITION: 6th
•QUALIFYING TIME: 1:00.6615
•OF NOTE: Advanced to the Firestone Fast Six, despite being given a drive thru penalty for a pit speed violation during Round 2 // Today marked Hunter-Reay's fourth Firestone Fast Six appearance of 2018 and his sixth top-six start of the season
"We're just trying to make the car better and find the balance that I need out of it, but it's so easy to touch a wall here and there. We got it closer today in the dry [qualifying] session when we were P2, but we just didn't have it with a little bit of moisture and we were sliding around too much. We just have to pick up and make a good race car from here."
No. 98 OBERTO CIRCLE K / CURB HONDA
STARTING POSITION: 14th
QUALIFYING SPEED: 1:00.1721
OF NOTE: Finished Friday P3 on the combined time charts // Returns to the Oberto Circle K livery for the Toronto race weekend
“It’s definitely a disappointing result. We had a great car and should have definitely been fighting for the pole position. We came in for the Firestone reds too early and when the track was dry enough to give it our fastest lap, our tires had already past that point. Not happy that we didn’t get the result the Oberto/Circle K car deserved, but we’ll race our tails off tomorrow and fight for the win.”
No. 26 RELAY / GROUP 1001 HONDA
•STARTING POSITION: 22nd
•QUALIFYING TIME: 1:00.5564
•OF NOTE: Veach was penalized his fastest lap for causing a local yellow with a spin on his final lap at the timeline in Turn 8
"We started off on wet and put on a set of Firestone reds and went for it. The track just kept going faster and faster and I think we used our reds a couple laps too early. The only option I had to try and transfer was to try and make something big happen on the last lap. I must have hit the wall three times before I even got to the last corner and I needed probably one more tenth and just pushed too hard and lost the car. Unfortunately, we lost our lap so we should be starting from 14th but we're starting on the back row. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow but if it's meant to happen, it will."
MEDIA CONTACTS
Ryann Rigsby
Vice President, Communications
ryann.rigsby@andrettiautosport.com
+1 610.909.7312
Britni Allen
Senior Manager, Communications, INDYCAR
britni.allen@andrettiautosport.com
+1 740.816.2748
Phil Zielinski
Manager, Communications, Formula E
phil.zielinski@andrettiautosport.com
+1 317.373.9549
Amber Stevenson
Associate, Communications
amber.stevenson@andrettiautosport.com
+1 574.361.4325
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