ADVERTISEMENT
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語
  • STANDINGS
No Result
View All Result
AutoGear

Alex Palou Dominates Thermal Practice Despite Shwartzman’s Fiery Disruption: NTT IndyCar Series Highlights

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 22, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Alex Palou Dominates Thermal Practice Despite Shwartzman’s Fiery Disruption: NTT IndyCar Series Highlights
ADVERTISEMENT

Three weeks following the inaugural round in St. Petersburg, the NTT IndyCar Series participants reconvened for the year’s second round at The Thermal Club. This private Southern Californian circuit, which has welcomed the series for two consecutive years, does not serve as a points-earning round. The track, however, was familiar grounds for the drivers, having served as a pre-season testing venue in 2023 and as the host for an exhibition event boasting a $1 million prize in 2024.

The drivers faced the 3.067-mile long track in a standard practice session on Friday afternoon, grappling with the still fresh hybrid power system’s impact on their vehicles. After the conclusion of the primary 45-minute session and the two split sessions, Alex Palou emerged at the head of the pack. The Spanish driver has demonstrated impressive form over the past few seasons, and this weekend was no exception, setting a blistering time of 1:40.5486 and recording an average speed of 109.81 MPH on the expansive course.

Andretti Global, however, was the team to beat on Friday afternoon, despite Palou’s individual brilliance. Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson trailed Palou by only 0.09 and 0.19 seconds respectively, posting the second and third fastest times. Colton Herta, their teammate, also contributed to the team’s strong performance by clocking the fourth fastest time. Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing Chevy rounded out the top five, maintaining his consistent performance.

ADVERTISEMENT

Drivers across the board noted that even the sturdier tires seemed to degrade significantly after only one flying lap. If this trend persists over the weekend and the rough track surface doesn’t accumulate rubber, the pit stop strategy could become a challenging conundrum on Sunday.

The main session was disrupted midway when Robert Shwartzman’s #83 PREMA Chevy had to stop due to a small fire near the rear attenuator. The rapid response from the AMR safety crew managed to contain the fire quickly, but an inspection revealed substantial damage in the car’s rear. The cause of the fire was identified as a fuel issue, necessitating a new engine, hybrid unit, and backup chassis for the rest of the weekend. The stoppage, unfortunately, caused Shwartzman to end the day with less than half a lap completed.

After the halt, all 26 drivers returned to the track simultaneously, causing a slight delay when Devlin DeFrancesco had to pull off to the side of the road towards the end of the first split session. Felix Rosenqvist took an off-road detour while pushing his limits but managed to keep his Meyer Shank Honda clear of the barriers. A couple of other drivers also had minor off-track excursions, but none were significant enough to fully exit the racing surface.

A second practice session is set to take place at 10:00 AM local time on Saturday, followed by knockout qualifying at 2:00 PM (5:00 PM eastern time). The drama-filled practice session at The Thermal Club, dominated by Alex Palou’s speed and punctuated by Robert Shwartzman’s fiery stoppage, sets the stage for an exciting weekend of racing.

Share212Tweet133Send

Related Posts

F1 Brazil GP Collision: McLaren’s Andrea Stella Declares Shared Blame for Piastri and Antonelli Clash!
Motorsports

F1 Brazil GP Collision: McLaren’s Andrea Stella Declares Shared Blame for Piastri and Antonelli Clash!

F1 Showdown: McLaren's Andrea Stella Calls for Shared Blame in Piastri-Antonelli Collision! In a dramatic turn of events at the...

by Carl Smith
November 10, 2025
Max Verstappen’s Daring Pitlane Comeback: The Risky Strategy That Defied Odds at Brazil GP
Motorsports

Max Verstappen’s Daring Pitlane Comeback: The Risky Strategy That Defied Odds at Brazil GP

Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

by Harry Bright
November 10, 2025
Kimi Antonelli’s Thrilling Podium Finish at F1 Brazil GP: Luck, Chaos, and Controversy Unleashed!
Motorsports

Kimi Antonelli’s Thrilling Podium Finish at F1 Brazil GP: Luck, Chaos, and Controversy Unleashed!

Kimi Antonelli: The ‘Lucky’ Rookie Who Snatched Second Place at the F1 Brazil GP Amid Chaos In a thrilling display...

by James Taylor
November 10, 2025
F1 Star Jack Doohan’s Mysterious Exit Sparks Wild Speculation After Brazilian Grand Prix!
Motorsports

F1 Star Jack Doohan’s Mysterious Exit Sparks Wild Speculation After Brazilian Grand Prix!

F1 2025: Is Jack Doohan's Future in Jeopardy After Surprising Sighting at Brazilian Grand Prix? In a gripping turn of...

by Carl Harrison
November 10, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent News

“Compensação” fiscal: Reino Unido estuda taxa sobre elétricos

“Fiscal ‘compensation’: United Kingdom considers tax on electric vehicles.”

November 10, 2025
Hyundai inaugura centro de testes na Europa

Hyundai inaugurates testing center in Europe.

November 10, 2025
F1 Brazil GP Collision: McLaren’s Andrea Stella Declares Shared Blame for Piastri and Antonelli Clash!

F1 Brazil GP Collision: McLaren’s Andrea Stella Declares Shared Blame for Piastri and Antonelli Clash!

November 10, 2025
Max Verstappen’s Daring Pitlane Comeback: The Risky Strategy That Defied Odds at Brazil GP

Max Verstappen’s Daring Pitlane Comeback: The Risky Strategy That Defied Odds at Brazil GP

November 10, 2025

Newsletter

ADVERTISEMENT

  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TECHNICAL INFORMATION
  • EDITORIAL STATUS
  • TERMS AND CONDITIONS

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest News
  • AutoGear TV
  • Sustainable Mobility
  • Motorsports
    • Circuits
    • Rally
    • Rally raid
    • WEC
  • English
    • Português
    • Italiano
    • Français
    • Español
    • English
    • Deutsch
    • 日本語

© 2023 AutoGear - Todos os direitos reservados AutoGear.