Report: Kirkwood Sets the Pace in Opening Practice at Honda Indy 200
Mid-Ohio, July 4, 2023 – Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global led a competitive field of 27 cars in the first practice session for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio, clocking a fastest lap of 1m05.827s. His performance positions Kirkwood as a strong contender as he hunts for the championship title, trailing Alex Palou.
The session opened under humid conditions with temperatures reaching 87°F. Kirkwood’s closest rivals included Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward, who recorded a lap of 1m06.016s, and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, who was just behind at 1m06.040s. Notable performances came from Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden in fourth (1m06.179s) and Andretti’s Marcus Ericsson in fifth (1m06.232s).
Kirkwood expressed confidence in his team’s progress: “We were really fast right now, so as long as we continue that, we’ll be in a really good spot. We’ve come here this year with maybe a different philosophy than what we had last year, and it seems to be working out," he stated.
The session was marked by various incidents, including a spin and stall from Jacob Abel that triggered an early caution. Notably, a red flag was required after Newgarden collided with the barriers, necessitating repairs for his vehicle. Colton Herta experienced difficulties as well, including going off track multiple times.
As the session concluded, the top five results were Kirkwood, O’Ward, Palou, Ericsson, and Marcus Armstrong, who improved significantly with a lap time of 1m06.425s.
Looking ahead, the second practice session is scheduled for Saturday at 10:35 a.m. ET.
Practice Results Summary:
- Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti) – 1m05.827s
- Pato O’Ward (Arrow McLaren) – 1m06.016s
- Alex Palou (Chip Ganassi Racing) – 1m06.040s
- Josef Newgarden (Team Penske) – 1m06.179s
- Marcus Ericsson (Andretti) – 1m06.232s
The session promises a thrilling setup for the remainder of the weekend’s activities at Mid-Ohio.
