Lundgaard and Foster Capture Key Pole Positions at Road America
Road America, June 2023 — Christian Lundgaard secured his first pole position for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (RLL) during his 23rd race with the No. 45 Honda. In a remarkable display of talent, his replacement, reigning Indy NXT champion Louis Foster, achieved a pole in only his ninth IndyCar event.
RLL has demonstrated significant progress, improving their competitiveness on road courses from 2022 to 2024. After Lundgaard departed for Arrow McLaren in the offseason, the team’s trajectory has taken a positive turn.
Foster’s journey to the front has been notable, especially following two challenging weekends marred by a suspension failure in Detroit that impacted both his race and that of Felix Rosenqvist, and a crash at World Wide Technology Raceway involving Josef Newgarden. These setbacks did not hinder Foster, who, after shaving his mustache for charity, bounced back to claim pole at Road America, clocking in ahead of championship leader Alex Palou and three-time race winner Kyle Kirkwood.
"Shaved the mustache and ended up on pole. I liked the mustache though, so we’ll see how the race goes tomorrow," Foster remarked. "Our Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing car was really fast. We got good power from the Honda engine. It’s always great to start in front of Alex and Kyle – a Honda 1-2-3 – and those guys have been quick all season. Hopefully, we can stay in front tomorrow and bring home a win."
As the race approaches, the competitive landscape remains tight, with Foster’s performance signaling a potential shift in momentum for RLL.
