Testing report
IndyCar Gateway
Herta leads 11-car IndyCar test at Gateway, McLaughlin impresses
Colton Herta led Alexander Rossi in an Andretti Autosport 1-2 in testing at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway, but Team Penske-Chevrolet rookie Scott McLaughlin was an eye-catching third.
David Malsher-Lopez
Edited: Jul 28, 2021, 8:46 AM
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The 1.25-mile track on the Missouri/Illinois border will feature the 2021 NTT IndyCar Series’ 13th of 16 rounds, and the fourth and last oval race of the season.
Herta, who finished fourth – his best oval finish in IndyCar – and sixth in last year’s double-header at WWTR, topped the speeds in Tuesday’s test with a 180.990mph lap. That was a mere 0.235mph faster than his teammate, 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi.
Rookie McLaughlin was the only Team Penske-Chevrolet driver present, and he wound up third, around 0.6mph adrift of Herta. The New Zealander has taken well to ovals since moving across from Supercars, outqualifying his illustrious teammates in the Indianapolis 500, and scoring his first podium finish at Texas Motor Speedway.
Ed Jones took time out early in the day to check the setup of his Dale Coyne Racing teammate Romain Grosjean, set to make his oval race debut at WWTR next month, before turning in fourth-best time of the day in the DCR with Vasser-Sullivan entry.
Ryan Hunter-Reay made it five cars in the 180mph bracket with fifth quickest in his #28 Andretti Autosport entry, ahead of the fourth AA car of James Hinchcliffe.
Ed Carpenter Racing-Chevy’s Rinus VeeKay, who like Herta scored a sixth and a fourth at Gateway last year, was seventh fastest after turning more laps than anyone, while Grosjean was eighth in the DCR with Rick Ware Racing entry, managing to spin without hitting anything.
The two AJ Foyt-Racing-Chevys were ninth and tenth ahead of Ed Carpenter.
RANK
DRIVER
TEAM
ENGINE
QUICK LAP (mph)
DIFF (mph)
TOTAL LAPS
1
Colton Herta
Andretti Autosport
Honda
180.990
——
114
2
Alexander Rossi
Andretti Autosport
Honda
180.755
-0.235
118
3
Scott McLaughlin
Team Penske
Chevy
180.395
-0.595
169
4
Ed Jones
Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan
Honda
180.123
-0.867
103
5
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Andretti Autosport
Honda
180.062
-0.928
111
6
James Hinchcliffe
Andretti Steinbrenner Autosport
Honda
179.397
-1.593
108
7
Rinus VeeKay
Ed Carpenter Racing
Chevy
179.042
-1.948
171
8
Romain Grosjean
Dale Coyne Racing w/Rick Ware Racing
Honda
177.427
-3.563
166
9
Sebastien Bourdais
AJ Foyt Enterprises
Chevy
176.758
-4.232
91
10
Dalton Kellett
AJ Foyt Enterprises
Chevy
176.046
-4.944
170
11
Ed Carpenter
Ed Carpenter Racing
Chevy
175.672
-5.318
159
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