CHEVROLET IN NTT INDYCAR SERIES
ONTARIO HONDA DEALERS INDY TORONTO
STREETS OF TORONTO
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
TEAM CHEVY QUALIFYING REPORT
JULY 20, 2024
TEAM PENSKE’S SCOTT MCLAUGHLIN AND JUNCOS HOLLINGER RACING’S ROMAIN GROSJEAN LED TEAM CHEVY IN QUALIFYING ON THE STREETS OF TORONTO
- Chevrolet will have five drivers representing the Bowtie brand starting in the top-10 of Sunday’s 85-lap Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto after the conclusion of qualifying Saturday on the Streets of Toronto.
- Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin (fourth) and Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Romain Grosjean (fifth) represented the Bowtie brand in Saturday’s Firestone Fast Six qualifying.
- Grosjean (third) and Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin (fifth) represented Chevrolet in the Firestone Fast Six after transferring from the Fast 12 and finishing in the top six.
- Will Power (first) of Team Penske, and Grosjean (fifth) and Agustin Canapino (sixth) of Juncos Hollinger Racing, finished in the top six of Group 2 and transferred to represent Team Chevy in the Fast 12.
- Making his first appearance in the Fast 12 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Canapino’s starting position of 10th is career-best in the series so far.
- McLaughlin (second), Ed Carpenter Racing’s Christian Rasmussen (third), Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden (sixth) finished in the top six of Group 1 and transferred to represent Chevrolet in the Fast 12.
- Will Power of Team Penske led second practice for Team Chevy, finishing third with his fastest lap of 1:00.8014 and only 0.2251 seconds behind the leader.
- Race day Sunday sees a warm-up for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES starting at 10 a.m. ET, with the green flag dropping on the 85-lap, 151.81-mile Ontario Honda Dealers Indy Toronto live on Peacock at 1 p.m. ET. Additional coverage is broadcast via INDYCAR Radio and SiriusXM Channel 218.
TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 QUALIFYING RESULT:
Pos. Driver
4th Scott McLaughlin (0:59.9082)
5th Romain Grosjean (1:00.0012)
7th Josef Newgarden (0:59.8796)
9th Will Power (1:00.1310)
10th Agustin Canapino (1:00.2873)
TEAM CHEVY TOP-10 SECOND PRACTICE RESULT:
Pos. Driver
3rd Will Power (1:00.8014)
6th Scott McLaughlin (1:00.8696)
7th Rinus VeeKay (1:00.9607)
8th Josef Newgarden (1:00.9636)
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING (Quotes):
Santino Ferrucci, No. 14 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:
“Just mistimed it. It was just an error in our calculations. Just a bit unfortunate. We were out way too long on reds [greens], way too heavy with fuel when the tires were at their optimum and ended up running three laps at the same pace. But you know when you’re out there on reds [greens] and people are coming out on sticker tires and you’re just catching traffic, there’s nothing you can do. So, it’s kind of just terrible for us because now we start buried in the pack and that’s never good here but we’ll make due for tomorrow.”
“Obviously, we’ve had great race pace all year long, I don’t think that’s going to change, we’re fighting some balance issues here this weekend. We’ve been on the back foot since FP1 And we were just trying to get some things changed but to be honest that’s how it goes on some street courses, so we’ll get it all tuned up and we’ll be good to go.”
Sting Ray Robb, No. 41 AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet:
“Just speed, we didn’t have any speed. I don’t really know what it is that we’re struggling with — something that we just haven’t figured out yet. We’ve been trying different setups the last two days and this one didn’t work for us. So, we’ll probably unwind that a little bit and hopefully figure out something in the warm up tomorrow because right now we’re missing a lot.”
Pato O’Ward, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“It’s been a tough weekend. Obviously, qualifying was really frustrating with cars getting in the way right in the peak of the window of the tires to be able to transfer. We were less than a tenth and a half to transfer, so I think we would have been okay without those implications. It is frustrating, knowing that we could have started further up, but we will be rolling off P14. Historically, this hasn’t been one of our best tracks. It will be a tough one, but we will give it our best and see what the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet can do.”
Nolan Siegel, No. 6 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“We’ve been working to get it to a more comfortable window all weekend. The car actually felt quite good there, we just didn’t have the pace, so we will look into it. Not exactly sure where we are losing everything yet. A little bit of a confusing session to be honest.
“It is tough without Alex (Rossi). He is a huge resource for me as a new driver for the team. We miss him a lot. Wishing Alex all the best. Ultimately, our group is still moving forward, as normal. We are doing our best to put the No. 6 car as far up the grid as possible. That doesn’t change.”
“Difficult qualifying session for us. It’s not where we wanted to be, but we’re getting the car into a happy window and we’re getting there. We’re making progress, so we’ll continue to look into what we need to improve and see what we can do tomorrow. I think we’ll be stronger in the race. We’ve always been able to move forward, and I have faith in the No. 6 SmartStop Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and the crew. I’m looking forward to Sunday.”
Théo Pourchaire, No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet:
“I was obviously not expecting to be here, so I am dealing with a good amount of jet lag. It was a bit of a stressful situation to get here, but we made it and I think we did okay. The No. 7 Ryde Arrow McLaren Chevrolet was good, and I adapted quickly. We only did nine laps, and I worked to try to learn the track the first time out with the new hybrid system, as well. I think we can be confident for tomorrow because the package looks pretty strong. It is not going to be easy, but I think we can grab some positions and complete every lap. I want to get this car as close to the front as I can for Alex (Rossi).”
Gavin Ward, Team Principal at Arrow McLaren:
“It was just a huge effort from the team and from Théo (Pourchaire) to get here in time for qualifying. It was important to get those laps in, and they will help us throughout the rest of the weekend. We’ll try to get him up to speed filling in on the No. 7 Ryde Arrow McLaren Chevrolet for Alex (Rossi), who we are hoping has a speedy recovery. We’re obviously thinking about him, too. It has been a weekend of adversity, and then to have Pato’s (O’Ward) qualifying spoiled by being blocked was obviously disappointing. He will line up next to his championship rival, so we’re going to try to beat him from there. I’m not sure if we had the pace to take it to the Andretti cars today. We’ll be looking into ways to improve our street course package coming here next year but also for the rest of this weekend.”
Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing:
“We thought (Théo Pourchaire) was the best driver, simple as that. He’s done an excellent job driving for us. He knows the team, obviously. We’re throwing him into the deep end here learning a new circuit in qualifying. But he’s a pro. We enjoy our time with him. Looking forward to getting him back in the car.”
He has been good on street courses this year, but what kind of challenges and what expectations are fair for him given the challenge:
“I think expectations have got to be pretty low. He’s going to be going out there and in ten minutes he has to learn a track and try and put a lap time down. I think he’ll get there in the race. He’ll learn quickly, and we’ll see. It’s unfortunate what happened to Alex (Ross) and hopefully he has a speedy recovery.”
Christian Rasmussen, No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:
“I am obviously very happy with that qualifying, second Fast 12 in a row for me! Super positive and just shows the direction we are headed, both myself as a driver and also the team as well. I am very proud of the GuyCare Chevy boys and what they have been able to do for me! We knew going into the Fast 12 we were going to be at a disadvantage as we used an extra set of greens in the first round, but we are still happy with 12th on the grid. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow during the race!”
Rinus VeeKay, No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet:
“That was a really messy qualifying session, so many cars in the same place on track. I am upset with where we are starting because we had a solid weekend leading up to qualifying and were quick in both practices. The positive is we know we have a good car, we just have to make sure we make the most of it tomorrow.”
Romain Grosjean, No. 77 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:
“I think we can be very proud of what we’re doing. It’s changed a lot. (The hybrid) has changed the car a lot. We reacted very well from a tough Friday and tough Saturday morning, but I’m proud of what we did. I wanted more. I wanted to be in the Fast Six. I wanted to hunt for pole. I made a mistake on my first set, and the second set of tires kind of went off at the end of the lap. It is what it is. I think we can be proud of that. With four Andrettis and Meyers Shank (Racing), one Penske and us, so I think Juncos can be very proud of everything we’ve been doing and now we just work towards a good race tomorrow.”
You talk about a good race tomorrow, when you came in today you chugged a whole bottle of Gatorade, you have ice packs down your suit. Tomorrow is going to be fairly similar conditions, and physical. How draining could we expect this race to be inside the racecar?
“It’s a tough one. It’s bumpy. It’s hot. It’s a lot of different tarmacs. I guess the winter can be harder (on the streets), at least that’s what they say. It makes the roads quite tricky, but we should be good tomorrow.”
Agustin Canapino, No. 78 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet:
“Thankful for the team, for Team Chevy. We were really close many, many times. Finally, we did it, so really happy. We are going to start in P9, P8. Maybe, two more and I’d go the Fast Six!”
What are the street courses like for you in year two? Are you enjoying the challenge?
“Yes, of course I am improving a lot. I remember one year and a half ago was my first open wheel race, so this year I feel much more comfortable. The team is growing a lot. I think we are having a really good year. The pace is there. Hopefully, tomorrow we can do a good race and achieve a good result.”
Josef Newgarden, No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet:
“It’s just tight. You’ve got to be perfect. The team had a really good car. Definitely had a super fast car. I think they could have been higher up. So, it’s a shame to be seventh. That’s not a bad spot. I think we can win from there. It’s definitely up close to the front enough, so I’m excited to drive this Hitachi Chevy car with this team.”
Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet:
“The car was pretty good. I don’t think we’ve been the quickest car all weekend, but I think we didn’t overachieve, we just did a solid qualifying run. For us to be in the Fast Six, top Chevy, that’s a great achievement, but we’ve got a lot going for tomorrow. I’m sure with this Gallagher pit stop crew and strategy team, we’ll be up front tomorrow.”
Will Power, No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet:
“It’s so tight, qualifying is so tight in INDYCAR. A few tenths or hundredths of a second can be the difference in two to three positions on the grid. Very happy with the Verizon Chevrolet. This is a tough race to win but I think we have the race pace to where, if we get a few breaks on strategy, we can be right in the game.”
THÉO POURCHAIRE, DRIVER OF THE NO. 7 ARROW MCLAREN CHEVROLET – Qualifying End of Day Press Conference:
THE MODERATOR: Also joined by Theo Pourchaire. Welcome back.
THEO POURCHAIRE: That was crazy. I want one thing right now, a bed with air conditioner and sleep (laughter).
THE MODERATOR: Obviously preparing for his sixth career start in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. Nine total laps in the qualifying session. Tell us about the last 24 hours you’ve been through.
THEO POURCHAIRE: Sure, I would say the last 15 or 18 hours maybe is crazy. It was about midnight in France when Tony Kanaan called me. Of course, I saw practice one. I’m watching INDYCAR every session. I saw the crash of Alex. I didn’t know he was injured. I was like, yeah, he was getting out of the car. I was at the restaurant. I told my girlfriend, Maybe McLaren is going to call me if he’s injured. Half an hour later, Tony is calling me. This is strange.
Theo, can you come as quick as possible? We need you right now in Toronto.
It’s midnight in France, Tony. I’m not sure I can find a flight and come quick.
But yeah, I’m here. Nine laps in quali. I wish Alex a speedy recovery. I know he broke a thumb. It’s not easy to come here straight in quali, but it’s fine. I’m happy.
THE MODERATOR: We’ll take a couple more questions.
Q. Theo, can you take us through your flight over here. Were you watching video, onboard cameras? First time at this track.
THEO POURCHAIRE: It’s a very difficult track, very bumpy. Tony called me and I told him, I’m fine, I want to race, of course. I told him, If the race engineers can send me as quick as possible onboards, data, that would be good. That’s what they did.
In the plane — actually not in the plane. I just didn’t sleep in France. I went at 5 in the morning at the airport, was watching all night the onboard data. In the plane I decided to sleep a little bit. That was not easy. Still, I could sleep maybe like four hours, five hours.
Yeah, I mean, that’s crazy because I was still in Indianapolis three days ago. Decided to come back to France because it’s summer in France and I was not racing in Indy any more.
But then, yeah, it’s unfortunate what happened to Alex (Rossi). As I said, I wish him a speedy recovery. I think his broken thumb is painful, but it’s not a big, big injury. Maybe he will be back soon, so it’s good.
Q. You’re feeling when you left pit lane, what’s going through your mind at that moment?
THEO POURCHAIRE: I mean, I just tried to learn again a bit everything. I know there’s now the hybrid system, which I could try in Milwaukee, but it’s an oval. The steering wheel layout is a bit different on the No. 7 car from Alex. I had to learn a bit the new steering wheel.
It was fine. I think I adapted pretty quickly. Tomorrow the warm-up will be very important for me to do again as much laps as possible, and in the race try to learn, try to come back and gain some positions.
I don’t expect much. I just want to race and bring the car home.
Q. Looking ahead, you had a test on an oval. Would you welcome the idea if it was needed to replace Rossi at the Gateway race?
THEO POURCHAIRE: Of course, of course. I mean, I’m here for the team. They gave me the opportunity to show myself in INDYCAR. Of course, I was disappointed when I learned that they were replacing me. But it’s part of the game, part of the sport.
I know them very well. When I came back today, everybody was happy. It was good also to see all the people in the team, the mechanics, the engineers, everybody. So it’s a bit like my family in INDYCAR. I know them very well.
In case Alex is not ready, will be still here waiting. If the team calls me, of course. I’m not going to refuse racing. I love INDYCAR. It’s a great championship. I was home waiting for more than probably four, five weeks. So right now I’m just super happy to drive. It feels like a dream.
Q. Did you get any chance to use the hybrid at all in the nine laps you did?
THEO POURCHAIRE: Sure, sure, I used it. I mean, it gives more power, for sure. It can change a little bit the balance of the car. I had so much to learn from the track, especially the track is very tough. It’s quite warm. Physically it’s not going to be easy for me tomorrow. I will give my best.
The hybrid system, it’s fun. It’s fun to play with. I think in the race it’s going to be important to be smart with it, with the push to pass as well. Yeah, let’s see. Really can’t wait to be tomorrow starting the race. I just love INDYCAR, I love racing.
Q. You’ve only had the hybrid assist in testing a very limited time. Now you’re expected to go out there tomorrow and use it in a race. How big a challenge is that? There’s still a lot of veteran drivers that haven’t figured out the right way to use it yet.
THEO POURCHAIRE: Yeah, it’s going to be tough to be able to use it properly, yeah, to be consistent during the race. But I think Arrow McLaren did a great job on that side. We have a pretty strong procedure. I think the team will help me a lot on that side.
I will just have to follow what they are telling me to do. I think the most important from my side is also the driving, to drive well, do a good strategy and it will be fine.
Q. What was the most challenging part of the all-night trip?
THEO POURCHAIRE: The most challenging part is the stress first. It’s very stressful. I didn’t drive a race car since before Laguna Seca. I knew it was going to be tight to drive in quali. It’s quali. quali, you have 10 minutes and you have to do the job. You have to be really quick, learn the track. I knew there was a hybrid system in the car I had to manage.
It was very stressful. The jet lag. I just came back from Indy to France, and now France to Toronto. I don’t really know where I am actually. I mean, it’s part of the life of a racing driver. I enjoy it. I’m super happy to be here. Even if I’m tired, I’m super happy.
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