PORTLAND, Ore. (Friday, Aug. 23, 2024) – Louis Foster is so close to the INDY NXT by Firestone championship trophy he can almost touch it, but the opening practice for the Grand Prix of Portland on Friday proved he’s not strolling in the stretch run of races.
Instead, it’s pedal to the metal.
Foster led with a best lap of 1 minute, 2.9311 seconds in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car fielded by Andretti Global. Foster, from England, leads the standings in the INDYCAR development series by 91 points and needs to expand that gap to 108 points after the race Sunday to clinch the title. He has won six of the last eight races, and there are only three races remaining this season.
“I’m enjoying every time I’m getting in the car,” Foster said. “The goal is to put it on pole; the goal is to win. It doesn’t change. I’m thankfully now at the stage we’re so many points ahead that I, touch wood, don’t need to play for points. I just want to keep winning races.”
Rookie Caio Collet was second at 1:03.2677 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports car on the 12-turn, 1.964-mile road course. Collet is third in points, 147 behind Foster. Collet and second-place Jacob Abel are the only drivers mathematically eligible to catch Foster, but the odds are long.
Collet’s chances got even slimmer after it was announced after this practice he received a six-spot grid penalty for the 35-lap race at 1:10 p.m. ET Sunday (Peacock, INDYCAR Radio Network) for blocking and avoidable contact infractions in the race Aug. 17 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Portland native Josh Pierson enjoyed a strong session at his home track, third at 1:03.3792 in the No. 14 HMD Motorsports entry. Jamie Chadwick was fourth at 1:03.6020 in the No. 28 VEXT car fielded by Andretti Global.
Christian Bogle rounded out the top five at 1:03.8091 in the No. 7 HMD Motorsports car.
Two red flags interrupted the practice.
The first came 20 minutes into the session after Callum Hedge spun off track in Turn 6 due to a mechanical failure in his No. 17 HMD Motorsports car. The second came with six minutes remaining when Christian Brooks went wide exiting Turn 12 in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports machine, hitting the tire barrier on the outside of the front straightaway. Brooks was unhurt, but his car suffered heavy damage.
Up next is the second practice at 2:20 p.m. ET Saturday, followed by qualifying at 7:20 p.m. ET. INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network will broadcast both sessions live.
