LEXINGTON, Ohio (Friday, July 3, 2026) – On a hot day in the heartland, Andretti Global had cars that were the hottest.
Specifically, teammates Will Power and Kyle Kirkwood were 1-2 on the speed chart as the Fourth of July holiday weekend began with a 95-degree afternoon at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Power turned a lap of 1 minute, 5.5540 seconds in the No. 26 TWG AI Honda as the 25-car field opened preparations for Sunday’s The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2027 CR-V Hybrid (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX One, FOX Deportes, INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls). Kirkwood’s best lap in the No. 27 Sam’s Club Honda was 1:05.6674.
If this practice was an indication, the 90-lap main event will tax the drivers. Temperatures are expected to remain in the low 90s at least through Saturday’s qualifying for the NTT P1 Award (2:30 p.m. on FS1, FOX One and INDYCAR Radio powered by OnlyBulls).
Power is always one to watch in NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying sessions. His mark of 71 career poles is handily the sport’s all-time best, and he will be seeking his first pole of the season. Kirkwood also has yet to start a race in the No. 1 position this season; he has won three poles in his career.
Rounding out the top five on Day 1 were series points leader Alex Palou in the No. 10 Open AI Chip Ganassi Racing Honda (1:05.7557) followed by Arrow McLaren’s Christian Lundgaard (1:05.8924) and Pato O’Ward (1:06.0340). Lundgaard has won two of the three road course races this season; Palou won the other.
Power (2020), Palou (2023) and O’Ward (2024) are former Mid-Ohio race winners.
Through 10 of 18 races, Palou holds a 60-point lead over Team Penske’s David Malukas, whose best lap on this day (1:06.2534) ranked 10th. Kirkwood sits third in the standings (61 points out of the lead) with Lundgaard fourth (77 points in arrears).
This practice followed Meyer Shank Racing’s announcement that Marcus Armstrong had signed a multiyear extension beginning in 2027. Armstrong is in his second season with the Ohio-based organization, and he will move from the team’s No. 66 entry to its No. 60 driven by Felix Rosenqvist each of the past three seasons.
Rosenqvist, this year’s winner of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, recently was confirmed to be leaving MSR for 2027. Armstrong finished fifth in that race after leading with one lap remaining.
But Armstrong’s Mid-Ohio weekend did not get off to a good start, as what appeared to be a mechanical failure in the rear of the Honda-powered car sent him into the Turn 2 barrier.
“What I felt was when I was braking there was one half of the car was just sliding across the ground,” Armstrong said. “From my (seat), one of the corners was hanging off on the rear, and I was just trying to decelerate quick enough. From what I was hearing, it was making a scraping sound so the floor was dragging.
“It’s a shame. I think we only did one push lap and the car felt really good. Fingers crossed that the tub’s all good and we can repair it without any major concerns for (the second practice).”
Armstrong’s best lap in the abbreviated session (1:07.3433) left him 24th. Rosenqvist, who was runner-up in 2019 at this 13-turn, 2.258-mile permanent road course, had the seventh-quickest lap.
Seven-time Mid-Ohio winner Scott Dixon is also having an interesting weekend. He and Chip Ganassi Racing are working together for the first time since it was announced that he would be leaving the organization after 25 seasons, the longest partnership in the sport.
Dixon, who won last year’s race when Palou drifted wide in Turn 9 with six laps to go, posted the 15th-fastest lap (1:06.5372).
Turn 9 was problematic for Dale Coyne Racing’s Romain Grosjean in this session. He lost control of the back end of the No. 18 BMax Honda late in the session, sliding off track and hitting the tire barrier with the rear. He, like Armstrong, was not injured.
Saturday’s action begins with the weekend’s second practice at 10 a.m. ET on FS1.
