By Steve Wittich
Points leader Rasmus Lindh started off the most-important race weekend of the season by leading the lone practice session with a quick lap of 76.058 seconds. That lap-time is below the race track record of 76. 3320 set by Rinus van Kalmthout (VeeKay) last year.
The top six drivers, including Kyle Kirkwood, Jacob Abel, Ian Rodriguez, Sting Ray Robb, and Parker Thompson were all within a half-second of Lindh.
The lone Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires practice session before qualifying started promptly at 9:35 am.
Drivers mainly utilized carry-over tires from Toronto for the session.
Abel Motorsports rookie Abel was the early leader at the half-way point of the session with a lap of 76.270 seconds. That was 0.3540 seconds ahead of Kirkwood and his Soul Red No. 28. Danial Frost, Lindh, Ian Rodriguez, Sting Ray Robb, Parker Thompson, Nikita Lastochkin, Kory Enders and Moisés de la Vara.
With 10-minutes left in the session, Lindh went to the top of the timing screen and remained there until the checkered flag came out to end the session.
The 13 drivers turned a total of 210 laps. Antonio Serravalle (Pserra Racing) and Charles Finelli (Fatboy Racing!) with 20 laps each, were the busiest drivers.
Phillippe Denes does not show as turning any laps, but the Fatboy Racing! driver was dealing with a faulty transponder, so his laps didn’t register.
Cooper Tires Indy Pro 2000 Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio Practice #1 Results
RANK | CAR. NO | DRIVER | TEAM | QUICK LAP | DIFFERENCE | TOTAL LAPS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 10 | Rasmus Lindh | Juncos Racing | 1:16.058 | –.—- | 16 |
2 | 28 | Kyle Kirkwood | RP Motorsport Racing | 1:16.269 | 0.2105 | 18 |
3 | 51 | Jacob Abel | Abel Motorsports | 1:16.270 | 0.2113 | 13 |
4 | 5 | Ian Rodriguez | RP Motorsport Racing | 1:16.308 | 0.2493 | 18 |
5 | 2 | Sting Ray Robb | Juncos Racing | 1:16.379 | 0.3205 | 16 |
6 | 8 | Parker Thompson | Abel Motorsports | 1:16.518 | 0.4594 | 19 |
7 | 68 | Danial Frost | Exclusive Autosport | 1:16.719 | 0.6609 | 17 |
8 | 90 | Nikita Lastochkin | Exclusive Autosport | 1:16.912 | 0.8538 | 18 |
9 | 7 | Kory Enders | DEForce Racing | 1:17.430 | 1.3717 | 10 |
10 | 3 | Antoine Comeau | Turn 3 Motorsport | 1:17.438 | 1.3794 | 18 |
11 | 6 | Moises de la Vara | DEForce Racing | 1:17.548 | 1.4898 | 7 |
12 | 11 | Antonio Serravalle | Pserra Racing/Jay Howard Driver Development | 1:17.760 | 1.7017 | 20 |
13 | 83 | Charles Finelli | FatBoy Racing | 1:19.642 | 3.5840 | 20 |
14 | 98 | Phillippe Denes | FatBoy Racing | No Time | — | — |
The Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires drivers are the last track activity for the day, qualifying at 4:15 pm.