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.