The provisional pole for Sunday’s second USF2000 race changed hands between Kyle Kirkwood, Rasmus Lindh, and Kaylen Frederick a total seven times in the final four minutes of the 20 minutes qualifying session.
Kirkwood’s quickest lap was at 1:10.826, lowering the track record of 1:10.958 that the Cape Motorsports rookie set last year.
However, Kirkwood will not start on the pole for Sunday’s race. The 2018 USF2000 driver blew through the checkered flag and was penalized two grid spots for that transgression.
That puts Lindh on the inside of the front for the third time this season, and on the front row for the fourth time.
Lindh’s teammate Kaylen Frederick will start on the outside of the front row. The 16-year-old will start on the front row in six of the last seven races.
Braden Eves, who is making his Mazda Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires debut, had the fourth quickest lap but was also assessed a two grid spot penalty for turning a lap after the checkered and the Newman Wachs Racing driver will start in sixth.
After being on track after Pro Mazda and Indy Lights on Friday, the 18 USF2000 “kids” were back in a more familiar position on Saturday; leading off in the Mazda Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires batting order.
Kirkwood, Fraga, and Lindh traded the top spot on the timing screen during the first half of the 20-minute session.
Pabst Racing utilized the same strategy as yesterday, keeping Kohl and Frederick in the pits during the first half of the session.
At the halfway point of the session, Kirkwood held the provisional pole with a lap of 1:11.413. Lindh, Fraga, Dickerson, and Ming were the remainder of the top five.
A number of drivers came to pit road to make adjustments and put on fresh Cooper Tire slicks.
Once those fresh Coopers came up to optimal operating temperature, drivers started to turn quicker laps. The first three drivers to improve their times were the Pabst Racing threesome of Frederick, Lindh, and Kohl.
With four minutes remaining, Lindh knocked Kirkwood off the provisional pole.
USF2000 Qualifying # 2 – Unofficial Results
| RANK | CAR NO. | DRIVER | QUICK LAP | DIFFERENCE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Kyle Kirkwood | 1:10.826 | –.—- |
| 2 | 23 | Rasmus Lindh | 1:10.904 | 0.0775 |
| 3 | 24 | Kaylen Frederick | 1:10.913 | 0.0865 |
| 4 | 41 | Braden Eves | 1:11.224 | 0.3977 |
| 5 | 22 | Lucas Kohl | 1:11.297 | 0.4712 |
| 6 | 11 | Kory Enders | 1:11.441 | 0.6145 |
| 7 | 12 | Jose Sierra | 1:11.458 | 0.6316 |
| 8 | 80 | Julian Van der Watt | 1:11.473 | 0.6464 |
| 9 | 91 | Igor Fraga | 1:11.540 | 0.7138 |
| 10 | 27 | Colin Kaminsky | 1:11.566 | 0.7395 |
| 11 | 9 | Dakota Dickerson | 1:11.820 | 0.9933 |
| 12 | 21 | Calvin Ming | 1:11.839 | 1.0123 |
| 13 | 82 | Bruna Tomaselli | 1:11.915 | 1.0882 |
| 14 | 81 | Kyle Dupell | 1:12.005 | 1.1791 |
| 15 | 90 | Kellen Ritter | 1:12.143 | 1.3170 |
| 16 | 29 | Russell McDonough | 1:12.273 | 1.4463 |
| 17 | 14 | Max Peichel | 1:12.321 | 1.4949 |
| 18 | 38 | Oscar DeLuzuriaga | 1:13.167 | 2.3409 |
Note: Kirkwood will start 3rd and Eves 6th after being penalized two grid spots for turning a lap after being shown the checkered flag. DeLuzuriaga also committed the same transgression, but he was already 18th.
The first of two Cooper Tires USF2000 Grand Prix of Portland Presented by Allied Building Products race of the Grand Prix of Portland weekend rolls off at 1:10 pm (PT)