Scott McLaughlin set the pace in the only practice session of the IndyCar doubleheader weekend at Iowa Speedway, but a nasty crash in qualifying has left his team scrambling to repair his car before Race 1.
Originally scheduled to feature two practice sessions, the Iowa weekend was disrupted by severe weather, including a nearby tornado and thunderstorms, which saw the opening Friday session cancelled.
That left just a single Saturday morning session for teams to prepare for two races on the tight, high-speed 0.894-mile oval, and it was McLaughlin who made the most of it.
The Kiwi topped the timesheets with a best lap speed of 183.514 mph, edging out Arrow McLaren rookie Nolan Siegel by nearly a full mile per hour. Team Penske teammate Josef Newgarden, a six-time winner at Iowa, was also in the mix, ending the session fifth fastest with a best lap of 182.319 mph as the team searches for its first win of the 2025 season.
Fellow New Zealanders Marcus Armstrong and Scott Dixon also impressed in practice, ending the session ninth and tenth respectively, both within 0.1 mph of each other.
Armstrong clocked in at 181.607 mph, while Dixon posted 181.604 mph, meaning all three Kiwi drivers finished inside the top ten ahead of qualifying.
However, McLaughlin’s momentum took a devastating hit just minutes later in qualifying for Race 1.
While warming up for his first flying lap, McLaughlin lost control at Turn 1 and made heavy contact with the wall, destroying the rear of his No. 3 Penske Chevrolet.
The impact ruled him out of the session, and while he was thankfully uninjured and cleared by the medical team, his chances of a front-running grid spot were over as he was unable to set a time in either qualifying session and will start at the back of the field for both.
Team Penske faces a race against time to get the car rebuilt before the start of Race 1, which takes place at 9:00am Sunday NZST.
Meanwhile, Newgarden converted his strong practice speed into pole position for Race 1, clocking an impressive average qualifying speed of 183.999 mph. He will be joined on the front row by Conor Daly, who delivered a superb lap for Juncos Hollinger Racing.
Dixon qualified sixth, ensuring a strong starting spot in the opening race of the weekend. Armstrong will roll off 11th.
In the second round of qualifying, which sets the grid for Race 2, it was Alex Palou who took pole position with the fastest lap of the day, an average speed of 184.014 mph.
The championship leader edged out Felix Rosenqvist, who will start alongside him on the front row. Palou’s pole was his fourth of the season and the 10th of his career.
Newgarden will start fourth in Race 2, with Dixon again in the top 10 in eighth, and Armstrong just outside in 12th.
Coincidentally, both Palou and Newgarden will start fourth in the race, where they’re not the polesitter.
McLaughlin and teammate Will Power were last year’s Iowa winners, and Newgarden’s record of six career wins at the track makes him the most successful driver at the venue.
With high speeds, unpredictable grip, and two races in under 30 hours, the Iowa doubleheader is set to be action-packed.
All eyes will be on whether Team Penske can repair McLaughlin’s car in time, and if the Kiwi can fight his way back through the field as the green flag drops this morning.
Header Image: NTT IndyCar Series
