Day 1 in the books at Road America

Alexander Rossi topped the chart with the fastest lap in Practice 1, while Pato O'Ward finished fifth and Felix Rosenqvist in eighth.

The 55-lap race in the Grand Prix at Road America takes place this Sunday for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.

Read what Alexander, Pato, Felix and Racing Director Gavin Ward said after Friday's practice session.

Alexander Rossi, Driver, No. 7 VELO Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, said:

"It was interesting for us, having tested here last week, to understand the differences between the tires we used last week and the tire that Firestone brought for this weekend, because no one that tested here last week had that tire. Understanding how those offset and then trying the Firestone Reds for the first time was important. It was an interesting session and there's definitely a lot to digest overnight."

Pato O'Ward, Driver, No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, said:

"The track has been a joy to drive at the test last week and so far here on race weekend. I think we are starting right where we left off at the test. The car feels like it’s in the window, and we can definitely make it better. That’s what we’re going to try to do overnight and get ready for qualifying tomorrow."

Felix Rosenqvist, Driver, No. 6 onsemi Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, said:

"We tested here last week because we picked this as a track where we wanted to improve. It’s a completely new surface as well, so it's a bit of a two-for-one coming here last week. That really felt like it has paid off. We were up there with all three cars for the whole session, so that's a really good way to start the weekend. This is a challenge with this new surface, it’s almost like a new track. It kind of resets the field, but we feel like we’re on the right side of it."

Gavin Ward, Racing Director, Arrow McLaren, said:

"That's a solid start for us. Obviously, we're one of the teams that tested here, so it was a little easier getting up to speed. We didn’t know what the tire would be like today because we didn’t run the same tire here last week. It's looking like an interesting one here as we try to figure what to do for qualifying tire strategy – I think everyone’s been scratching their heads a little bit. That’ll be fun. But it's good start from us, and we'll chip away from here."

Session Times