Palou, Power trade fastest laps in scorching Mid-Ohio practice

Mid-Ohio IndyCar practice on Friday took place in extreme heat, with ambient temperatures around 95 to 96 degrees and track temperatures reaching 128 degrees as teams gathered data for qualifying and the race. More hot weather was expected through Saturday’s qualifying, adding to the challenge for drivers and engineers.

Alex Palou and Will Power traded the fastest laps across the practice sessions. Palou posted a 1:06.6561 in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, while Power later led another session in 1:05.5540. Kyle Kirkwood was second in that later run, just over a tenth of a second behind, with Palou third, Christian Lundgaard fourth and Pato O’Ward fifth. Felix Rosenqvist was seventh and David Malukas 10th, while Scott Dixon, the seven-time Mid-Ohio winner, was 15th after saying he plans to leave Chip Ganassi Racing.

The day was slowed by two red flags. Marcus Armstrong hit the Turn 2 tire barrier after a mechanical issue ended his practice early, leaving him 23rd, and Romain Grosjean also had a separate off-track incident before finishing 25th. Meyer Shank Racing also announced a multiyear contract extension for Armstrong that begins in 2027.