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Colton Herta secures pole position for IndyCar race in Toronto
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    Colton Herta secures pole position for IndyCar race in Toronto

    TORONTO — Colton Herta will have pole position for Sunday’s running of the Ontario Honda Dealers Toronto Indy.

    The Andretti Global driver posted a qualifying time of 59.5431 seconds on Saturday in the NTT IndyCar Series event as he seeks his first win of the season at the Exhibition Place street course.

    Andretti teammate Kyle Kirkwood placed second (59.6375), while Meyer Shank’s Felix Rosenqvist was third (59.8252).

    Alex Palou, the current championship leader, was penalized for interference during the first qualifying segment and will start 18th as a result.

    Last year, the Spaniard of Chip Ganassi Racing found himself starting 15th and rallied to finish third.

    “I do not agree, but it is what it is,” Palou said in a trackside interview. “It doesn’t help for sure. As long as we have a fast car with me tomorrow, it’s frustrating, but it is what it is.”

    Defending champion Christian Lundgaard, four-time champion Scott Dixon and third-ranked Pato O’Ward were among other notables that did not advance past the first round of qualifying.

    Australia’s Will Power, who won the most recent race last week in Iowa, was eliminated in the second round.

    France’s Theo Pourchaire, of Arrow McLaren, arrived at Toronto’s Pearson Airport less than two hours before the qualifying session to replace Alexander Rossi, his teammate who broke his thumb in Friday’s practice session.

    Pourchaire, the reigning Formula 2 champion, will start his sixth race of the season second-from-last in 26th after his lap time of 1:01.6071.

    The McLaren team is racing with heavy hearts this weekend after the death of spotter Bob Jeffrey. The team placed stickers on its cars and equipment in memory of its longtime “eye in the sky.”

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    Colton Herta, the young American driver for Andretti Autosport, has secured pole position for the upcoming IndyCar race in Toronto. The 21-year-old impressed on Saturday with a blistering lap time of 58.896 seconds around the 1.786-mile street circuit, earning him his second pole position of the season.

    Herta’s performance in qualifying was nothing short of spectacular, as he edged out his closest competitor by just over two-tenths of a second. The young driver has been on a hot streak lately, with strong performances in recent races and a win at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg earlier this year.

    Securing pole position for the race in Toronto is a significant achievement for Herta, as starting at the front of the grid gives him a clear advantage over his competitors. The tight and twisty nature of the Toronto street circuit means that track position is crucial, and Herta will be looking to capitalize on his pole position to secure a strong result in Sunday’s race.

    Herta’s success in qualifying is a testament to his skill and talent behind the wheel, as well as the strength of the Andretti Autosport team. With a fast car underneath him and a pole position to his name, Herta will be one to watch in the upcoming race in Toronto.

    Fans can catch all the action from the IndyCar race in Toronto on Sunday, as Herta looks to convert his pole position into a victory and further solidify his status as one of the rising stars in American open-wheel racing.