NTT IndyCar Series rookie Louis Foster celebrates his first career pole at Road America during qualifying for the XPEL Grand Prix. (Photo: Mike Moore | The Podium Finish)
ELKART LAKE, Wis. – Just one day after shaving off his mustache for charity, rookie Louis Foster captured his first career NTT P1 Award at Road America.
The 2024 INDY NXT Series champion outpaced 109th Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou by .1159 seconds in the No. 45 Droplight Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda with a lap of 1:44.5141, becoming the first rookie to win a pole position at a road or street course since Linus Lundqvist accomplished that feat at Road America last year.
“I said to the guys as we got into Fast 12 to not put reds on because I wasn’t confident that we would make it through to the Fast Six,” said Foster.
“Boy, was I wrong. I mean absolutely awesome. The No. 45 crew has been amazing all weekend. Couldn’t ask for a better start to the weekend. I still can’t believe it. We went fast on old and new (tires). I’m going to celebrate well tonight.”
Series championship leader Palou qualified second with a lap of 1:44.6300 in the No. 10 SOLO Cup Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Scott McLaughlin navigates the turns of the 4.014-mile Road America road course during practice for the XPEL Grand Prix. (Photo: Logan Skidan | The Podium Finish)
The series’ hottest driver Kyle Kirkwood continued his momentum with a third-place qualifying run with a lap of 1:44.8523 in the No. 27 Siemens Andretti Global Honda. Scott McLaughlin will join Kirkwood on Row 2 with a lap of 1:45.0137 in the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet.
The quickest driver in the Saturday morning practice, Christian Lundgaard, will roll off fifth after his lap of 1:45.4877 in the No. 7 Velo Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Graham Rahal qualified sixth with a lap of 1:45.4877 in the No. 15 Hendrickson International Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.
The remaining of the top 10 included David Malukas, Will Power, Callum Ilott and Josef Newgarden.
In one of his most successful tracks on the series circuit, Newgarden struggled to make the Fast Six and had to settle for a 10th place starting position with a lap of 1:45.2834. In his 10 starts on the 14-turn, 4.014-mile road course, Newgarden has amassed two victories, six podiums, 159 laps led (no other driver has led more than 76) and has completed all 545 laps.
Differing tire strategies was the story of qualifying due to hot temperature conditions, with track temperatures well into the triple digits. Foster utilized scuff (slightly used) Firestone Firehawk alternate (Red) tires during the Fast Six and was the only driver in the final round of qualifying to not use the fresh harder compound tires.
On Sunday, the NTT IndyCar Series 25-minute warmup session airs at 10:00 a.m. ET on FS1 and the green flag for the 55-lap Xpel Grand Prix of Road America presented by AMR starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX, IndyCar Radio Network and IndyCar Nation SiriusXM radio channel 218.
Unofficial Qualifying Results
| Starting Pos. | Car No. | Driver | Sponsor/Make |
| 1 | 45 | Louis Foster | Droplight Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing/Honda |
| 2 | 10 | Alex Palou | SOLO Cup Chip Ganassi Racing/Honda |
| 3 | 27 | Kyle Kirkwood | Siemens Andretti Global/Honda |
| 4 | 3 | Scott McLaughlin | XPEL Team Penske/Chevrolet |
| 5 | 7 | Christian Lundgaard | Velo Arrow McLaren/Chevrolet |
| 6 | 15 | Graham Rahal | Hendrickson Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing/Honda |
| 7 | 4 | David Malukas | Clarience AJ Foyt Racing/Chevrolet |
| 8 | 12 | Will Power | Verizon Team Penske/Chevrolet |
| 9 | 90 | Callum Ilott | Prema Racing/Chevrolet |
| 10 | 2 | Josef Newgarden | PPG Team Penske/Chevrolet |
| 11 | 5 | Pato O’Ward | ARROW Arrow McLaren/Chevrolet |
| 12 | 60 | Felix Rosenqvist | SiriusXM Meyer Shank Racing/Honda |
| 13 | 6 | Nolan Siegel | Onsem Arrow McLaren/Chevrolet |
| 14 | 28 | Marcus Ericsson | Fresh Connect Central Andretti Global/Honda |
| 15 | 66 | Marcus Armstrong | Spectrum Meyer Shank Racing/Honda |
| 16 | 26 | Colton Herta | Gainbridge Andretti Global/Honda |
| 17 | 83 | Robert Shwartzman | Prema Racing/Chevrolet |
| 18 | 14 | Santino Ferrucci | Sexton Properties AJ Foyt Enterprises/Chevrolet |
| 19 | 30 | Devlin DeFrancesco | Manitou Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing/Honda |
| 20 | 21 | Christian Rasmussen | Direct Supply ECR/Chevrolet |
| 21 | 76 | Conor Daly | Juncos Hollinger Racing/Chevrolet |
| 22 | 18 | Rinus VeeKay | askROI Dale Coyne Racing/Honda |
| 23 | 8 | Kyffin Simpson | Ridgeline Chip Ganassi Racing/Honda |
| 24 | 20 | Alexander Rossi | Java House ECR/Chevrolet |
| 25 | 9 | Scott Dixon | PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing/Honda |
| 26 | 77 | Sting Ray Robb | Goodheart Juncos Hollinger Racing/Chevrolet |
| 27 | 51 | Jacob Abel | Abel Construction Dale Coyne Racing/Honda |
