Gold Shines Bright at Road America Practice Session
Reece Gold stole the show during the pre-qualifying practice session on Saturday morning at Road America for the INDY NXT by Firestone Grand Prix. Despite challenging weather conditions, Gold set a new standard by clocking the quickest lap of the weekend at 1 minute, 50.5846 seconds in the No. 10 HMD Motorsports car.
The young driver’s impressive performance marked a significant improvement from his practice time on Friday, where he finished 13th in the 21-driver field with a best time of 1:53.5265. Expressing his satisfaction with the session, Gold credited his team for providing him with a great car and expressed optimism for the upcoming qualifying and race.
Qualifying is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET today, with live coverage available on INDYCAR LIVE and the INDYCAR Radio Network. The 20-lap race will kick off at 1:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, with live broadcasts on Peacock and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Following Gold in the practice session was Louis Foster in the No. 26 Copart/Novara Technologies car, aiming to secure his third consecutive win in the series after topping the charts on Friday. James Roe and championship leader Jacob Abel also put on strong performances, finishing third and fourth, respectively.
In the rookie category, Michael d’Orlando showcased his skills by claiming the fifth spot overall in the No. 3 Flat Rock Motorsports Park/Rising Stars car. Meanwhile, Kiko Porto stepped in to replace Nolan Siegel in the No. 39 HMD Motorsports car, with Siegel focusing on his NTT INDYCAR SERIES drive with Juncos Hollinger Racing this weekend.
Despite a minor incident involving Callum Hedge hitting the tire barrier in Turn 14, the session continued smoothly, highlighting the talent and determination of the drivers as they prepare for the upcoming challenges at Road America.