LEXINGTON, Ohio — After setting the fastest lap in his round one qualifying group at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Will Power received the news that INDYCAR race control penalized him for qualifying interference.
The 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner was warming up his tires after exiting the pits while Helio Castroneves was on track behind Power. Power swerved on track, causing the No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda to swerve in reaction to avoid Power’s No. 12 Team Penske Chevrolet, going into the grass as the pair headed to turn 4.
As the first group in round one ended, Power set his fastest lap of 1 minute, 6.4794 seconds. Instead of being the fastest driver in that group, the 2014 IndyCar Series champion lost his two fastest laps for qualifying interference, dropping him to 11th in the group with a new fastest lap of 1 minute, 7.5559 seconds.
Power lost the NTT IndyCar Series points lead after finishing 19th at the most recent IndyCar Series race at Road America and will start 21st for Sunday’s (July 3) Honda Indy 200. Power and Castroneves had a conversation at Power’s pit box that was not heated.
“He was just feeling sorry that that happened, it was totally on us,” Power said of Castroneves on pit road. “I talked before the session and said, ‘I’ve got to know if someone’s on a lap when I’m on my out lap, we can’t get one of these penalties,’ and we got one of the penalties. So that’s just giving away a chance at definitely a top six I feel like, and maybe a pole.
“On weekends when you’ve got a car that can win, we can not be doing this, so it’s on us, we just weren’t on top of that one and got a penalty. That’s the rules.”
Castroneves did not advance from the first round either and will start 15th on the grid after setting the eighth best time in the group.
“Obviously it’s a tough situation,” Castroneves said. “I was already on my green flag lap, I know every lap is going to be faster and I saw Will, I thought he saw me and he started weaving right in front of me, but I still think that he’s just warming his tires and he’s going to take it easy so I’m going to pass, and he just really chopped me off.”
Castroneves told Power that the Australian racer didn’t have to slow up that much on his warmup lap because the two-time Mid-Ohio winner believed Power had a car fast enough to be in the Firestone Fast Six at the end of qualifying. Whether that car would be fast enough to beat eventual polesitter
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