The final weekend of the 2022 season has arrived, with a host of championship contenders ready to do battle. The series returns to Laguna Seca to race for the 25th time. This is just the third time IndyCar has raced here since 2004, as they prepare for the famous “corkscrew” in Turn 8. Teams and drivers had just one practice session today, where Josef Newgarden posted the quickest lap of the afternoon.
Two-time defending race winner Colton Herta was second-fastest. He was followed by his Andretti Autosport teammates Romain Grosjean and Alexander Rossi. Rookie Callum Ilott rounded out the top five in practice for Juncos Hollinger Racing.
| 2022 Firestone Grand Prix at Laguna Seca – Practice 1 Results | |||
| Pos | Driver | Team | Engine |
| 1 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 2 | Colton Herta | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 3 | Romain Grosjean | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 4 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 5 | Callum Ilott | Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | Simon Pagenaud | Meyer Shank Racing | Honda |
| 7 | Will Power | Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 8 | Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet |
| 9 | David Malukas | Dale Coyne w/ HMD Motosports | Honda |
| 10 | Marcus Ericsson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 11 | Scott McLaughlin | Team Penske | Chevrolet |
| 12 | Felix Rosenqvist | Arrow McLaren SP | Chevrolet |
| 13 | Devlin DeFrancesco | Andretti Autosport | Honda |
| 14 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 15 | Christian Lundgaard | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda |
| 16 | Helio Castroneves | Meyer Shank Racing | Honda |
| 17 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 18 | Takuma Sato | Dale Coyne w/ Rick Ware Racing | Honda |
| 19 | Jack Harvey | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda |
| 20 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda |
| 21 | Rinus VeeKay | Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | Conor Daly | Ed Carpenter Racing | Chevrolet |
| 23 | Kyle Kirkwood | AJ Foyt Racing | Chevrolet |
| 24 | Dalton Kellett | AJ Foyt Racing | Chevrolet |
| 25 | Jimmie Johnson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda |
| 26 | Simona De Silvestro | Paretta Autosport | Chevrolet |
Will Power comes into the weekend as the favorite to win the title. The 2014 champion holds a 20-point lead over Newgarden and fierce rival Scott Dixon from Chip Ganassi Racing. Power is seeking his second title, while Newgarden tries for his third – all since 2017. If Dixon is able to win his seventh title on Sunday, he would tie the all-time record held by AJ Foyt.
Dixon is understandably still haunted by his speeding penalty in the Indy 500 but a seventh title might ease that frustration over the offseason. “Anything is possible,” he said of their chances this weekend. “I think it can be as simple as somebody having a mechanical issue. That’s the tough part. I think it’s pretty…
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