Dennis Hauger produced a strong start to what could be a championship-clinching weekend, driving the fastest lap during the opening practice Saturday for the INDY NXT by Firestone at the Milwaukee Mile.
Championship leader Hauger’s best lap, 150.275 mph, came during a qualifying simulation in the No. 28 Nammo car fielded by Andretti Global. Hauger (photo, above) leads second-place Caio Collet by 54 points entering the penultimate race of the season and needs only to maintain that gap to clinch the title in the INDYCAR development series.
SEE: Practice Results
Myles Rowe (photo, above), who won the most recent oval race in July at Iowa, was second at 150.111 in the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy machine. That fast lap came before Rowe did a half-spin without contact in Turn 2 with about two minutes remaining, triggering the third and final caution in the 50-minute session.
James Roe was third at 149.401 in the No. 29 Topcon car as Andretti Global drivers took two of the top three spots on the time sheet at the historic 1.015-mile oval located at Wisconsin State Fair Park.
Collet, clinging to his title hopes, was fourth at 149.189 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports entry. Bryce Aron rounded out the top five at 148.981 in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing car.
Rookie Max Taylor triggered the second caution of the session when he did a half-spin between Turns 1 and 2 in the No. 18 HMD Motorsports machine with about 21 minutes left. The rear of the car made light contact with the SAFER Barrier. Taylor was unhurt.
Up next is qualifying at 3:30 p.m. ET today (FS2, FOX One, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).