Chip Ganassi Racing Secures Second-Row Start in Portland

Alex Palou piloted the No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda to the Fast 6 in qualifying today at Portland International Raceway. Palou and the No. 10 crew boast the 2nd-highest average qualifying position (4.5) on road courses this season (O’Ward: 3.7).

Marcus Ericsson and Scott Dixon will look to continue their success in navigating traffic in the PNC Bank Hondas, as they rank 1st (+37) and 2nd (+31) in terms of most positions gained from the start to finish in road course races this season. 

Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Carvana team improved on their best lap time across Practice 1, Practice 2 and Qualifying, and will look to continue their momentum in the Grand Prix of Portland tomorrow afternoon.

Qualifying Results
P1 – Scott McLaughlin, No. 3 Chevy (58.2349)
P5* – Alex Palou, No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda (58.5075)
P16 – Scott Dixon, No. 9 PNC Bank Honda (58.2628)
P18 – Marcus Ericsson, No. 8 PNC Bank Honda (58.3064)
P23 – Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Carvana Honda (59.1933)
 *will start P4 tomorrow because of grid penalty on No. 2 car

Practice 2 Results
P1 – Will Power, No. 12 Chevy (58.3946)
P7 – Scott Dixon, No. 9 PNC Bank Honda (58.7696)
P13 – Alex Palou, No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda (58.9023)
P15 – Marcus Ericsson, No. 8 PNC Bank Honda (59.0013)
P24 – Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Carvana Honda (59.8229)

Warm-up Results
P1 – Alexander Rossi, No. 27 Honda (59.0532)
P3 – Alex Palou, No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda (59.2196)
P5 – Scott Dixon, No. 9 PNC Bank Honda (59.2731)
P19 – Marcus Ericsson, No. 8 PNC Bank Honda (59.8543)
P25 – Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Carvana Honda (1:00.6663)

Alex Palou – No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants Honda “We improved a lot between practice sessions yesterday and today. We’re super happy to put that No. 10 Ridgeline Lubricants car in the Fast 6. We’re starting P4 tomorrow and we’ll try to make a few tweaks so the car will be ready to win on Sunday.”

Scott Dixon – No. 9 PNC Bank Honda “The balance was a bit different from this morning because we made a couple changes. But we were just low on grip out there on the reds. Frustrating day, but we’ll get to work and be ready for tomorrow.”

Marcus Ericsson – No. 8 PNC Bank Honda “The PNC Bank Honda felt pretty good, to be honest. We’ve struggled a bit in practice, so we’ve been chasing things with the car. I thought the No. 8 PNC Bank team helped get a good car out there for qualifying. It was a huge improvement, and we were closer to the fastest cars. It just wasn’t enough today, but we will re-group and look for a great result tomorrow.”

Jimmie Johnson – No. 48 Carvana Honda “I wish I was higher up on the grid, but all in all, it was a really big pick-up for me this weekend with a much faster lap time than I’ve ever had before. I’m learning and making steps in the right direction. It’s just so tough to get up there in that midfield group with the lap times being so close together. But I’m having a great time and the No. 48 Carvana team is making great strides.”