Enzo Fittipaldi Tops Open Test in First Trip to Milwaukee Mile
1 day ago
Enzo Fittipaldi felt right at home at Milwaukee Mile after his first visit to the fabled track Tuesday, leading a busy INDY NXT by Firestone Open Test.
Fittipaldi’s top lap was 152.012 mph in the No. 67 HMD Motorsports car as he and 23 other drivers prepared for the INDYCAR development series race Sunday, Aug. 30 on the 1.015-mile oval. Rookie Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, is third in series points and has two victories this season.
SEE: Test Results
“It was a really cool track to drive,” Fittipaldi said. “It’s very different to the other ovals that I’ve tested on, Nashville and Gateway. It just feels like two high-speed corners, and there’s not much banking, so there’s a lot you can do in your driving to extract the most from the car and the setup. So, it’s a really fun track.”
There were two surprises right behind Fittipaldi on the time sheet. Veteran Niels Koolen, 15th in points, was second at 151.779 in the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. His CGR teammate and fellow veteran James Roe, 21st in points, ended up third at 151.559 in the team’s No. 8 car.
Alessandro de Tullio, who leads the series with seven poles in 10 races this season, clocked in fourth at 151.494 in the No. 14 AJ Foyt Enterprises car. Rookie Jack Beeton rounded out the top five at 151.433 in the No. 45 HMD Motorsports machine.
There were two incidents with contact. In the morning, series veteran and three-time oval-race winner Myles Rowe hit the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2 with his No. 99 Abel Motorsports with Force Indy car. In the afternoon, rookie Carson Etter brushed the SAFER Barrier and continued in his No. 11 Chip Ganassi Racing entry. Neither driver was hurt.
Last year’s race was 90 laps on the historic oval, and every driver except Rowe easily exceeded that distance in the test. Fifteen drivers turned more than 200 laps, led by Lochie Hughes at 266 in the No. 26 Andretti Global car.
The next INDY NXT by Firestone event is a doubleheader July 4-5 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.