The 2026 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season is officially underway, and a familiar face is atop the charts. Scott McLaughlin picked up right where he left off, leading Friday’s opening practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg with a blistering lap of 1:01.1020.
Driving the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet, the two-time St. Pete pole winner proved once again why he’s the master of this 1.8-mile street circuit.
“Decent first day,” McLaughlin noted. “The DEX Imaging Chevy was straight away fast… it was nice to have a smooth session to start.”
⏱️ The Leaderboard: A Game of Inches
If Friday was any indication, the 2026 field is the tightest in history. Less than a tenth of a second separated the top five drivers, and only one second covered the top 21 of the 25-car field.
Felix Rosenqvist turned heads not just for his speed, but for his “Tom Petty” tribute livery, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Heartbreakers. Meanwhile, Kyffin Simpson continued his 2025 momentum by slotting into P4, just ahead of former race winner Marcus Ericsson.
🧱 Drama at the Barriers: Veterans Hit the Wall
While McLaughlin had a “smooth” day, three of the series’ biggest names found the concrete. Josef Newgarden, Louis Foster, and Scott Dixon all triggered red flags during the session.
The most heart-stopping moment belonged to six-time champ Scott Dixon. His No. 9 Ganassi Honda snapped loose in Turn 9, slamming head-first into the barrier. David Malukas narrowly escaped a massive secondary collision, threading the needle between Dixon’s wrecked car and the wall. Dixon walked away unhurt but faces a long night for his crew.
🏁 The Rookies & What’s Next
The highly anticipated rookie class had a mixed debut:
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Dennis Hauger: The 2025 INDY NXT champ was the fastest freshman, placing 17th.
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Mick Schumacher: Making his series debut in the No. 47 Rahal Letterman Lanigan entry, the F1 veteran ended the day 23rd.
Don’t miss a second of the action tomorrow:
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Practice 2: 9:30 AM ET (FS1)
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Qualifying (The Battle for the P1 Award): 4:30 PM ET (FS2)
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Race Day: Sunday, 12:00 PM ET (FOX)
