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Christian Lundgaard is hoping to unlock the puzzle to his early season qualifying woes this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park.
Race tempo hasn’t been a difficulty for the 24-year-old Dane, however qualifying has. Within the season-opening Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, he began twelfth and methodically marched by the sphere to complete third. The following week he progressed 4 spots after rolling off a lowly seventeenth at Phoenix Raceway. At the newest spherical on the streets of Arlington, he was the sufferer of backmarker chaos and spun from contact on the second lap after beginning 18th, however performed harm management with a cost again to complete seventh.
And that race tempo is why, after being fourth-fastest in opening observe (0.0539s behind chief Scott McLaughlin’s 1m07.3840s) on the 2.3-mile, 17-turn highway course on Friday, Lundgaard is placing an emphasis on getting his #7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet into the Firestone Quick Six.
“The one concentrate on the #7 automotive for this weekend is simply execution,” stated Lundgaard, who completed runner-up on the Alabama circuit final 12 months.
“I do not assume we have to attempt to discover loads of tempo. I believe we simply must go on the market and execute. Qualifying has been a wrestle for us this 12 months. We have been good on Sundays.
“For us, it is see if we are able to get into the Firestone Quick Six. We weren’t final 12 months. Nolan (Siegel, his teammate within the #6 Chevrolet) was in final 12 months. I believe that is actually the place we have to acquire some floor to have the ability to struggle for the win.”
Christian Lundgaard, Arrow McLaren
Photograph by: Penske Leisure
If there may be one concern for Lundgaard popping out of the day’s solely observe session, it’s that of his 23 laps run, his finest have been on the softer alternate tires (pink sidewall) and never on the tougher major compound (black sidewall).
“We have been solely quick on the alternates,” Lundgaard stated. “We weren’t quick on the primaries.
“Clearly Pato (O’Ward, teammate within the #5 Chevrolet) was lots quicker than we have been. That is actually the place the shock was, the shift from alternates to primaries on the #7 automotive. Each time I might come into the field, I might be like, ‘I do not know the place I will discover half a second.’ Placed on the alternates and there it was.”
Lundgaard, who sits seventh within the championship, has completed seven occasions since becoming a member of Arrow McLaren forward of the 2025 season, however none have been on the highest step. So, whereas his teammate, O’Ward is leaning on consistency with finishes of fifth, fourth, and fifth to begin the 12 months, Lundgaard is pushing for his second profession win and first with Arrow McLaren.
“Yeah, I can promise you proper now we’re not aiming at ending fourth or fifth,” Lundgaard stated. “These are good factors, however we’re making an attempt to win each single race.”
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