INDYCAR Drivers Stoked about Arlington Course as Qualifying Tweak Looms

Arlington, Texas — When a track runs for 2.73 miles, drivers will find something that they wish could change. Maybe a little bump here, a little different curbing there, not enough runoff in another spot. Those things are relatively minor, kind of like small issues with a warning track or pitching mound. For a 2.73-mile INDYCAR course that features four different racing surfaces — old asphalt, new asphalt, concrete and some painted concrete — drivers enjoyed their first day of practice on the new course that winds the streets around the Dallas Cowboys and Texas Rangers stadiums. They will compete for 70 laps Sunday in the inaugural Grand Prix of Arlington (12:30 p.m. ET, FOX). [Grand Prix of Arlington: Everything to Know] Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was among those who cut the ribbon to open the track on Thursday night. And then the drivers determined the next day that the track is bigger and better than many, if not all, of their other street circuits. "That is instantly my most favorite street circuit ever," Scott McLaughlin said in a television interview after stepping out of his car. McLaughlin did have reason to be happy. He topped the speed charts after the first day of practice on the 14-turn course that includes a 0.9-mile straightaway for a historic weekend that will also include a tweak to the qualifying format (more on that later). "It's so technical in spots, and then there's spots where it's really tough to brake into," McLaughlin said in a post-practice news conference. "You've got to maximize high-speed corners, high-speed entries. "It's a blast to drive." Most of the drivers scouted the track Thursday and they gave feedback to INDYCAR. The curbing in one of the turns was reduced by about 12 feet after the apex. There was a concern that, if a car shortcut the course (possibly to avoid an accident), it would hit that curb and get airborne. Instead, INDYCAR will rule that area with timing lines and review if a car shortcuts the course without a legitimate reason, which could result in a penalty. Those types of changes are typical for a new circuit. Drivers do have some concerns about runoff area in a couple of the turns. The entry to pit road is after a turn, so drivers won’t see it until just before getting there. The cars were bottoming out, meaning the car floors were scraping the surface of the street because of bumps or raised areas of surfaces after a crack. But as McLaughlin noted, it was an easy fix to raise the height of the car. "Even the detail of how much work they put into grinding spots [to make them smooth] — we've never seen to that level before," said six-time series champion Scott Dixon. "So it's really, really nice to see." Right behind McLaughlin on the speed chart was four-time series champion Alex Palou, who has won the last two points races on new circuits. "It's insane," Palou said in his post-practice news conference, using the term with a positive connotation. "It's super fun to drive. It's just a lot more fun than I thought just how the car feels. There's so many different corners. "There’s corners that you can attack so much, and you feel like a superhero. There's other corners where you need to back off because the grip is very different. [It’s] a lot more bumpy than I thought, which makes it super challenging, but super fun." Palou said the different surfaces present a fun challenge. "It's just tough on how we set up the car because you don't want to set it up too aggressive one way or the other because it just keeps on changing so much," Palou said. "You need different stuff in different sectors." Drivers will face a new challenge in qualifying Saturday. The format for the final session of the fastest six drivers vying for the pole has changed. At most street and road courses, they get six minutes and can run as many laps as they want in a session where all six cars are on track. They will now be on the track one car at a time but get only one lap. The idea is to give those six fast cars more exposure. But it will also force some strategy, as the car that goes out first (the sixth-fastest among the finalists) could potentially go faster because the tires (if they use the same set) would have more grip when being hot and the car could go faster with fluids up to temperature. "It'll be interesting," Will Power, the series all-time leader in poles won (71) told me and other reporters. "I hope I get that chance to try that out. That looks cool. ... On a long track like this, you could do it and get tire temp. When you get some of these shorter laps [at other tracks], that might be difficult." It will make the final session easier to follow, albeit a final session that lasts an additional 15-20 minutes. "It's going to be great for the fans," Pato O’Ward told me and other reporters. "If I was a fan, that's what I would want to watch."