Linus is set to start both of this weekend’s Indy Lights races from pole position after setting a storming pace in qualifying around the IMS road course…
The emphatic performance was not without drama, however, as Linus suffered a front-right puncture immediately when leaving the pits for his first attempt, forcing him to slowly return to the pitlane in a shaky start to the session.
With his damaged tyre replaced and a new set of Coopers fitted to his HMD Motorsports car, though, there was no looking back.
Showing no signs of wavering, Linus immediately powered to the top of the timesheets on his first proper run and remained out front as the times tumbled in the closing stages of the 30-minute grid-decider, eventually edging Andretti Autosport’s Hunter McElrea to Race 1 pole by 0.04s.
As if that wasn’t enough, Linus also recorded another lap almost equally as quick, placing him firmly on top of the list charting second-fastest times and duly netting him pole for Saturday’s Race 2.
The effort means Linus has now made it three pole positions from a possible four in the early parts of the 2022 Indy Lights campaign.
LINUS: “Yes! What a feeling! It was a difficult start with the puncture heading out of pitlane, but we were lucky in a sense that it happened on the first run and there was still time to recover. It wasn’t ideal, but we had the pace to make up for it. It wasn’t a perfect session in terms of driving, either – I made a couple of mistakes on my fastest laps – so I think there’s quite a bit more in it, too.
“It’s a great start to the weekend, but we’re going racing in just a few hours and now is not the time to celebrate. We need to be wary of the Andretti guys behind and their speed on the straights. The push to pass effect is quite large around here too, so I’m sure it will be difficult to stay ahead – but obviously I’m going for the win.”
Race 1 is coming up later on Friday, with the green flag set to wave the field away at 
5:30 pm / 
23.30.
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