Linus Lundqvist salvaged a solid points haul on a challenging Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires weekend at Road America, as the championship battle remains fiercely close at the halfway point of the campaign…
Leading the standings going into the weekend, Lundqvist started off in typically strong fashion at the 4.0-mile Wisconsin road course, leading the first test session on Thursday.
The Swede struggled to replicate that sort of form in the latter parts of the meeting, however, and placed fourth and fifth respectively in the two races – his first career starts at the winding Road America track.
Lundqvist did what he could as he improved from lower grid slots in both encounters, and momentarily worked his way into the lead in Race 1 before slipping back on heavily worn tyres.
“It has been a difficult weekend where we simply haven’t been quick enough,” says Linus Lundqvist. “We will head back to base and analyzeeverything in detail, but we had a different tyre construction here this weekend due to the specifics of this track and it hasn’t gelled for me. The feeling in the car has not been the same and the grip anticipation levels are different.”
Lundqvist’s two main title rivals – Global Racing Group with HMD Motorsports team-mate David Malukas (USA) and Andretti Autosport’s Kyle Kirkwood (USA) – each entered Victory Lane this weekend, but also suffered contrasting fortunes overall across the two races.
Linus Lundqvist thus leaves Wisconsin tied for second overall with Kirkwood, eight points behind new leader Malukas.
“Sometimes you simply don’t get it right, and even though it’s frustrating, it’s part of the sport,” Linus Lundqvist concludes. “You know that sooner or later everyone will have a weekend like this, and it comes down to not giving away too many points when you do. In that respect, I think we did OK, and it’s certainly not a disaster to come away from a weekend like this just eight points from the championship lead. We will be back, count on it!”
The next Indy Lights round takes place at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 2-4.
RESULTS
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
Rd. 5 | Road America (USA)
Race 1
1: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), 20 laps
2: Benjamin Pedersen (DEN), +11.066s
3: Robert Megennis (USA), +12.451s
4: Linus Lundqvist (SWE), +13.804s
5: Toby Sowery (GBR), +20.862s
View complete results
Race 2
1: David Malukas (USA), 20 laps
2: Robert Megennis (USA), +4.588s
3: Danial Frost (SGP), +8.033s
4: Alex Peroni (AUS), +8.465s
5: Linus Lundqvist (SWE), +15.342s
View complete results
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires
Top 5 | After 10/20 races
1: David Malukas (USA), 235 p.
2: Kyle Kirkwood (USA), 227 p.
3: Linus Lundqvist (SWE), 227 p.
4: Toby Sowery (GBR), 171 p.
5: Robert Megennis (USA), 156 p.
View complete standings
