IndyCar racers hit the track this weekend for the first time in 2019, throwing down test laps at a chilly and overcast Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca. Every team barring AJ Foyt Racing joined in the action, setting top-flight open wheel lap times at the Northern California track for the first time since Champ Car raced there in 2004.
Max Chilton took his Carlin Chevrolet to the point with a 1 minute 11.29 second lap, just a tenth or so quicker than Ganassi newcomer Felix Rosenqvist. Every single one of the 21 runners put in times within two seconds of Chilton, including Will Power, who struggled with braking issues all day.
Considering the ambient temperatures never exceeded 53 degrees, that’s not a terrible day, all things considered. The lap times are expected to be a bit quicker when the teams return to Laguna Seca for the actual race weekend in September.
Below is some footage straight from the chilly and rain-threatened test from Racer.com.
For some perspective on those lap times, Chilton ran within a second of the David Brabham’s 2008 LMP2 pole time in the all-conquering Acura ARX-o1B. The current production car lap time record at the track is a 1 minute 28.65 second lap set in the Dodge Viper ACR.
Test times via motorsport.com.