The feel-good story on Saturday at Barber Motorsports Park was delivered by rookie Romain Grosjean, who humbled some of the best of the NTT IndyCar series en route to the seventh qualifier.
Directly behind the 34-year-old Frenchman were Josef Newgarden, a two-time series champion from Team Penske, and Colton Herta from Andretti Autosport, who happened to be drivers who finished second and third in the 2020 standings.
Grosjean was two places lower than the defending championship winner and Chip Ganassi Racing pilot Scott Dixon in fifth place and CGR’s Marcus Ericsson in sixth place, who talked about where his no. 51 Honda landed for the first time. It was an amazing performance for the former Formula 1 driver that led the humble Dale Coyne Racing with the Rick Ware Racing organization to a surprising result; teammate Ed Jones was 13de in the no. 18 DCR with Vasser Sullivan Honda.
“What a day, seventh in qualifying, it’s clearly above expectation,” Grosjean beamed. ‘But to be so close to the [Firestone] Fast Six, of course, I really hoped we would get in, but it’s still great. ”
The sense of accomplishment for a driver whose life was threatened at the end of last year in a memorable accident and fire was palpable. And while qualifying for seventh place will not guarantee a stunning 90-lap race on Sunday, Grosjean is delighted with the debauchery of his speed after spending his final years in the F1 with overwhelming machinery.
“The Dale Coyne Racing with the RWR team really helped me understand the qualifying tires,” he said. ‘We did a really good job with the essay and I think we know where to look faster, which is very positive. We’re going to enjoy it today, but let’s focus on tomorrow. We have 90 laps to chase, I have to learn to learn tire degradation, fuel economy, fuel, filling stops, how an IndyCar goes. So, I still have a lot to learn tomorrow, but I’m very happy with today. ”