Palou Clocks Fastest Time in Final Freedom 250 Practice; Multiple Incidents Disrupt Session

The second practice session for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix got underway on a dry track surface just hours before qualifying, presenting teams with prime conditions to refine their setups and increase pace on the seven-turn street circuit. Drivers quickly adapted to the tricky layout after the morning session allowed for wet-tire evaluations, with lap times dropping significantly as familiarity with the course increased.

Graham Rahal’s No. 15 Honda became the first casualty of the afternoon when the veteran driver lost the rear end of his vehicle while braking into Turn 6 approximately ten minutes into the session. The impact sent Rahal’s car into the wall and forced him to park in the run-off area, costing him valuable preparation time ahead of the qualifying round and triggering the first red flag of the day.

The same problematic braking zone proved hazardous for Rahal’s Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Louis Foster minutes later. Foster encountered a bump on the track surface at Turn 6 that unsettled his vehicle, sending him into the inside wall and damaging his front wing, which brought out a second red flag. Unlike Rahal, Foster successfully maneuvered his car to pit lane after the nose section was removed, enabling his crew to assess the damage and return him to competition.

Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske posted the day’s leading time in the earlier all-skate portion of practice, recording a 56.895 seconds on primary tires in the No. 3 Chevrolet. When drivers switched to alternate compound tires for single-lap qualifying simulations, Alex Palou captured the session-best mark at 56.615 seconds, edging Kyle Kirkwood, who clocked 56.691 seconds on primary rubber.