INDYPRO (INDIANAPOLIS) - FESTA TO START 15TH IN RACE #1 OF THE LIBERTY CHALLENGE

Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Indy Pro Series driver Chris Festa posted a fast lap of 1minute 26.946 seconds (107.860 mph) with the No.9 CareCentric Target car on the 2.605-mile, 13-turn road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to earn a 15th place starting position on the grid for the first race of the Liberty Challenge on Saturday.

Rookie Hideki Mutoh earned his first career Indy Pro Series pole position, winning the SWE Pole Award for Race 1 of the Liberty Challenge on the road course at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway while Indy Pro Series points leader Alex Lloyd secured the second spot.

The Indy Pro Series will run two races this weekend as a support event at the United States Grand Prix Formula 1 race.

The second 18-lap race will take place on Sunday, June 17. The winner of Race 1 will participate in a blind draw to determine how many of the highest-finishing cars will be inverted to start Race 2 – 0, 4, 6, or 8.

TARGET CHIP GANASSI RACING POST-RACE QUOTEBOARD:

Chris Festa: “It got a lot hotter from this morning’s practice and that definitely affected the grip level on the track. The set up is just not where we want it to be right now. We’ve made some wrong choices we have to sit down here and think about it and come back with some new ideas for tomorrow. There will be some opportunities to pass in the race tomorrow. The front straight away is perfect because its really high speed then it slows dramatically for the first turn and that where you can draft and out break people at the end of the straight and into the corner to pass. If you get a good run you can maybe get people at the end of the back straight away as well but that’s maybe being a bit too greedy.”