Sebastien Bourdais had a fast car. Now, it’s damaged.
The two-time race winner at Portland International Raceway slid off course in Turn 10 and struck the tire barrier on the lap after setting the fastest time of the session (57.4707 seconds). He was not injured. The incident ended the 45-minute practice session.
RESULTS: Practice 3 | Combined Results | Qualifying Groups
The Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan crew will have only about three hours to repair the damage. Qualifying is at 6:20 p.m. ET. The session will stream live on RaceControl.IndyCar.com, youtube.com/indycar and the INDYCAR Mobile app. NBCSN will air the telecast at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Bourdais’ fast lap eclipsed the one posted by Graham Rahal (57.5142 seconds). Together, they led a Honda assault on the top of the speed chart – four drivers in the top five.
Will Power had the fastest Chevrolet at 57.5508 seconds. Fourth and fifth, respectively, were Honda drivers Alexander Rossi (57.6229 seconds) and Takuma Sato (57.6760 seconds). The top three cars in the session were all faster than the track record set by the late Justin Wilson in 2005.
James Hinchcliffe brought out a red flag with an off into the dirt in Turn 2. He might light right-side contact with the barrier, ending his session.
Bourdais is the only driver in this 25-car field to have won an Indy car race at this track. He won Champ Car World Series races in 2004 and 2007. It has been 11 years since Indy car last raced here.