The grid for the opening Mustang Challenge race of the weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been set by driver points following an accident for Zachry Lee in qualifying that led to no timed laps for any competitor.
Lee, the Dark Horse Legends class points leader, made heavy contact with the tire barriers in Turn 6 in his No. 48 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse R on his out lap in the 15-minute session, resulting in an immediate red flag.
Extensive track cleanup resulted in the clock running down and no restart to the session.
As a result, points leader Robert Noaker, who was quickest in Wednesday’s second practice session, will start alongside Robert Noaker Racing teammate and title rival Tyler Maxson for this afternoon’s race.
Sam Paley, Jeremy Fletcher and Reid Sweeney will start third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
It’s unclear if Lee, who holds a sizable 370-point lead over Alex Bachoura in the DHL class, will be able to start the race, with his car appearing to have sustained extensive damage.
Race 1 gets underway at 1:15 p.m. EDT with live coverage on Peacock, IMSA.tv and Ford Performance’s YouTube channel.
RESULTS: Starting Grid