Armstrong delivers Be the One to 5th-place finish
Last weekend, Chip Ganassi Racing’s Marcus Armstrong debuted the red No. 11 American Legion Honda featuring Be the One branding with an eighth-place finish in the Bommarito Automotive Group 500.
It was an even better result Sunday in Portland.
Armstrong picked up his fourth top-five performance of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES season during the Bitnile.com Grand Prix of Portland at Portland International Raceway.
“The No. 11 American Legion Honda was quick today,” Armstrong said following the race. “We made progress just through strategy, really … all the little boring details, but they paid off in the end. We got a top five, so slowly getting where we want to be.
“It was a bit more of a surgical race as opposed to a flamboyant INDYCAR race we’ve been accustomed to. Overall, I enjoyed it, and the No. 11 American Legion Honda got a top 5.”
INDYCAR SERIES points leader Alex Palou – also featuring American Legion branding – finished second to record his 12th top-five finish of the season. He stills holds a commanding 54-point lead in his attempt to repeat as series champ.
“The No. 10 DHL Honda team did a great job,” Palou said. “Maybe we were a bit wrong with our strategy there. We went aggressive in qualifying yesterday and really didn’t have any good used alternate tires. It was tough work on the primaries, trying to catch Will, but the No. 12 deserves it today. They were very fast. I’m happy with a P2 today.”
Ganassi rookie Linus Lundqvist, driving the No. 8 American Legion Honda, finished 23rd. He still holds a 64-point lead over teammate Kyffin Simpson in the INDYCAR Rookie of the Year standings.
“Honestly today was a long day. It wasn’t the race we wanted,” Lundqvist said. “We struggled with pace all weekend, so we’ll have a look and see what we could’ve done better and what I could have done better. But that’s how it goes sometimes. Hopefully, the No. 8 American Legion Honda will rebound at Milwaukee next weekend.”
INDYCAR heads back to the Midwest this weekend for a doubleheader at the Milwaukee Mile: the Hy-Vee Milwaukee Mile 250 Race 1 and Race 2 this weekend on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
To learn more about The American Legion’s Be the One veteran suicide prevention program, click here.