Thunderstorm sends Hauger to Iowa Indy NXT pole

Indy NXT by Firestone points leader Dennis Hauger will start from the No. 1 position for the INDY NXT by Firestone at Iowa Speedway race after the qualifying session was rained out. The field for the 75-lap race will take the green flag based on entrant points entering the event.

Hauger had the third-fastest lap in Friday's abbreviated practice, turning a lap of 165.073mph in Andretti Global's No. 28 Nammo entry. His lap was part of the Andretti organization's strong start to the weekend. Four of the team-related drivers turned laps among the session’s top five.

It will be Hauger's seventh start from the top spot in nine races this season. He started second in the other two.

Salvador de Alba posted the fastest lap of the 30-minute session at 165.518mph in the No. 27 Grupo Indi car of Andretti Global. Myles Rowe was second driving the No. 99 Abel/Force Indy machine (165.421mph).

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“[A] shortened practice, but happy to be where we are,” de Alba said. “All the Andretti cars are pretty fast. We [turned] good laps at the very end with the used tires, so that gives us even more confidence.”

Ricardo Escotto was fourth in the No. 3 Frank’s Red Hot car of Andretti Cape Motorsports (164.623mph). Rookie Lochie Hughes was fifth in Andretti Global’s No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship entry (164.291mph).

Andretti Global’s James Roe, who won the pole for last year’s race at this 0.894-mile oval, had the eighth-fastest lap in the No. 29 Topcon entry (163.267mph).

Jordan Missig had the session’s only spin, a lazy excursion off Turn 2. He did not make contact with the No. 48 Abel Motorsports car, enabling him to continue after pitting.

The field was expected to include Sebastian Murray in the No. 2 DREAM RACING DUBAI entry of Andrett Cape Motorsport, but he was not medically cleared to participate in the wake of last weekend’s accident with Escotto at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Saturday’s 75-lap race starts at 1:30 p.m. ET. FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network will have the broadcasts.

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