Monterey, Calif. (22 June 2024) – Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) returned to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca looking to make the most of a new driver line up on the fabled California circuit, and got a fast start to that goal as both cars transferred into the top 12 in qualifying for Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.

Felix Rosenqvist (No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda) had his best NTT INDYCAR SERIES qualifying session in more than two months, using a strong final lap to qualify third for Sunday’s 95-lap battle at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. He was joined in the top 12 by new teammate David Malukas (No. 66 AutoNation / Arctic Wolf Honda), who will start 12th in his first outing with MSR since taking over the reins of the No. 66 car last week.

Rosenqvist earned his first top-three qualifying result since winning the pole at Long Beach by saving his best for last. Mired at the bottom of the register with time running out in the Firestone Fast Six, the Swedish veteran snapped off a lap of 1:07.2917 (119.729mph) on his final trip around the 2.238-mile Laguna Seca layout to vault into third.

Malukas rapidly repaid the faith that MSR put in the promising young talent, climbing from the bottom of the grid in Friday’s practice to claim a 12th-place starting position for Sunday’s race. The third-year INDYCAR driver jumped up the time charts on his final lap of the first qualifying session to advance to the second run, where he carded a best time of 1:07.8442 (118.758mph) to grid 12th.

The results marked the second time this year, and the first since April’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park that both MSR cars advanced out of the first round of qualifying. Rosenqvist’s return to the Firestone Fast Six was his fourth of the year and first since he started fifth at Barber.

Sunday’s 95-lap Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey will air on USA Network and Peacock starting at 6 p.m. ET. SiriusXM will also host live IndyCar Radio coverage of both sessions on XM Ch. 218.

Driver Quotes:

Felix Rosenqvist:  “Big turnaround for us. We were 23rd in practice yesterday, but now P3 in qualy, so we’ll take that. Felt pretty good, the car was solid. We are missing two tenths to Palou, but he nailed that lap. David (Malukas) did a great job as well, getting into the top 12 on his comeback weekend and first weekend with the team so really good job for him coming back from the injury. So, a really exciting day for us.”

David Malukas: “I took the brace off and tried something different with a wrap and it definitely helped. Making it to Q2 felt like a victory to me. We got that one perfect lap in there and made it work. You are coming into the season when every else is in mid-season form, but everything felt good to me. I am really happy with how everything went today.”