Qualifying Report: Kohler Grand Prix

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. June 25, 2016  Takuma Sato and Jack Hawksworth will start deep in the field for the Kohler Grand Prix at Road America but the track has enough passing zones that the drivers can make it to the front. The narrowness of the track will make it a challenging task nonetheless.

Sato posted a lap time of 1 minute, 43.5357 seconds which was eighth fastest in the first qualifying group of 11 so he did not advance out of the first round. He will start 15th in the 22-car field.

After the practice session we were looking positive for qualifying but we didnt have enough speed to go through it, Sato said afterwards. It looks like we had the heavier side of downforce which was good for the cornering and braking but it was too draggy down the straight which is where we were losing time.

Jack Hawksworth had two situations develop in his round one of qualifying. While on his quick lap on the black tires, he was blocked by Charlie Kimball in Turn 12 of the 14-turn track so that ruined his lap. When he was on the faster red alternate tires, he got bit by an untimely red flag caused by Josef Newgardens off-track excursion, so he never got to lay down his hot lap. His time of 1 minute, 45.5110 seconds will put him 18th, outside of row nine.

The ABC Supply car felt ok but I got blocked by Charlie Kimball when I was on my hot lap on the black tires and so we came in for the reds. I made a mistake on my first lap on the reds so I just chose to save my tires and push on the second lap. The car felt pretty good but thats when the red flag came out [for Newgarden] and I never got to put a lap in, so feeling pretty gutted. Thats the way it goes I guess.

Will Power won the pole position with a time of 1 minute, 42.2105 seconds. Scott Dixon, his teammate Tony Kanaan, Simon Pagenaud, Helio Castroneves and Graham Rahal rounded out the Firestone Fast 6.

The Kohler Grand Prix will be televised tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.