Dennis Hauger maintained his grip on the timing sheets in Portland, leading the second Indy NXT practice for Andretti Global. The Norwegian’s best lap of 1m03.2252s kept him clear of the competition, although it fell short of his Friday benchmark. The session ended 10 minutes early after Michael d’Orlando’s crash at Turn 10 brought out red flags, preventing any late challenges. Despite interruptions and shifting positions behind him, Hauger stayed ahead of the field in a session defined by rapid pace and sudden drama.
Key Highlights
- Dennis Hauger leads FP2 with a 1m03.2252s lap for Andretti Global
- Michael d’Orlando’s Turn 10 crash ends the session early with red flags
- Callum Hedge finishes second, just 0.1152s off Hauger’s pace
- Salvador de Alba struggles with braking issues, finishing 18th
- Bryce Aron secures third after a tight mid-session battle for second
Hauger’s Consistent Pace
From the first laps, Hauger asserted himself at the top, showing a repeat of Friday’s form even if the outright speed was slightly lower. Completing 20 laps, his control over the session never wavered. While Friday’s FP1 time was quicker, his Saturday performance still set the benchmark, leaving rivals chasing tenths. His closest competitor was Abel Motorsports’ Callum Hedge, who pushed late in the session to come within 0.1152s. Bryce Aron of Chip Ganassi Racing claimed third, 0.2018s back, after briefly holding second earlier in the run.
Red Flag Disruption
The session’s decisive moment came when Andretti Cape’s Michael d’Orlando, fresh off setting the sixth-fastest time, lost control at Turn 10 and slammed into the tire barriers.
“I just set a good lap, and then it all went wrong at Turn 10,” – Michael d’Orlando
Fortunately, d’Orlando emerged unassisted from his car, but with damage and cleanup required, race control opted against restarting the session. His incident locked the order in place, preventing further late-lap improvements from the rest of the field.
Midfield Battles and Technical Woes
Behind the leaders, Myles Rowe slotted into fourth with a 1m03.4684s for Abel Motorsports with Force Indy, while HMD Motorsports’ Caio Collet rounded out the top five. However, it was a frustrating day for Andretti Global’s Salvador de Alba. A braking issue kept him stationary in the pits for 10 minutes, and despite turning the same number of laps as Hauger, he ended the day 18th and 1.6s off the pace. Jack William Miller, Jordan Missig, and HMD’s debutant Nicholas Monteiro all made gains, with Monteiro ending 11th as the last driver within a second of Hauger.
Full FP2 Order
| Pos | Driver | Gap |
| 1 | Dennis Hauger | |
| 2 | Callum Hedge | +0.1152s |
| 3 | Bryce Aron | +0.2018s |
| 4 | Myles Rowe | +0.2432s |
| 5 | Caio Collet | +0.4283s |
| 6 | Michael d’Orlando | +0.5099s |
| 7 | Jack William Miller | +0.5902s |
| 8 | Jordan Missig | +0.6111s |
| 9 | Josh Pierson | +0.7317s |
| 10 | Niels Koolen | +0.9050s |
| 11 | Nicholas Monteiro | +0.9461s |
| 12 | Seb Murray | +1.0355s |
| 13 | Lochie Hughes | +1.0599s |
| 14 | Nolan Allaer | +1.1038s |
| 15 | Juan Manuel Correa | +1.1436s |
| 16 | James Roe Jr | +1.1582s |
| 17 | Tommy Smith | +1.1885s |
| 18 | Salvador de Alba | +1.6012s |
| 19 | Hailie Deegan | +2.5265s |
News in Brief: Dennis Hauger Tops in 2nd Portland Practice
Dennis Hauger led FP2 in Portland with a 1m03.2252s lap for Andretti Global, holding off Callum Hedge and Bryce Aron. Michael d’Orlando’s Turn 10 crash ended the session early, with no restart. Myles Rowe finished fourth ahead of Caio Collet, while Salvador de Alba’s braking issues left him 18th. Hauger’s pace was slower than his FP1 time but enough to stay ahead in the session.
ALSO READ: Dennis Hauger Extends Indy NXT Lead with Thrilling Win Over Caio Collet at Portland
