Benjamin Pedersen led the opening practice for the Indy Lights Grand Prix on Friday as the championship prepares to race on the streets of Nashville for the first time.
Pedersen, from Denmark, produced a top lap of 1 minute, 21.8473 seconds in the No. 24 Global Racing Group with HMD entry on the 11-turn, 2.1-mile temporary street circuit that includes two trips over the Cumberland River via the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge on each lap.
Pedersen’s best time was more than four-tenths clear of any other driver during the 50-minute session.
“Overall, this was a great way to start Practice 1, with being fastest,” Pedersen said. “We accomplished exactly what we had in our test plan, and this place is just awesome to drive.”
“It really rewards being on the absolute ragged edge, and it’s just such a big commitment place. Really looking forward to tomorrow and continuing to push ourselves.”
Danial Frost was second at 1:22.2616 in the No. 68 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing car. Hunter McElrea – winner of the last two series races, at Mid-Ohio and Iowa – was third at 1:22.3069 in the No. 27 Andretti Autosport car.
Series points leader Linus Lundqvist was fourth at 1:22.3188 in the No. 26 HMD Motorsports with Dale Coyne Racing entry. Lundqvist leads second-place McElrea by 77 points with five races remaining this season.
Matthew Brabham rounded out the top five at 1:22.3457 in the No. 83 Andretti Autosport entry.
While Indy Lights never has raced on this circuit, Brabham has experience on the bumpy, tricky layout by racing here in the Robby Gordon Stadium SUPER Trucks series.