Photo: Joe Skibinski
Andretti Global’s Louis Foster was thrilled and relieved to make “a fantastic recovery” from 21st to fifth place in last weekend’s Indy Nxt race at Barber Motorsports Park.
Foster went 15th fastest in the first practice session on Friday and completed 10 laps, less than half of what the majority of drivers did, before his car came to a stop on track with an electrical issue and ended his day.
It was a similar story in FP2 on Saturday morning, this time only getting three laps done before the electrical issue returned early in the session. Red flags waved while his car was recovered, and when he tried heading back out at the end of practice the issue stopped his car again. He ended up 1.8491 seconds off the pace in 17th place.
The issue had not been fixed by the time qualifying began three hours later, and Foster missed the session. That meant he started last on the grid for Sunday’s 35-lap race and still yet to show his true pace.
He only gained one spot on the opening lap, but passed six cars on lap two. Two more overtakes in the next two laps brought him up to 12th place.
His next move was on lap seven, then getting by two drivers the lap after brought him into the top 10. Michael d’Orlando was next to be passed on lap nine, then Myles Rowe on lap 11. Foster ran in seventh thereon, with team-mates Jamie Chadwick and Bryce Aron just ahead.
Four laps from the end he cleared Chadwick, and a lap later passed Aron before the race ended with a caution period caused by Chadwick going off.
“P21 to P5 at the hardest track to overtake, it’s a fantastic recovery,” said Foster.
“The weekend was compromised as I only did a few laps in both practice sessions and I didn’t take part in qualifying at all. I have to focus on what I can control and the electrical issue with the car wasn’t something I had any control over. The team worked tirelessly to find the issue and fix the problem which they did in time for the race, for which I am very thankful.
“When we got to the race, I knew we could make up positions and I knew the Andretti Global team would give me a great #26 car. It was nice to go out and be on full attack from the first lap.”
The comeback was crucial to Foster’s title ambitions, as it kept him third in the standings. However the gap to the top is already 29 points, with 50 awarded for a win, after two races. Foster came fourth in the championship as a rookie last year.