THERMAL — Kyle Kirkwood is looking for ways to improve at the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix and his team used Friday’s practice session at the new road course to move in that direction. The driver of the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda finished in fifth place in the NTT IndyCar Series season open er in St. Petersburg, Florida. A top-five finish in any IndyCar Series race is impressive, but it didn’t make Kirkwood smile. “I wouldn’t say I’m happy. I would say I’m satisfied,” Kirkwood said. Sunday’s inaugural IndyCar Series race at Thermal Club presents an opportunity for Kirkwood to finish better than fifth. But it also presents a set of unfamiliar conditions that will make it difficult to finish the race, let alone win it. Kirkwood said his team is close to taking a checkered flag, and he won’t be happy until it happens. “It’s close, but it’s just not there. I’m not extremely happy. I should be happy. Top five is really good in IndyCar. Satisfied with the result. Happy? Not really.” Qualifying for the race is Saturday at 2 p.m. and will be televised on FS1. The race is Sunday at noon and will be televised on FOX (Ch. 11). Kirkwood’s teammate at Andretti Global, 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, was right behind Kirkwood at St. Petersburg, finishing sixth. “Of course, you always want to win. I finished sixth. It’s not the perfect result,” said Ericsson, driver of the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda. Unlike Kirkwood, Ericsson was pleased with his result. More importantly, he said it was a good momentum builder and confidence booster. “I felt like I did exactly that,” Ericsson said. “I feel like we had a really solid weekend.” Marcus Ericsson, shown practicing for the IndyCar Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in St Petersburg, Fla., finished sixth in that race earlier this month and would like to build on that momentum at the Thermal Club IndyCar Grand Prix this weekend in Thermal. (Photo by Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/Getty Images) NEW TRACK TESTS ENGINES The Thermal Club race is new to the IndyCar Series and the drivers are excited for a new way to test their skills. However, Ericsson said he likes going to the more traditional tracks with long histories. “That’s always nice, but also I love a new challenge,” Ericsson said. “It’s a new track, but it’s also a very fun layout, really challenging corners. I’m really looking forward to it.” Additionally, the IndyCar Series is using a new hybrid engine, which is heavier than the internal combustion engines used by the teams in races last year. The added weight reduces speed, but the new engines are more powerful and forces the drivers to adjust, especially on a technical track like the one at Thermal Club. “It’s a double-edged sword,” Kirkwood said. “I don’t really think it’s doing a whole, whole lot. This track is very hard on tires. It’s a common trait on West Coast tracks. It’s something we have to predict and plan for. We adjust accordingly.” Kirkwood said the tire wear, heat and track temperatures will be more of a factor for reduced speeds in the cars than the new engines. “It’s all new. Preparation’s pretty key,” he said. Not all of the drivers are fans of the new hybrid engines. Andretti Global driver Colton Herta had few flattering words for them. “It’s much heavier. It’s fine,” said Herta, driver of the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda. The turns and corners at the track will have more to do with reduced speeds than the new engines, he said. “It is a track that has a little bit of everything as far as the cornerwise, so the set up is a little bit more open than a lot of the street courses or the road courses that we might race on because you have to cater to a lot more of a different kind of set of corners,” said Herta, who’s from Valencia. He finished fourth in the Thermal $1 Million Challenge exhibition race last year and has tested on the course over the winter. His team has plenty of data on the track, and he said he is familiar with the layout. It will test the new hybrid engines. “This track will have a pretty high energy limit so we’ll be able to use it quite a bit,” Herta said. “It will make a more of a difference than at most of the other tracks that we go to. It really adds another kind of level to our driving. It makes it a little more interesting for us inside the cockpit. Outside the cockpit, it really doesn’t change much. The sound is similar. Speed-wise it’s similar. You really don’t see a difference.” PALOU LEADS PRACTICE SESSION Alex Palou, driver of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda and the reigning IndyCar Series champion, posted the fastest lap in practice Friday at 1:40.5486. The three Andretti Global drivers posted the next three fastest times. Kirkwood was second at 1:40.6387. Ericsson was third at 1:40.7370. Herta was fourth at 1:40.8439. “This is a place where we tested and we wanted to start off on the right foot,” Herta said. “If we’re not quick right away after a place you’ve tested at, it’s a little disappointing. You scratch your heads a little bit. To start off that way, it’s a little bit expected because we tested here. It feels good.” Christian Rasmussen, driver of the No. 21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, had the fifth-fastest time at 1:40.8728. The first practice session was stopped when Robert Schwartzman’s car caught fire on the track. Schwartzman is a rookie driver for Prema Racing. 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