Max Chilton admitted his delight after clinching his first Fast Six shootout appearance of the season at the Watkins Glen International on Saturday, and felt it was by far his best qualifying effort of his rookie campaign.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver will start sixth around a circuit that he feels is a very physical one, with Chilton needing to press hard throughout the session to get the best result possible after joining team-mates Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan in the Fast Six.
Chilton will now be looking to convert this strong qualifying effort into a decent result, with the former Formula 1 racer having only taken one top ten finish all season long, way back in April at the Phoenix International Raceway.
“I’m over the moon for Gallagher Chip Ganassi Racing with a Firestone Fast 6 start,” said Chilton. “I qualified a bit better in Iowa, but this is my first appearance in the Firestone Fast 6.
“I’d say I had to put a lot more effort into this qualifying effort than I did Iowa though with how physical of a circuit this is. It’s literally pushing as hard as you can from green flag to checkered flag.
“I’m just really proud of the team and happy with our result.”
