Kallio third in Indy QP with top qualifying of the season

Mika Kallio is on a roll in Indianapolis. The first qualifying session after the summer break proved to be the best performance of the season for the Finn. Kallio finished third, thus acquiring the well desired front row spot for Sunday. The rider did not hide his joy for a well deserved visit to the parc ferme. 

-We missed our target position in the third row again, but luckily, this time around for the better. I am really satisfied to have made the front row for the first time this season. This weekend has so far been a success for us and I am happy with my current pace. Everything should be in order for tomorrow’s race, so fingers crossed! 

The first half of qualifying practice was not easy for the Italtrans rider, as he struggled with weakened grip and was not able to fully control his bike when entering corners. Halfway through the session he was given a fresh set of soft tyres and after the pit stop he quickly rose from position 17. to sixth place. A few laps before the finish Kallio managed to push himself one last bit more and this got him happily to third place, with a gap of 0,316 to the pole claimer, Alex Rins. 

-In the beginning of the qualifying I felt my bike slipping and sliding away in all sorts of unwanted directions, but after I got a new set of tyres, the problems disappeared. This qualifying result did not come in easy, as I worked really hard and riding was not as relaxed as it is at it’s best. Today I was able to ride with heightened risk, since the front of the bike behaved quite nicely with our current settings, Kallio explained. 

-We are not going to perform any major changes for tomorrow. My feeling with the bike is now good enough and additional meddling with the settings might backfire our good work, so we’ll continue with the current set-up for tomorrow’s race. I am very satisfied with my riding and a great big thanks goes out to my mechanics, who have done a brilliant job to get us here. I have enjoyed a lot riding this weekend, since there have been no big issues to tackle. My only wish is that the tyres would last for the whole race distance, but that’s something we can’t know beforehand, Kallio continued. 

Starting from the front row is a wish come true for Kallio and he predicts the race on Sunday will be quite interesting. 

-I’m curious to see what we are able to do, starting for once from the front row. This season I have typically been good with starts, so my aim is to push for the front, stay there, and ride my own race. I am well aware that the guys around me are extremely fast too, so it’s going to be a tough race anyhow and I am not expecting for an easy win, such as last year. Now I will try to stay calm, hope for the best and see what tomorrow brings round. I am hoping for a podium, a smiling Kallio finished.

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