Christian Lundgaard earns 1st IndyCar victory of season - ESPN

TORONTO — Christian Lundgaard couldn't wait to shave off his mustache, removing the hair from his upper lip right there on Victory Lane at the Honda Indy Toronto.

Lundgaard started on the pole and took advantage of the car troubles of IndyCar standings leader Alex Palou to hang on to victory Sunday. His first win on North America's top open-wheel auto racing circuit also brought to an end a pact with his best friend to keep his mustache until he climbed atop an IndyCar podium.

Lundgaard said he was happy to be rid of the facial hair.

«But I haven't seen it yet, so I don't really know what it looks like,» said the 21-year-old Danish driver, who rubbed his upper lip throughout the postrace news conference. «I guess I'll wait and see.»

Lundgaard took the pole Saturday as steady rainfall made the street course around Toronto's Exhibition Place slippery. The son of 2000 European rally car champion Henrik Lundgaard, the IndyCar sophomore took advantage of his off-roading background to secure the No. 1 start position in the race.

But after qualifying, Lundgaard was pessimistic about having the fastest car in the actual race. Ultimately, he felt he had the race under control from start to finish.

«We struggle, especially on the superspeedways,» said Lundgaard, who led the race for 53 of the 85 laps. «We're moving forward even though we don't have the pace and performance on the superspeedways.

»It just means that we're going to be doing pretty good elsewhere and I think we proved that today."

Palou took second despite starting 15th on the grid and nursing a damaged front wing for more than 20 laps. Colton Herta was third for his first podium finish of the season.

Palou had won three of the past four races on the circuit's