The day’s practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway witnessed reigning Indianapolis 500 champion, Newgarden, setting a blistering pace with a flying lap of 228.811 mph during the opening two hours of the session.
Following closely behind was Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who impressed with a strong run placing his No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet in second on the timesheets at 226.384 mph. Larson is gearing up for his debut in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” participating in the Memorial Day Double, which involves competing in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s 600-mile race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day.
Scott Dixon, the 2008 Indy 500 winner and six-time IndyCar Series champion, piloted the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda to the third-fastest time of 226.346 mph. Meanwhile, reigning and two-time series champion Alex Palou secured the fourth position, closely trailing his CGR teammate with a best lap of 226.201 mph, indicating a strong start to his campaign.
Colton Herta of Andretti Global showcased his prowess by clinching the fifth spot overall with a lap of 225.907 mph, emerging as the fastest driver in the afternoon session amongst the 21 competitors who recorded competitive times. The top 10 was completed by Scott McLaughlin, Ed Carpenter, Kyle Kirkwood, Christian Rasmussen, and Felix Rosenqvist, promising a competitive field for the upcoming race.
The day progressed without any major incidents on the track, with stoppages occurring only for routine track inspections or due to moisture. Notably, all six drivers participating in the Rookie Orientation Program and Refresher successfully completed the three phases, with Marco Andretti leading the group with a best lap of 222.734 mph. Katherine Legge secured the second position among the rookies, followed by Pietro Fittipaldi, Christian Rasmussen, Nolan Siegal, and Kyffin Simpson.
Christian Rasmussen and Kyffin Simpson emerged as the most active participants, logging 80 laps each by the end of the day, while Ryan Hunter-Reay of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing completed the fewest laps, finishing 34th overall. Callum Ilott, substituting for the injured David Malukas, completed only eight laps, positioning himself at 27th overall with a speed of 221.085 mph.
