Team Penske’s Will Power in the No.12 Verizon Chevrolet was the fastest driver on the opening day of practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after a delayed start to the day due to rain.
The Australian set a fastest time of 227.026MPH, while two-time and defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden in the No.2 Shell V Power Chevrolet was second with a speed of 226.971MPH. Defensive series champion and current runaway points leader Alex Palou was the fastest Honda in the No.10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda with a speed of 226.673MPH.
Scott Dixon in the No.9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was fourth fastest after topping the times during the session. The Iceman set a speed of 225.059MPH while Scott McLaughlin was fifth just ahead of Helio Castroneves, who set a speed of 224.523MPH just ahead of Alexander Rossi, who had a great practice in seventh place for Ed Carpenter Racing, while Marcus Armstrong was ninth.
Marco Andretti rounded out the top ten with a speed of 224.147MPH. Christian Rasmussen was 11th while David Malukas had a great session in 12th with a speed of 223.176MPH.
Dreyer and Reinbold Racing with Cusick Motorsports had a great day. Jack Harvey, in the No.24 INVST Chevrolet, was 13th, just ahead of his teammate Ryan Hunter-Reay in the No.23 Chevrolet. Harvey set a speed of 222.823MPH.
Ed Carpenter was 15th just ahead of Colton Herta and Sting Ray Robb, while Felix Rosenqvist was 18th just ahead of Kyle Kirkwood. Nolan Siegel rounded out the top twenty. Conor Daly was 21st with a speed of 221.671MPH just ahead of Kyffin Simpson and Christian Lundgaard.
NASCAR Cup Series championship leader Kyle Larson was 24th, just ahead of Devlin DeFrancesco, Graham Rahal, while Santino Ferrucci and Jacob Abel were 27th and 28th, respectively. Pato O’Ward was 29th just ahead of rookie Louis Foster, who set a 220.063MPH.
Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was 31st just ahead of Rinus VeeKay. PREMA Racing’s Robert Schwartzman and Callum Ilott, who had a late start to the day. The action was caught short due to lightening near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.