Indy 500 Practice Report: Palou Sets the Pace
In the final practice session ahead of Carb Day, Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing topped the speed charts with a blistering lap of 226.765 mph. Helio Castroneves followed closely behind, clocking in at 226.441 mph for Meyer Shank Racing, while Takuma Sato rounded out the top three at 226.087 mph for RLL Racing.
The session saw all 33 teams take to the track, with Jack Harvey leading the Chevrolets in fourth position. He was followed by Ryan Hunter-Reay, Nolan Siegel, and Will Power, who both logged impressive runs, recording 88 laps each—the highest total in the session.
An incident occurred involving Christian Rasmussen, who hit the wall exiting Turn 2, damaging the rear toe-link of his car. Although the impact was minor, it marked a concerning trend as this was the second time this month he encountered difficulties at that location.
Notably, Robert Shwartzman, who earned pole position for the 109th Indianapolis 500, experienced challenges during the practice. A significant lock-up while rehearsing pit entry, alongside difficulties during a practice pit stop, left him in 26th place with a best lap of 222.561 mph. Despite this, the session turned tense as 2021 NASCAR champion Kyle Larson narrowly avoided a collision in Turn 3, managing to lift at the last moment, securing an 11th-place finish with a lap of 225.056 mph.
Further highlights included Josef Newgarden executing a daring three-wide maneuver down the frontstretch alongside Graham Rahal without any contact, emphasizing the competitive nature as the teams prepare for race day.
As focus shifts to the Indianapolis 500, teams will need to refine their strategies based on the insights gathered from this vital practice session.
