Rain Disrupts Indy 500 Practice, Palou Impresses with Top Speed
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Rain once again interrupted practice sessions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, limiting track time for the 34 drivers preparing for the upcoming Indy 500. Tony Kanaan’s veteran refresher test was postponed to Thursday due to weather conditions.
Full-field practice commenced just after 1 PM EST, allowing drivers nearly three hours of uninterrupted track time before light rain and nearby lightning caused a disruption. After a brief pause, the session resumed but was interrupted again mid-way through ‘happy hour.’ Despite these setbacks, the second practice day concluded under green-flag conditions.
Championship leader Alex Palou showcased impressive performance, clocking a top speed of 227.546 mph with Chip Ganassi Racing, surpassing the previous day’s fastest lap by Will Power (227.026 mph). Power remained competitive, securing second place at 225.584 mph, while Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden followed closely in third at 225.545 mph. Scott Dixon and Conor Daly completed the top five.
Santino Ferrucci, expressing his dissatisfaction with the car’s performance, ended the day ranked 33rd. “Felt comfortable with what we did overnight in clean air," he stated. "Decided to go hop into the back of a train… nope, I’m going back to last year’s car. I’m fed up with trying to make this work,” he added, highlighting his frustration.
In no-tow speed trials, Kyle Kirkwood led with a speed of 222.760 mph, trailed by Christian Rasmussen at 222.116 mph and Alexander Rossi at 221.277 mph. Notably, Helio Castroneves completed 114 laps, the most of any driver on the day.
As preparations continue for the Indianapolis 500, teams and drivers are keenly focused on fine-tuning their setups ahead of this iconic event.
