NEWGARDEN AND DALY LEAD THE WAY AT INDY 500 OPEN TEST
DAY 1
The opening day of the Indy 500 Open Test began with experienced drivers setting the pace. Josef Newgarden was the fastest in the morning session, reaching over 223 mph with his Team Penske car. Close behind him was Takuma Sato, followed by Pato O’Ward, who said he was happy to be back racing at Indianapolis and felt comfortable right away. Other strong drivers included Scott McLaughlin and Santino Ferrucci.
The weather was cloudy and cool, and although there were small issues from overnight rain, the session ran smoothly. Defending race winner Alex Palou did only a few laps after a minor issue, choosing to save the car for later.
In the afternoon, Conor Daly set the fastest time of the day with an impressive speed of over 225 mph. He finished ahead of top drivers like Hélio Castroneves, Scott Dixon, and Alexander Rossi. Romain Grosjean also had a strong run after dealing with an unusual problem earlier when a bird struck his car.
There were very few interruptions during the day. One small issue happened when Christian Rasmussen stopped on track with a suspected problem. Katherine Legge was the only driver who could not complete many laps due to technical trouble but planned to return the next day.
DAY 2
The second day started later than planned because of rain, but once the track dried, drivers quickly went back to pushing for speed. Rookie Caio Collet surprised many by setting the fastest time in the morning with a lap over 226 mph, helped by the draft. Josef Newgarden was again near the top, showing strong pace for Team Penske. Conor Daly continued his good form, staying among the fastest drivers.
Later in the day, Josef Newgarden finished as the overall fastest once again, reaching more than 225 mph. Alex Palou improved to second place, while Conor Daly stayed strong in third. Pato O’Ward, Takuma Sato, and Rinus VeeKay completed the top group.
The session was mostly clean, but there were a few small incidents. A fox briefly ran across the track, causing a short caution. Later, Jack Harvey had to stop after his car produced heavy smoke, ending his test early.
The teams and drivers will be back on the same track next week for the Sonsio Grand Prix.
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