IndyCar
Team Penske and Chevrolet Dominate Day 1 of Indy 500 Qualifying
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (May 18, 2024) Conspiracy theorists are having a field day after Team Penske swept the Top 3 spots in day one of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The feat comes one month after the team was caught running illegal software in the warmup prior to the Long Beach Grand Prix. An INDYCAR investigation determined that software, which allowed the push-to-pass system to be active on starts and restarts, was in use at the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding.
Two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion posted the fastest four lap average of 233.758 mph, in the No. 12 Chevrolet. Ironically, Power was the only Penske driver to not use the advantage in St. Petersburg.
Reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden was second-quick with a four-lap average of 233.332 in the No. 2 Chevy and Scott McLaughlin was third quick in the No. 3 Chevy with a four-lap average of 233.293 mph. Newgarden and McLaughlin were stripped of their St. Petersburg finishes as a penalty, so Saturday was quite the redemption for the team that has had a cloud hanging over them.
“We got an early draw, which helps,” said Power of the qualifying draw where all three Penske cars went out in the first hour when ambient and track temperatures were cooler.
Chevrolet was the story of Saturday as the brand with the bow tie sweeping nine of the Top 12 spots, which are eligible for Sunday’s Top 12 qualifying runs of which the Top 6 will go for the pole position late in the day in the Firestone Fast 6.
The fastest Honda-powered entry was Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood who posted a four-lap average of 232.764, good for fifth on the day.
The best Chip Ganassi Racing could muster on Saturday was reigning Series champion Alex Palou who posted a four-lap average of 232.306 in the No. 10 DHL Honda.
Palou’s teammates Marcus Armstrong placed 16th in the No. 11 Ridgeline Honda with a four-lap average of 232.183. Rookie Kyffin Simpson was two spots behind in 18th after posting a 231.948 average.
Six-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Scott Dixon will start 21st with an average of 231.851 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda and Linus Lundqvist will start 27th in the No. 8 American Legion Be The One Honda with an average of 231.506.
Four drivers failed to make the Top 30 and will fight for the final three spots in the 33-car field in Last Chance Qualifying on Sunday including Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Graham Rahal, who went through the same scenario last year when he failed to make the field on speed but ended up substituting for the injured Stefan Wilson.
Two of Dale Coyne’s cars also failed to make the field on speed including Nolan Siegel and Katherine Legge.
Perhaps the most surprising driver to not make the Top 30 is 2022 500 winner Marcus Ericsson, who is now driving for Andretti Global.
SPEEDWAY, IN (Pittsburgh Racing Now) – Alex Palou is continuing his incredible 2025 by posting the fastest 4-lap average on Saturday’s NTT INDYCAR SERIES Day 1 of qualifying for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Palou’s 4-lap average speed of 233.043 mph on his only qualifying attempt of the day in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was good enough to stay atop the charts as positions 1-30 were ‘locked-in’ in the 33-car field.
“Super happy,” said Palou, who has four of the first five events of 2025. “I don’t know if there’s more (speed in the car), but there’s always more. The line between more and too much is very thin here at IMS. We’ll see what we have for tomorrow (Sunday).”
Palou and the 11 other fastest drivers will participate in Top 12 Qualifying at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, which will whittle the field to the Firestone Fast Six that will compete for the NTT P1 Award at 6:25 p.m.
Rinus VeeKay and Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing, Marcus Armstrong of Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian and 2020 “500” pole sitter Marco Andretti of Andretti Herta w/Marco & Curb-Agajanian will compete for the three final spots in the 33-car starting field in Last Chance Qualifying from 5:15-6:15 p.m.
Armstrong crashed in the morning practice and his MSR team thrashed to get another car prepared to get on track.
Colton Herta suffered a scary crash as his No. 26 Gainbridge Honda lost grip in Turn 1 on his first qualifying lap.
Herta’s Andretti Global team immediately went to work on a backup and Herta was able to go back out at 4:45 p.m. Herta qualified 29th at 230.192.
Graham Rahal was the final driver to earn a guaranteed spot on Saturday. Rahal qualified 30th at 229.863 mph in the No. 15 United Rentals Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Indy 500 Day 1 Qualifying 2025 Indy 500 Qualifying Procedure
SPEEDWAY, IN (May 16, 2025) – Scott Dixon is no stranger to speed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and he proved it again on Fast Friday, posting the fastest qualifying simulation during practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500.
Dixon’s four-lap average was 232.561 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
“I think there’s still some good speed still left in the car,” said Dixon, the 2008 Indianapolis 500 winner. “The car is really smooth, and I’m pretty conservative, as well. So, we’ll see. Who knows what tomorrow (Saturday) is going to bring? I think conditions are going to be pretty tough.”
Two-time reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Alex Palou, who has won four of the first five races this season, posted the second fastest qualifying sim of the day with a four-lap average of 232.307 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin posted the fastest lap of the day, a 233.954 mph, in the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet but with the benefit of an aerodynamic tow.
It was not all roses for CGR as second-year driver Kyffin Simpson suffered a nasty crash coming out of Turn 4. Simpson’s No. 8 Journie Rewards Honda briefly got airborne, came down on its left side before landing on its wheels and sliding across the track and making contact with inside wall on pit lane. Simpson was not hurt but will go to a backup car.
Simpson wasn’t the only one who went for a wild ride. Arrow McLaren’s Kyle Larson spun in Turn 3, sending the No. 17 Hendrick Cars.com Chevrolet into the SAFER barrier.
Larson was not hurt and after repairs were made to his car, he was able to return to the track for a shakedown run in the final hour of practice.
Saturday at Indianapolis starts with a practice session from 8:30-9:30 a.m., with two 30-minute groups (FS2, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
The first day of PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying takes place from 11 a.m.-5:50 p.m. (11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., FS1; 1:30-4 p.m., FS2; 4-6 p.m., FOX; FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network) where positions 13-30 in the starting field will be set.
Sunday will be day 2 of Qualifying with the Last Row Shootout, Top 12 and Firestone Fast Six qualifying sessions deciding the rest of the 33-car starting grid.
The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
SPEEDWAY, IN (May 14, 2025) – Alex Palou is leading the NTT INDYCAR SERIES Indianapolis 500 speed charts after Wednesday’s rain-shortened practice for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Palou, a three-time series Champion, was quickest at 227.546 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. It was the fastest lap of two days of preparations this week for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”
“A couple of good traffic runs,” said Palou, who is leading the 2025 Championship standing. “The car is feeling good. You always want it to feel a little bit better, but so far, so good. We did a little bit of (running in) traffic. It’s always tough when people are in different run plans.”
Team Penske’s Will Power, the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner, continued his strong month posting the second fastest speed at 225.584 in the No. 12 Verizon Chevrolet.
“I think we’ve got a reasonable package right now,” said Power. “Seems very difficult to pass when you are in the back of the pack, but car stayed really consistent through the rounds. I felt pretty good in traffic. speed doesn’t quite matter. It’s more about handling, which looks like everyone’s car is handling well too.”
Right behind Power was teammate Josef Newgarden was third quick at at 225.545 in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Chevrolet. Newgarden is trying to become the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 in three consecutive years.
“Been up and down with the weather, but for the most part we’ve had really good running,” said Newgarden, a two-time series Champion. “Even yesterday where some rain interrupted the beginning, we still got a lot of track time, and we got a lot of track time today. No complaints so far.”
2008 Indianapolis 500 winner Scott Dixon was fourth fastest at at 225.092 in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly rounded out the Top 5 at 224.931 in the No. 76 Chevrolet.
Practice started 68 minutes late due to heavy rain this morning over the 2.5-mile oval. There were further delays of 54 minutes and 15 minutes in the afternoon due to passing sprinkles.
The forecast on Thursday calls for a stray shower in the morning with hot and humid temperatures and a chance of showers later in the day.
All the fastest laps on Wednesday came with the benefit of an aerodynamic “tow” from leading cars, as teams continued to focus on finding stable setups in traffic for Race Day.
Wednesday’s delayed start prevented Tony Kanaan from taking his ‘refresher’ test, so he will attempt that Thursday morning when on-track activity opens at 10 a.m. Kanaan is a standby driver for Kyle Larson in case weather delays his attempt at the ‘double’.
The track will be open for practice for all cars from noon-6 p.m. (noon-4 p.m., FS2; 4-6 p.m., FS1; FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is scheduled for Sunday, May 25 (10 a.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network).
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