Following a lengthy rain delay, the Indy 500 field hit the track around 2:30pm EST, providing teams with approximately three hours of practice before a lightning strike abruptly ended the session prematurely. Tony Kanaan’s veteran refresher test is scheduled for 10am EST on Wednesday.
During the delay, Pato O’Ward faced a comical situation as his Indy 500 helmets were held up by UPS over custom fees, but the issue was eventually resolved after a 40-minute hold.
Team Penske Chevrolets dominated the on-track action, with Will Power setting the fastest lap at 227.026mph, followed by Josef Newgarden and Alex Palou.
Scott Dixon and Scott McLaughlin completed the top five, while Helio Castroneves, Alexander Rossi, Marcus Armstrong, Marcus Ericsson, and Marco Andretti secured spots in the top ten.
Prema Racing cars struggled, with Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott finishing as the slowest cars on the speed charts. Kyle Kirkwood led the no-tow speeds, followed by Josef Newgarden and rookie Jacob Abel.
Kyle Larson, fresh off a NASCAR Cup win at Kansas, ran 45 laps and aims to complete the rare ‘Double’ by racing in both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 on the same day, a feat he narrowly missed due to weather in 2024.
