On Fast Friday, Scott McLaughlin set the pace with a blistering 233.954mph lap, aided by a tow. The top non-tow speed went to Scott Dixon at 232.561mph, while Dixon also led in best four-lap averages at 232.366mph. Other drivers in the mix were Alex Palou, Colton Herta, and Kyle Kirkwood, all exceeding 231mph.
The next group in the top ten, including Felix Rosenqvist and Marcus Ericsson, surpassed the 230mph threshold. Despite running mock qualifying runs, high winds and tricky car behavior led to many drivers struggling to find the right setup. Kyffin Simpson and Kyle Larson were involved in separate incidents, with Simpson crashing at Turn 4 and Larson losing control but managing to return to the track after repairs.
Overall, teams focused on qualifying runs, skipping drafting practice, resulting in lower lap totals. Will Power, Jacob Abel, and Graham Rahal tied for the most laps run with 26 each as they prepared for Saturday’s qualifying session.
