Without rain disruptions, drivers finally completed vital race runs during day three of practice for the Indy 500, with Josef Newgarden impressing.
Álex Palou showed another strong start to the Indianapolis weekend, leading the pack at the end of the second day of practice. The reigning champion harbouring a 2 mph advantage over the rest of the grid.
However, there is still a long way to go in the week of preparation for the 109th running of the Indy500. Josef Newgarden was looking to make it a third win in a row, Palou hoping for his first ever oval win, and drivers across the grid desperate for the glory of the greatest spectacle in racing.
The first two days of practice saw rain disruptions around the Speedway, with day 3 being the first without rain forecast. Making it the perfect opportunity for drivers to trial race runs.
First hour
In the opening laps, an issue appeared on the number 10 of Álex Palou, when there was oil covering the back of his car – being wheeled back into the garages. Scott Dixon, Palou’s teammate, changed his engine before day 3 began, but it was looking like Palou might also be suffering from engine woes.
Ferrucci, who was frustrated with the car’s performance across the weekend, made a move around the outside of Devlin DeFrancesco crossing the line coming out of the pit lane which earned him a drive-through penalty.
Luckily for Palou, Chip Ganassi were just switching out the drive shaft boot – not an engine issue. A relief, no doubt, in the number 10 team.
Josef Newgarden picked up from where he left off last year, with the fastest speed of 226.632 mph. Already matching and looking to beat the times of the previous days.
In the first hour the top five seemed solidified, with Newgarden leading from Dixon, Daly, O’Ward and Hunter-Reay. But with so many different run plans, the exact pace of the grid was almost indecipherable.
Second Hour
While every driver began to make progress, getting up to speed with the unforgiving track, drivers weren’t putting in qualifying laps. Instead, focusing on taking turns, leading the pack and running in dirty air.
Graham Rahal admitted that he was suffering balance issues with his RLL, plaguing his teammate too. He pushed the need to fix it before qualifying tomorrow. Louis Foster echoed his teammate’s sentiments later in the session.
The only driver who seemed truly uncomfortable was Santino Ferrucci who was running in dead last, eight mph slower than the driver in front. His 211 mph time was nowhere near the speed he’d need to be competitive come qualifying and as drivers around the grid neared 80 laps on the board, Ferrucci had just eight.
With practice 3 being the first undisrupted session, Ferrucci was missing crucial track time every lap he spent in the pits.
Halfway point of Indy 500 practice three
With a brief caution for a track inspection, some teams were taking the opportunity to give a qualifying set up a go.
One of the biggest factors to qualifying tomorrow is going to be the wind. In practice, the wind was just a third of what is forecast for Fast Friday at 11 mph.
With almost 30 mph gust forecast, the conditions are going to be incredibly treacherous and there will be no room for error.
Finally, with two hours and a half hours left in the practice session, Santino Ferrucci finally came on the radio to say he was happy with the set-up of his car. A welcome relief for the A.J. Foyt driver and team.
Ferrucci managed to get his A.J. Foyt in the 216 mph margin, which was a decent speed but still ten mph off Newgarden’s pace out front. Still leaving him slowest in the order.
A small group began to form, with Alex Palou at the front, drivers beginning to push on their race simulations.
However, Alex Rasmussen brushed the wall with an hour and 45 minutes to go and was tipped into a high-speed spin. He recovered without car damage, but his tyres were now destroyed. Pulling off the track and climbing out of his stricken car, a full circuit caution allowed marshalls to clear the oval.
With just over 90 minutes to go the session resumed, with Daly the first to take to the track, practising a qualifying simulation. Unhappy with his set up, he returned to the pit-lane after only a few laps. A large group of cars then took to the circuit, with many drivers darting out of each-other’s way.
Alex Palou pulled into the pits with just over an hour to go, the Spaniard done for the day.
Final hour
Happy Hour began in earnest, with the wait on for the drivers to return for one final burst of activity. Josef Newgarden returned to action after four hours, and immediately impressed with a car that looked planted.
Will Power took to the track with 40 minutes to go, but looked to be the slowest of the Penske’s at this stage.
Takuma Sato and David Malukas provided entertainment in an unusually quiet happy hour, pushing during qualifying simulations. Both however had work to do to challenge the top runners. Sato kissed the wall, judging his line to perfection.
With just five minutes remaining, both Prema’s ran in formation, gathering data on running in traffic. Their lap times did not disturb those at the top.
None of the drivers could topple Newgarden, who looks in imperious form as the field prepared for Fast Friday.
