DIXON IS FASTEST FIRST DAY AT INDY TESTING

By Paul Kelly – Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Friday, April 25, 2025: Scott Dixon has won four of his six NTT INDYCAR SERIES championships in the last 11 years, but his only victory in the Indianapolis 500 came in 2008.

His performance during the first day of the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge Open Test could be the first step toward changing that equation.

Six-time series champion Dixon was the fastest driver Wednesday on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval, turning a top lap of 225.182 mph during the last hour of testing in the No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

“It’s testing – just trying to get through the test list, lots of changes,” Dixon said. “We didn’t do the October test, so first time with the hybrid here, which definitely adds some elements to it and makes it pretty interesting. I think it is going to determine a lot race-wise, maybe even for the shootout at the end. I think it could determine that.

“So, trying to clarify a lot of those situations to make sure that you’re covered muscle memory-wise and memory-wise. It comes down to that. So even in qualifying, I think it be a few different strategies of how to get that right.”

Dixon took the top spot from two-time reigning race champion Josef Newgarden, who ended up second at 225.125 in the #2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet. Two-time series champion Newgarden is trying to become the first driver to win the world’s most prestigious auto race three years in a row Sunday, May 25.

“Today was really solid just to start out,” Newgarden said. “The big thing is you come here with a new car or an existing car that you’re taking apart and completely rebuilding it. For most everybody here, putting a car on the track for the first time and hoping it just goes relatively quick … when the car is fast, everything else can be fixed. It’s the car’s speed that fixes everything.

“For us, it’s been a really good start. It doesn’t mean it’s going to be all smooth sailing, but I hope we can come out of this and be prepared for the Month of May.”

Two-time “500” winner Takuma Sato started his “one-off” Indianapolis 500 effort with vigor, ending up third at 225.069 in the No. 75 AMADA Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Marcus Armstrong led three Meyer Shank Racing cars in the top eight, as he was fourth at 224.987 in the No. 66 SiriusXM/Root Insurance Honda.

Colton Herta rounded out the top five at 224.857 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda of Andretti Global.

Besides MSR putting Armstrong fourth, four-time “500” winner Helio Castroneves seventh and Felix Rosenqvist eighth, another trend line was drawn during the first day of the test: Honda engines are fast. Honda powered nine of the 10 fastest drivers today, with Newgarden the only Chevy driver in that group.

Honda drivers also took the top three spots on the “no-tow” list of drivers’ best laps turned without the speed-enhancing edge of an aerodynamic slipstream from a leading car. Rosenqvist was the top no-tow driver at 220.835 in the No. 60 SiriusXM Honda, followed by three-time series champion Alex Palou at 220.354 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

“I’m excited to turn up the boost and curious to see how this hybrid is going to be used in qualifying,” said Pato O’Ward, who was 16th overall at 222.775 mph in the No. 5 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. “I think everybody is kind of playing a guessing game now, so we’ll see what’s the best one tomorrow.”

Thirty-four drivers are eligible to participate when Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge practice opens Tuesday, May 13, as Jacob Abel, Louis Foster and Robert Shwartzman completed the Rookie Orientation Program and Marco Andretti, Devlin DeFrancesco, Callum Ilott, Kyle Larson and Sato completed the veteran refresher test Wednesday.

All 34 drivers expected to compete next month for the 33 starting spots were on track today, turning a combined 2,805 laps. Rookie Swartzman was the busiest driver, turning 133 laps in the No. 83 PREMA Racing Chevrolet.

In an interesting twist, two-time reigning series champion and current championship leader Alex Palou was one of the most inactive drivers, completing just 46 laps despite no apparent technical problems. Palou, seeking his first “500” victory, ended up sixth overall at 224.786.

The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson was 11th at 223.430 in the No. 17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Larson is once again trying to complete the “Double” of racing in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day May 25.

There was just one caution period during more than six hours of testing. Graham Rahal brushed the SAFER Barrier in Turn 3 twice in his No. 15 United Rentals Honda fielded by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with 13 minutes remaining. Rahal was unhurt.

McLAUGHLIN PUTS DOWN QUICKEST LAP – DAY TWO

Scott McLaughlin turned the fastest lap of the two-day test, 232.686 mph, on Thursday with help from extra engine boost in his #3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet.

The two names atop the speed charts Thursday came as little surprise on the final day of the Indianapolis 500 Open Test, which featured two segments with distinct engine performance setups.

Last year’s Indy 500 pole winner Scott McLaughlin was fastest during the morning session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which featured the same elevated turbo boost levels as “Fast Friday” practice May 16 and PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying on May 17-18. McLaughlin’s top lap was 232.686 mph in the #3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet, the fastest trip around the 2.5-mile oval in two days of testing this week.

“We had a really good day, a good couple of days,” McLaughlin said. “(I) felt like we got through a lot from a hybrid perspective.

“Then I felt like the morning qualifying session – the high-boost session – was a bit of a crap shoot. (There were a) couple yellows. When the track got better, it was a bit dirty from some of the shunts, as well. Then everyone was trying to cram a lot into 40 minutes. But overall, a really solid (car) balance to kick off the Month of May.”

Three-time and two-time reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES Champion Alex Palou topped the speed charts during the afternoon session, which featured boost levels reduced to the same levels that will be used on Race Day for the 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 25. Current championship leader Palou’s top lap in the afternoon was 223.993 in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

“You need to keep on always chasing it and trying to make it better,” Palou said. “Trying to make it more comfortable when running in traffic, trying to make it faster when you’re alone. That’s the car that gives me a chance (to win), for sure.”

Two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Takuma Sato was second fastest in the “boosted” session in the morning with his lap of 232.565 mph in the #75 AMADA Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato’s lap also was the fastest of the test without the benefit of an aerodynamic “tow” from the slipstream of a leading car.

But Sato’s glory was short-lived and showed the risks of living on the edge of a lightning bolt with cars in tricky, low-downforce, high-boost qualifying setups. Sato had completed just eight laps in the morning session, with his best lap on Lap 3, when his car made heavy contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 and came to a stop in Turn 2 with heavy damage.

2017 and 2020 Indy winner Sato was uninjured, but the sight of his crumpled race car specifically built and massaged for the “500″ was painful.

“I lost it; I simply lost it,” Sato said. “It’s hard. My body is fine. It’s just the car … I lost the car. That’s heartbreaking.”

The 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner Will Power was third in the “boosted” session at 232.278 in the #12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, followed by Felix Rosenqvist at 232.100 in the #60 SiriusXM Honda fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. Palou rounded out the top five at 231.843.

All but two of the 34 cars on track returned to running in thickets of traffic in the afternoon session to simulate Race Day. Palou and Rosenqvist were the only drivers in the top five in both sessions today, as Rosenqvist backed up his strong performance with extra boost by ending up second in the afternoon with a best lap of 223.366.

Long Beach winner Kyle Kirkwood was third in the afternoon session at 223.362 in the No. 27 Andretti Global Honda. Conor Daly was fourth at 223.298 in the #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet, while two-time reigning “500” winner Josef Newgarden rounded out the top five at 223.255 in the #2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet.

Sato wasn’t the only driver to contact the SAFER Barrier Thursday. The 2024 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson also crashed in the morning session, hitting the SAFER Barrier in Turn 1 in the #17 Hendrickcars.com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet before secondary contact in Turn 2.

2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Larson was unhurt, but like Sato, he didn’t return to the track for the rest of the day. Larson is attempting May 25 to race the “double” of the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Chevrolet enjoyed a solid rebound Thursday, as Chevy-powered drivers took two of the top five spots in each of the sessions. Honda engines powered nine of the 10 fastest drivers Wednesday.

Over two days of testing, the 34 drivers combined to turn 5,804 laps, or 14,510 miles.

Up next for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES is the Month of May, highlighted by three points races. May racing starts with the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix on Sunday, May 4 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. Then action shifts to the IMS road course for the Sonsio Grand Prix on Saturday, May 10 before “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Sunday, May 25 on the IMS oval. FOX, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network are providing live coverage of all three races.