A full day of running was put to good use by 33 NTT IndyCar Series drivers on Thursday at the Indy Open Test which was led by Team Penske and Josef Newgarden.
With the last two hours of action filled with drivers chasing each other in higher downforce race-day trim, Newgarden hit a peak of 237.023mph on entry to Turn 3 and used the speed in the draft to claim the fastest lap in the No. 2 Chevy, but he also found speed on his own, recording the second fastest no-tow speed of the day at a 220.648, which bodes well for the two-time IndyCar champion when the series returns in May.
In the final minutes of the day, Conor Daly shot to P2 in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevy (227.466mph), displacing Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon, who’d held the spot for a good while in the No. 9 Honda (226.788mph). Kyle Kirkwood maintained his impressive form of late with a lap that placed the No. 27 Andretti Autosport Honda in fourth (226.727mph), and CGR’s Takuma Sato completed the top fix in the No. 11 Honda (226.265mph).
With rain forecast for Friday, IndyCar adjusted Thursday’s schedule to start early and give veterans a two-hour session from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Reigning Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson topped the field with a best lap of 224.330mph in the No. 8 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
The next session, dedicated for rookies and veterans in need of refresher runs, saw Andretti Autosport’s Marco Andretti lead the nine-deep group with a 221.569mph in the No. 98 Andretti Honda. Every member of the group passed their mandatory phases and all rookies were cleared to participate in the afternoon session.