IndyCar teams spent most of the morning performing mock qualifying runs around the 2.5-mile speedway with Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin running the single fastest lap as the Kiwi reached 232.686mph.
“We had a really good day, a good couple of days,” said McLaughlin. “(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 crapshoot. (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.”
He was followed by two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato at 232.565mph and Will Power at 232.278mph on the time sheets. Felix Rosenqvist and reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou rounded out the top five. The remainder of the top ten in combined speeds went as follows: Scott Dixon, Kyle Kirkwood, Colton Herta, Josef Newgarden, and Kyffin Simpson.
Sato's lap was also the best of all drivers without a tow in the morning session. Unfortunately, his day came to a premature end when he spun at the exit of Turn 1 early in the day. He was not alone as just before that, 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson also smacked the outside wall at the exit of Turn 1, but he was able to keep the car straight despite the impact. Both drivers were checked and released from the infield care center.
The boost was not in play for the afternoon session, which went incident-free despite a heart-stopping moment with just over two hours left. Rinus VeeKay slowed exiting Turn 2, forcing the trio of cars behind him to fan out across the track (and even the apron) and avoid a collision. Larson and Sato were the only drivers who did not take part in the afternoon session.
Palou was fastest of all drivers in race trim for Chip Ganassi Racing, reaching 223.993mph with Felix Rosenqvist and Kirkwood close behind. As for Kirkwood, he held the distinction of posting the fastest no-tow speed in the afternoon with a 218.861mph lap. Rosenqvist and McLaughlin ended up running the most laps in the fifth practice of the week, completing 112 laps each.
“You need to keep on always chasing it and trying to make it better,” said Palou. “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.
Between all five sessions on Wednesday and Thursday, nine drivers ran the equivalent of a full Indy 500 (200 laps) or more. Simpson ran the most of all 34 drivers, completing 265 laps.
