Team Penske’s Will power topped the timesheets in Tuesday’s opening Indy 500 practice at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway which unfolded under the shadow of unpredictable weather.
Despite a delayed start and an early finish due to rain and lightning every team and driver took to the track in pursuit of IndyCar’s most coveted prize, setting the stage for what promises to be a fiercely competitive Month of May.
The day began with a sense of uncertainty as intermittent rain showers swept across the Speedway, pushing the scheduled noon start back by more than two and a half hours.
Teams and drivers, eager to begin their preparations for the 109th running of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” watched the skies anxiously, their patience finally rewarded when the track was declared ready for action shortly after 2:30 p.m. local time.
The green flag signaled the start of Indy 500 practice and the roar of 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engines filled the air as the field of 34 cars took to the 2.5-mile oval.
With only a truncated window of track time available-just under three hours instead of the planned six-teams wasted no time in executing their meticulously crafted run plans.
The primary objective for most was to establish a solid baseline setup, gather crucial aerodynamic and tire data, and reacquaint themselves with the unique challenges of the Speedway’s four distinct corners.
The standout performance of the day came from 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion Will Power who topped the session’s speed charts with a blistering lap of 227.026 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet.
Close behind Power was his teammate and reigning two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden. His No. 2 Shell V-Power NiTRO+ Chevrolet clocked a best lap of 226.971 mph reinforcing Team Penske’s formidable presence at the top of the timing sheets.
Chip Ganassi Racing, the other powerhouse team in the paddock, also made its presence felt. Current series points leader and four-time IndyCar race winner in 2025 Alex Palou posted the third-fastest lap at 226.673 mph.
Scott Dixon was fourth fastest while Scott McLaughlin – another Team Penske ace – rounded out the top five. Four-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves demonstrated his enduring speed by finishing sixth.
Alexander Rossi, Marcus Armstrong, Marcus Ericsson and Marco Andretti completed the top ten, each laying down solid markers as they began their respective campaigns.
A key metric on opening Indy 500 practice day is the non-tow speed which measures a driver’s lap time without the aerodynamic benefit of running in another car’s slipstream. This figure is often viewed as a more accurate indicator of a car’s true pace in qualifying trim.
On Tuesday, Andretti’s Kyle Kirkwood topped the non-tow charts with a lap of 219.497 mph. Newgarden was second in the non-tow rankings at 219.149 mph followed by rookie Jacob Abel, Conor Daly and Alexander Rossi.
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The opening day was not without its challenges. The Italian-based PREMA Racing team, making its NTT IndyCar Series debut, encountered difficulties as both of its cars were not ready when the track went green.
As a result, PREMA drivers Robert Shwartzman and Callum Ilott completed the fewest laps of any team with Shwartzman turning just six laps and Ilott managing sixteen.
Despite the compressed schedule, the opening Indy 500 practice was remarkably incident-free. All 34 entries completed a combined total of 1,549 laps with no contact with the walls and only routine yellow flags for track inspections.
The clean running was a testament to the professionalism and discipline of the drivers many of whom used the time to reacclimate to the unique demands of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and to test various aerodynamic and mechanical configurations.
Notably, Kyffin Simpson logged the most laps of any driver completing 84 laps as he gathered valuable data for his team.
