IndyCar: Fast Friday Report from Indianapolis

With boost turned up to inflate this weekend’s qualifying speeds, Andretti Global’s Colton Herta drove his No 26 Gainbridge Honda to the fastest lap average of 234.974 the day before qualifying for the Indy 500.

Arrow McLaren’s Kyle Larson, driving the No 17 Hendrickscars.com Chevrolet, impressed with a fast lap of 234.271.

Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, and Will Power, drivers for Team Penske, rounded out the top five for today.

After heavy rains last night at Speedway overnight, safety trucks took several laps to dry the track by Noon. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers finally had a whole day to prepare for tomorrow’s qualifications for the 108th Indy 500 presented by Gainbridge.

While out for a simulated qualifying run, Herta’s quickest lap of 234.974mph was fake because it came courtesy of a tow off Graham Rahal with 90 minutes left on the session.

Herta opted to abort the effort after Rahal impeded his planned four-lap run.

Newgarden, the reigning Indy 500 winner, was really the fast man with a strong simulated 4-lap qualifying run of 234.063mph (234.260, 233.937, 233.970, 234.087) to set the fastest four-lap average in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet, which makes him the favorite to win the pole.

Speeds soared Friday because the Honda and Chevrolet engines that power the field featured approximately 100 more horsepower due to increased boost levels that also will be available this weekend during PPG Presents Armed Forces Qualifying.

“You can’t get too excited on a day like today,” two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Newgarden said. “We’re testing. Everybody’s testing. It counts when it counts, but I think we have fast cars. There’s no doubt. We’ve got to be somewhat pleased at what we’re looking at. This team has worked hard.

“We need to put our pieces together tomorrow. It’s going to be harder tomorrow; it’s going to be even harder on Sunday.”

Rookie Mistake

At 1:37 pm, Nolan Siegel, driving the No 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda, made contact with the SAFER Barrier in Turn 2, then became airborne, landed  on the left sidepod, and slid down the backstretch  on his roll hoop.

The 19-year-old Indy 500 rookie was checked and released from the IU Health Emergency Medical Center.

Engine Problems

Alex Palou, the No 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing entry and last year’s polesitter, went out at 3 pm today and ended up back in pit lane with a smoking Honda engine.  The series’  points leader will have to wait until his crew changes his engine before he can get some more practice today.

Scott Dixon, Palou’s teammate, is also having his engine changed this afternoon. The Kiwi came into the pit around 3 p.m.  with something not right.

At 4:45, Rahal Letterman Lanigan’s Pietro Fittipaldi pulled his No 30 5-hour Energy entry into pit lane with a suspected engine issue with his Honda.  He reported no power.  It was later diagnosed as an over-boost issue and not the engine.

Indy 500 Fast Friday top Speeds

Lucille Dust reporting live from Indianapolis