INDIANAPOLIS — On a day where severe wind gusts at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway kept practice to a minimum, Takuma Sato set the fastest lap in the final practice day before qualifying for the 106th Indianapolis 500.
Sato went around the 2.5 mile oval at an average speed of 232.789 mph in the No. 51 Dale Coyne Racing with Rick Ware Racing Honda. Second fastest for the day was Alexander Rossi at 231.883 mph. Third was Pato O’Ward, followed by Marcus Ericsson and Scott Dixon in fifth place.
The speeds on the day known as Fast Friday increase as INDYCAR adjusts the turbocharger boost pressure to qualifying levels, giving each car nearly 90 more horsepower as they go around the track.
The extra boost gave fans a chance to see increased trap speeds as well. With the wind blowing from the south, drivers were setting record speeds since IMS started recording speed trap data in 2009.
The speed traps are 120 feet in length at the ends of the straight pieces of pavement and INDYCAR measures each drivers’ speed across that section of track.
Conor Daly was 14th fastest with an average speed of 230.589 mph, but the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet recorded a trap speed of 243.724 mph.
IndyCar Series points leader Will Power was 11th fastest, while the most recent IndyCar race winner Colton Herta was the slowest car on track. However, with the large winds at the track, that statistic can be taken with a grain of salt ahead of Saturday’s qualifying runs.
Jimmie Johnson Brushes The Wall
The first driver to discolor the wall at the Speedway was seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson. While running a simulated four-lap qualifying run, Johnson’s car pushed on the turn 2 exit and brushed the wall with the right side tires.
‘@JimmieJohnson hits the wall in #Indy500 practice.
“That’s about as good as you can hit the wall at Indianapolis and get away with it,” says @Hinchtown.
📺 : @PeacockTV pic.twitter.com/VYAojfsVJp
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