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Pagenaud leads Rosenqvist in opening practice

Pagenaud leads Rosenqvist in opening practice

There was a very early yellow when rookie David Malukas’ Dale Coyne Racing with RWR-Honda was slow on track and trickled into pitlane, but action swiftly resumed. However, 10min into the session, IndyCar oval debutant Jimmie Johnson’s Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda came down onto the apron with his engine off, briefly causing a second yellow.

For the first 15mins of the session, Meyer Shank Racing-Honda’s Simon Pagenaud was the only driver in the 223mph zone – 223.087mph/23.2376sec of the 1.5-mile oval. His cause helped by the additional 220lbs / eight percent increase in downforce thanks to the underfloor sidewalls and bargeboards that teams can use here in 2022.

That speed, set on his 16th of what would eventually be 46 laps, would remain the fastest of the session.

And Rosenqvist’s seventh lap of 41 would remain the closest Pagenaud would come to a challenge, with a 222.878mph effort. St. Petersburg winner Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske and Rosenqvist’s teammate and…

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