Simon Pagenaud has backed up his pole position with the fastest lap in the second-last practice session for the 2019 Indianapolis 500, ahead of team-mate Josef Newgarden.
Team Penske drivers finished first, second, seventh, and eighth, with the top two both exceeding a 228mph average in race set-up.
Pagenaud (#22 Chevrolet) lapped at a best of 39.3975s (228.441mph, 367.640km/h) and Newgarden (#2 Chevrolet) at 39.4265s (228.273mph, 367.370km/h) during the two-hour session.
Helio Castroneves (#3 Chevrolet) went as quick as 39.5406s (227.614mph, 366.39km/h) and Will Power (#12 Chevrolet), last year’s race winner, 39.5639s (227.480mph, 366.094km/h).
Third in fact went to one of the three drivers who had to come through Last Row Qualifying as James Hinchcliffe clocked a 39.4748s (227.994mph, 366.921km/h) in the #5 Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda.
Scott Dixon (#9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda) was ever so slightly slower (39.4822s, 227.951mph, 366.852km/h), while Alexander Rossi (#27 Andretti Autosport Honda) rounded out the top five.
James Davison put the #33 DCR w/ Byrd-Hollinger-Belardi Honda into 10th position on the timesheet with a 39.5754s lap (227.393mph, 365.954km/h).
Marcus Ericsson (#7 SPM Honda) caused a Caution in the final 20 minutes when ran high and brushed the wall at Turn 3 after Felix Rosenqvist (#10 CGR Honda) checked up in traffic.
Ericsson was 12th fastest on the day and Rosenqvist ninth.
Ericsson hit u̶s̶ the wall #INDYCAR // #ThisIsMay pic.twitter.com/3KneWsPMSY
— NTT IndyCar Series (@IndyCar) May 20, 2019
The last practice session takes place for 90 minutes on Carb Day, this Friday (Saturday 0100 AEST).
Results: Practice 8
| Pos | Num | Driver | C/E/T | Time | Avg speed | Laps | |
| mph | km/h | ||||||
| 1 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | D/C/F | 0:39.3975 | 228.441 | 367.640 | 88 |
| 2 | 2 | Josef Newgarden | D/C/F | 0:39.4265 | 228.273 | 367.370 | 88 |
| 3 | 5 | James Hinchcliffe | D/H/F | 0:39.4748 | 227.994 | 366.921 | 71 |
| 4 | 9 | Scott Dixon | D/H/F | 0:39.4822 | 227.951 | 366.852 | 86 |
| 5 | 27 | Alexander Rossi | D/H/F | 0:39.5326 | 227.660 | 366.383 | 84 |
| 6 | 23 | Charlie Kimball | D/C/F | 0:39.5353 | 227.645 | 366.359 | 70 |
| 7 | 3 | Helio Castroneves | D/C/F | 0:39.5406 | 227.614 | 366.309 | 92 |
| 8 | 12 | Will Power | D/C/F | 0:39.5639 | 227.480 | 366.094 | 94 |
| 9 | 10 | Felix Rosenqvist (R) | D/H/F | 0:39.5754 | 227.414 | 365.987 | 84 |
| 10 | 33 | James Davison | D/H/F | 0:39.5791 | 227.393 | 365.954 | 51 |
| 11 | 14 | Tony Kanaan | D/C/F | 0:39.5962 | 227.295 | 365.796 | 56 |
| 12 | 7 | Marcus Ericsson (R) | D/H/F | 0:39.6405 | 227.041 | 365.387 | 76 |
| 13 | 60 | Jack Harvey | D/H/F | 0:39.6582 | 226.939 | 365.223 | 84 |
| 14 | 18 | Sebastien Bourdais | D/H/F | 0:39.6887 | 226.765 | 364.943 | 82 |
| 15 | 20 | Ed Carpenter | D/C/F | 0:39.6909 | 226.752 | 364.922 | 86 |
| 16 | 4 | Matheus Leist | D/C/F | 0:39.6964 | 226.721 | 364.872 | 57 |
| 17 | 21 | Spencer Pigot | D/C/F | 0:39.7886 | 226.195 | 364.026 | 74 |
| 18 | 42 | Jordan King (R) | D/H/F | 0:39.8023 | 226.118 | 363.902 | 61 |
| 19 | 98 | Marco Andretti | D/H/F | 0:39.8040 | 226.108 | 363.886 | 50 |
| 20 | 88 | Colton Herta (R) | D/H/F | 0:39.8185 | 226.026 | 363.754 | 80 |
| 21 | 19 | Santino Ferrucci (R) | D/H/F | 0:39.8190 | 226.023 | 363.749 | 84 |
| 22 | 30 | Takuma Sato | D/H/F | 0:39.8200 | 226.017 | 363.739 | 98 |
| 23 | 39 | Pippa Mann | D/C/F | 0:39.8465 | 225.867 | 363.498 | 57 |
| 24 | 25 | Conor Daly | D/H/F | 0:39.8470 | 225.864 | 363.493 | 82 |
| 25 | 15 | Graham Rahal | D/H/F | 0:39.8677 | 225.747 | 363.305 | 85 |
| 26 | 26 | Zach Veach | D/H/F | 0:39.8815 | 225.669 | 363.179 | 74 |
| 27 | 77 | Oriol Servia | D/H/F | 0:39.8947 | 225.594 | 363.058 | 65 |
| 28 | 48 | JR Hildebrand | D/C/F | 0:39.8987 | 225.571 | 363.021 | 59 |
| 29 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | D/H/F | 0:39.9071 | 225.524 | 362.946 | 71 |
| 30 | 63 | Ed Jones | D/C/F | 0:39.9743 | 225.145 | 362.336 | 61 |
| 31 | 24 | Sage Karam | D/C/F | 0:40.0892 | 224.499 | 361.296 | 53 |
| 32 | 32 | Kyle Kaiser | D/C/F | 0:40.2007 | 223.877 | 360.295 | 78 |
| 33 | 4 | Tony Kanaan | D/C/F | 0:40.4702 | 222.386 | 357.896 | 4 |
| 34 | 81 | Ben Hanley (R) | D/C/F | 0:40.5362 | 222.024 | 357.313 | 84 |
(C)hassis: D=Dallara | (E)ngine: C=Chevy, H=Honda | (T)yre: F=Firestone
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