Alex Palou has set the pace in a private IndyCar test at Laguna Seca in which Chip Ganassi Racing team-mate Marcus Ericsson crashed.
Ericsson had a lose at the Turn 6 left-hander, causing left-rear suspension and wing damage to the #8 Honda which sidelined the Swede for a chunk of the day.
A total of 13 cars across six teams took to the Californian venue which hosts the season finale in a week-and-a-half from now, with Palou going quickest at a time of 1:11.440s.
McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist, who was fastest for much of the day, ended up second on a 1:11.677s, from team-mate Pato O’Ward on a 1:11.710s in his Chevrolet-powered car.
Graham Rahal (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) claimed fourth on a 1:11.801s, while Ericsson got back out after his prang and set a 1:11.824s on his third-last of 69 laps to round out the top five.
Palou, Ericsson, and team-mate Scott Dixon are all in the hunt for the 2022 IndyCar Series title with just two races to go, and the latter finished seventh-fastest on a 1:11.967s.
Their key rivals at Team Penske, series leader Will Power and the man who is a close second in Josef Newgarden, tested days earlier at Portland, the scene of this weekend’s penultimate race of the campaign.
Power set the pace then, despite a crash of his own too.
Track action at Portland starts on Saturday morning (AEST), with Practice 2, Qualifying, and the race itself live and ad-free on Stan Sport.
Results: Laguna Seca private test Unofficial
| Pos | Driver | Team | Engine | Fastest lap |
| 1 | Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 1:11.440 |
| 2 | Felix Rosenqvist | McLaren SP | Chevrolet | 1:11.677 |
| 3 | Pato O’Ward | McLaren SP | Chevrolet | 1:11.710 |
| 4 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 1:11.801 |
| 5 | Marcus Ericsson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 1:11.824 |
| 6 | David Malukas | Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 1:11.893 |
| 7 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 1:11.967 |
| 8 | Devin DeFrancesco | Andretti Autosport | Honda | 1:11.999 |
| 9 | Callum Ilott | Juncos Hollinger Racing | Chevrolet | 1:12.011 |
| 10 | Jack Harvey | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 1:12.061 |
| 11 | Christian Lundgaard | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Honda | 1:12.299 |
| 12 | Takuma Sato | Dale Coyne Racing | Honda | 1:12.531 |
| 13 | Jimmie Johnson | Chip Ganassi Racing | Honda | 1:13.449 |
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