Sato, Power set pace as Indy 500 practice resumes

Takuma Sato continues to set the pace at the Indianapolis 500, while Will Power was fastest in non-tow terms as practice resumed.

While those two were speedy, Romain Grosjean got himself noticed for different reasons, with several scary moments before he finished the day with a straight #28 Andretti Autosport car.

Sato had been quickest on the opening day of the event with a high-228mph lap and maintains the ascendancy now that the IndyCar field has notched up another six hours of practice, after rain saw proceedings washed out on Wednesday (local time).

The two-time Indy 500 winner could not match his earlier pace, setting only a 227.519mph (366.156km/h) in the #51 Dale Coyne Racing w/ RWR Honda, but no one else went any faster.

In another repeat of how Day 1 of practice played out, Sato’s late-afternoon lap beat Scott Dixon’s early effort, a 227.335mph (365.860km/h) in the #9 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Furthermore, IndyCar rookie David Malukas continued to impress in the other DCR car, that being the #18 which is co-entered with HMD Motorsports, by putting himself third on the timesheet on a 226.869mph (365.110km/h).

Best of the Chevrolet contingent was AJ Foyt Racing’s JR Hildebrand, who is taking the oval races only in Car #11, in fourth position with a 226.846mph (365.073km/h) average on his 97th lap of the day.

Jimmie Johnson was top five again in the #48 Ganassi Honda, from Pato O’Ward (#5 McLaren SP Chevrolet), Marcus Ericsson (#8 Ganassi Honda), Felix Rosenqvist (#7 McLaren SP Chevrolet), Simon Pagenaud (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda), and Ed Carpenter (#33 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet).

Scott McLaughlin was best of the Team Penske trio in only 17th, going as quick as a 224.777mph (361.744km/h) in the #3 Chevrolet, ahead of Power in 21st and Newgarden all the way back in 31st in the 33-car field.

However, Power was quickest in an all-Chevrolet top three as far as non-tow laps were concerned, a positive sign for the weekend’s (local time) qualifying sessions.

The 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner’s fastest lap of the day was in fact set without the assistance of a tow, his average speed being 224.325mph (361.016km/h) for that 2.5mi tour of the Brickyard.

Second was Rinus VeeKay, again, with his team-mate/boss Carpenter third on the non-tow rankings, ahead of Andretti Autosport’s Alexander Rossi in a Honda-powered car.

Rossi’s team-mate Grosjean was only 23rd, and 31st without a tow, but it was not for lack of trying if a number of near-misses with the wall are anything to go by.

Close call this afternoon for #Indy500 rookie, @RGrosjean.

Watch live on @peacockTV: https://t.co/7aweZcszVk#INDYCAR // @IMS // @FollowAndretti pic.twitter.com/DuSvO2A0rj

— NTT INDYCAR SERIES (@IndyCar) May 19, 2022

The competition heats up now with ‘Fast Friday’, when the boost levels will be turned up as drivers go for genuine qualifying simulations, from tomorrow at 02:00 AEST.

Both days of qualifying, on Sunday and Monday morning (AEST), will be streamed live and ad-free on Stan Sport.

Results: Practice 4

Note: Practice 4 is the only session of Day 3 (Two practice sessions on Day 1)