Speedway, Ind. – Before the green flag is waived for the first day of practice on Tuesday May 13, the third week of April officially kicks off May action at the corner of 16th & Georgetown, as local Hoosiers flock to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in masses, to catch a glimpse of speed and adrenaline.
Dixon edged out two-time and reining Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden in Wednesday’s test session with a speed of 225.182 mph on the famed 2.5-mile oval, in his No. 9 PNC Bank Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
Scott Dixon is one of the greatest drivers to compete in NTT IndyCar Series history with his impressive six series titles but has yet to become a multi-time Indy 500 champion in his illustrious career. The driver that has been fastest in the April open test the last two years has gone on to win two consecutive 500-mile races. Could 2025 be the year for Dixon?
“It’s testing – just trying to get through the test list,” Dixon said. “We didn’t’ do the October test, so first time with the hybrid here, which definitely adds some elements to it and makes it pretty interesting. I think it’s going to determine a lot race-wise, maybe even for the shootout at the end. I think it could determine that.”
Newgarden enters May trying to accomplish what no driver has yet to do in Indy 500 history, that’s three-peat at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. Wednesday’s test was that first steppingstone for Newgarden as he aims for his third Borg-Warner trophy.
“Today was really solid just to start out,” Newgarden said. “The big thing is you come here with a new car or an existing car that you’re taking apart and completely rebuilding it. For most everybody here, putting a car on the track for the first time and hoping it just goes relatively quick. When the car is fast, everything else can be fixed. It’s the car’s speed that fixes everything.”
Day one of Indy 500 testing certainly didn’t go without some kinks to iron out when the NTT IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway experienced timing & scoring issues that delayed practice for two hours and forty-five minutes.
As the day wore on after the morning’s technical issues, speeds continued to build for the front-runners of the series.
Japan-native and two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato clocked in at the third fastest speed of 225.069 in his No. 75 AMADA Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. Meyer Shank Racing’s Marcus Armstrong led the three-car Indy 500 effort, in the fourth position with a speed of 224.987 in his No. 66 SiriusXM Honda, and Colton Herta rounded out the top five at 224.857 in his No. 26 Gainbridge Andretti Global Honda.
With Honda taking four of the top-five spots and nine in the top-10 of opening day testing, it’s safe to say that Honda could be a legitimate threat for the pole position come May 17 & 18.
You had to scan the speed charts to find the next Chevrolet on the list down in the 11th position with 2024 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year and 2024 Brickyard 400 champion Kyle Larson with a speed of 223.430 in his No. 17 HendrickCars.Com Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Making the return for his second attempt at the Coca-Cola 600-Indy 500, 1100-mile double, Larson was glad to be back at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but admitted that there are some challenges that he will be faced with this May.
“It was good,” said Larson. “Good to get back behind the wheel. It doesn’t seem like that long ago and figured it would feel normal when I got back in, but it definitely took some getting accustomed to, so it’s honestly good to go through the ROP (Rookie Orientation Program). Still just trying to get the hang of it. I feel like it feels a little different handling-wise this year. I don’t know if that’s the hybrid stuff and the weight of that or what I’m feeling, but it feels a little different.”
The question on everybody’s mind is if this will be Larson’s final Indy 500 attempt?
“I don’t know,” Larson said. “I haven’t really had a sit-down discussion with anybody about that. In my head, yeah, I’m going into this thinking it’s at least for the time being, in the near future, the final Indy 500.”
The NTT IndyCar Series will have one more crack at the famed 2.5-mile oval on Thursday April 24 when the teams will be allowed to use Hybrid boost. The month-of-May kicks off on Friday May 9 for Sonsio Grand Prix practice & qualifying and followed up with the 85-lap race on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course on Saturday May 10.
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