Conor Daly fastest in Indy 500 practice

Conor Daly set the pace on May 13 in the second day of practice for the 110th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with a fastest lap of 228.080 mph for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Alex Palou was second at 228.026 mph for Chip Ganassi Racing, and David Malukas was third at 227.139 mph for Team Penske, according to IndyCar. The six-hour session produced the fastest speeds of the week so far as conditions cooled and traffic helped generate aerodynamic tow. Indianapolis Motor Speedway also said all reserved grandstand seating for race day would be sold out for the second straight year, with the final tickets due to be sold on May 13. ### How fast was Daly, and what did that lap look like? Conor Daly’s 228.080 mph lap was the quickest of the first two practice days and came in the No. 23 Chevrolet just over an hour into Wednesday’s session, IndyCar said. The series said Daly’s best time came in thick traffic, where the aerodynamic tow from other cars can lift outright speed. (indycar.com) Daly told IndyCar, “Feeling great, but we weren’t even flat on that lap,” after a session in which he also said the car felt good in traffic. The Noblesville, Indiana, driver had already been third-fastest on opening day at 225.838 mph, giving Dreyer & Reinbold Racing another early signal of pace at its home event. ### Where did Palou and the other contenders end up? (indycar.com) Alex Palou finished second at 228.026 mph in the No. 10 Honda after leading opening-day practice Tuesday at 225.937 mph, IndyCar said. David Malukas moved to third at 227.139 mph, Graham Rahal was fourth at 226.835 mph, and Romain Grosjean rounded out the top five at 226.591 mph. Pato O’Ward led the no-tow chart at 221.409 mph, with Alexander Rossi second among cars running alone at 221.392 mph, according to IndyCar. (indycar.com) The series said Kyle Kirkwood’s 222.062 mph no-tow lap from May 12 remained the quickest solo run of the week through Wednesday. ### Why did Wednesday’s speeds jump? Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw air temperatures in the mid-60s and partly cloudy skies on May 13, conditions IndyCar described as nearly ideal for speed. (indycar.com) The series said those cooler conditions, combined with aerodynamic tow in traffic, helped push two drivers above 228 mph. The 33-car field logged 2,542 incident-free laps Wednesday, up from 1,996 on opening day, according to IndyCar. (indycar.com) Palou carried the heaviest workload with 118 laps after running only 28 laps Tuesday, a jump that underscored how much track time teams used once conditions improved. ### What was happening away from the timing screens? Indianapolis Motor Speedway said on May 13 that all reserved seating for race day would be sold out for the second consecutive year. (indycar.com) The track said the announcement came earlier than in 2025, when the grandstand sellout was announced on May 20. IMS President J. Douglas Boles said in a statement that anticipation for race day was nearing an all-time high in Central Indiana and beyond. The speedway said the local delay of the FOX broadcast for the May 24 race would be lifted, while general admission infield tickets and some hospitality inventory remained available. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ### What comes next in the Indy 500 schedule? IndyCar scheduled practice to resume on Thursday, May 14, from noon to 6 p.m. ET, with “Fast Friday” set for May 15 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Qualifying weekend follows on May 16 and May 17, according to the event schedule. The 110th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, with pre-race coverage beginning at 10 a.m. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ET and the green flag set for about 12:45 p.m. ET, according to IndyCar and IMS. (indycar.com)