Pato O'Ward posts fastest practice

Pato O’Ward put up the quickest lap of Thursday practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving Arrow McLaren the top spot heading into the first qualifying-focused day of Indianapolis 500 week. Indianapolis Motor Speedway said O’Ward ran 227.308 mph in the No. 5 Chevrolet during the opening 35 minutes of the six-hour session on May 14. The speed was the fastest of the day and the third-fastest of the week at that point, behind laps by Conor Daly and reigning race winner Alex Palou in cooler conditions Wednesday. IMS said all 33 entered cars completed 1,469 laps without an incident as teams shifted attention from race trim to qualifying simulations. ### How fast was O’Ward’s lap, and what did it actually show? Indianapolis Motor Speedway said O’Ward’s 227.308 mph lap came in traffic and with the benefit of an aerodynamic tow. That matters because practice speeds at Indy are split between laps set in traffic and “no-tow” laps that better indicate single-car qualifying pace. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) O’Ward told IMS that his team completed both a race run and qualifying simulations and that the car was “in good balance.” He also said the added boost coming for Friday would change the feel of the car. ### Who else was near the top of the speed chart? Helio Castroneves was second on Thursday at 226.977 mph in the No. 06 Meyer Shank Racing Honda, according to IMS. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) Marcus Armstrong was third at 226.841 mph, giving Meyer Shank Racing two cars in the top three, while Felix Rosenqvist was fourth at 226.626 mph to place all three MSR entries in the top four. Alexander Rossi rounded out the top five at 226.364 mph for Ed Carpenter Racing after an engine change late Wednesday, IMS said. Conor Daly still owned the quickest lap of the week entering Thursday’s close at 228.080 mph, with Palou next at 228.026 mph, according to IMS coverage from earlier in the week and Thursday’s recap. That left O’Ward’s Thursday benchmark as the third-fastest lap logged so far in May practice. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ### Which driver looked strongest in no-tow trim? Takuma Sato posted the fastest no-tow lap Thursday at 223.828 mph in the No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, IMS said. The track said that was also the quickest solo lap of the week. Scott McLaughlin ranked second on the no-tow list at 223.738 mph in the No. 3 Team Penske Chevrolet. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) The no-tow list is watched closely because Indianapolis 500 qualifying is run one car at a time over four laps. Thursday’s split between tow-assisted overall speed and no-tow pace left teams with another full day to sort out where they stand before the grid is set. That is an inference based on the event format and IMS’s separate no-tow reporting. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) ### Why was everyone already talking about Fast Friday? Friday, May 15 is Fast Friday, the final major practice day before qualifying begins, according to the Indianapolis 500 event schedule. IMS said Honda and Chevrolet engines will get roughly 100 more horsepower from increased boost levels that also will be used in qualifying on Saturday and Sunday. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) O’Ward told IMS the extra power would change how the car carries speed, saying drivers would spend much more of the lap “full beans.” His comments matched the broader shift in the garage from traffic work and race runs toward four-lap qualifying simulations. ### When is qualifying, and what comes next? (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) IndyCar’s event page lists Fast Friday practice for May 15, the first day of qualifying for May 16 and Pole Day for May 17. The same schedule lists the 110th Indianapolis 500 for Sunday, May 24, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The field size is 33 cars, and IMS said all 33 entries were on track Thursday. (indianapolismotorspeedway.com) The next decisive step is single-car qualifying over two days, which will determine the starting grid for the race on May 24. (indycar.com)