Conor Daly and Alex Palou became the first drivers to exceed 228 mph during the second day of Indianapolis 500 practice, with Daly clocking in at 228.080 mph and Palou at 228.026 mph. The practice session featured ideal weather conditions and competitive racing dynamics.
Key points
Conor Daly and Alex Palou topped 228 mph during practice.
Daly's best lap was 228.080 mph; Palou's was 228.026 mph.
Palou recorded the fastest trap speed at 237.220 mph.
The Indianapolis 500 race is set for May 24.
All reserved seats for the event have been sold.
Conor DalyAlex PalouIndianapolis 500Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
FILE - Conor Daly greets fans before an IndyCar auto race, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis 500 drivers turned Wednesday's practice into a possible race day preview.
They ran in packs, created long, snaking lines through the two long straightaways and mostly avoided trouble over the frantic final 75 minutes on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval.
Conor Daly and Alex Palou took advantage of the cool, overcast conditions to post the fastest laps on the second practice day. Daly posted the best lap of the day at 228.080 mph with Palou just a fraction slower at 228.026. They were the only drivers to top 228, while Palou had the fastest trap speed of the day at 237.220.
“We have, we think, found some speed in other areas,” said Jack Harvey, Daly's teammate with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. “So, generally, they're just all excited to try and I think, I mean I think we were good the last month of May, but I think we can be a lot better this year.”
Harvey has been fast all month, though he finished 14th on Wednesday at 225.100.
The weather created ideal conditions for speed and the drivers didn't disappoint.
Daly, the stepson of speedway president Doug Boles, seems to be making the most of his first and possibly only IndyCar start of the season. He was one of five drivers to top 225 on Tuesday, then backed that up with an even better performance Wednesday.
David Malukas was the strongest of Team Penske's drivers, finishing third at 227.139, just behind Palou, the Spaniard who has won four series crowns and is the defending 500 champ. Graham Rahal and France's Romain Grosjean rounded out the top five.
Though most of the 33 drivers stayed on the track as long as they could over the final 75 minutes, crew members for three previous race winners — Ryan Hunter-Reay, Helio Castroneves and Alexander Rossi — were also busy trying to fix problems.
Hunter-Reay, of Arrow McLaren, had a radio issue. Castroneves, of Meyer Shank Racing, had an issue with the car's balance, while Rossi's Ed Carpenter Racing crew worked on the engine.
Drivers return to the track Thursday then will receive a turbocharge boost Friday before making four-lap qualification runs on Saturday and Sunday. The race is scheduled for May 24.
It hasn't just been busy on the track.
One day after series officials announced their second rule change of the month, race organizers announced all reserved seats have been sold for the second straight year and the third time since 2016. That also means fans in central Indiana will be able to watch the telecast live.
And NASCAR team BRANDed Management announced it would give a chance to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600. If Legge qualifies for both races, she'll become the first woman to attempt racing's “double” — 1,100 miles of racing in one day — a half century after Janet Guthrie arrived at the Brickyard with the hope of qualifying for the 33-car starting grid. When that didn't happen, Guthrie wound up starting NASCAR's World 600, which is now known as the Coca-Cola 600.
\\_
AP auto racing:
Q&A
What speeds did Conor Daly and Alex Palou achieve during Indianapolis 500 practice?
Conor Daly reached a speed of 228.080 mph, while Alex Palou recorded 228.026 mph.
What was the fastest trap speed recorded during the second day of practice?
Alex Palou had the fastest trap speed of the day at 237.220 mph.
When is the Indianapolis 500 race scheduled to take place?
The Indianapolis 500 race is scheduled for May 24.
How many drivers topped 225 mph during the practice sessions?
Five drivers topped 225 mph during the practice sessions, with Daly being one of them.
