Verizon IndyCar Series drivers now have only one thing left to do this month of May, and that is to compete in the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 after all thirty-three qualifiers took to the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 70-minute Carb Day practice on Friday.
Everyone will hope to have their race set-up almost perfected ahead of Sunday’s 200-lap event, and on the final day of practice, it was Brazilian Tony Kanaan, a former winner of the legendary event, that set the pace.
Kanaan put Chip Ganassi Racing to the top of the time sheets for the first time in the Month of May with an average speed of 226.280mph, and with team-mate Scott Dixon in third, it bodes well for the team that appeared to struggle for speed in qualifying-spec and did not get any of their drivers into the top nine shoot-out for pole position last weekend.
In-between Kanaan and Dixon was Carlos Munoz, with the Colombian one of four of the five contenders from Andretti Autosport inside the top nine. Team-mates Ryan Hunter-Reay, Alexander Rossi and Townsend Bell were fifth, sixth and ninth respectively, with only Marco Andretti absent from the top ten, the American driver finishing the session down in twenty-first.
Will Power was the leading Team Penske driver in fourth ahead of Hunter-Reay and Rossi, with JR Hildebrand seventh fastest for Ed Carpenter Racing. Oriol Servia took his Schmidt Peterson Motorsport car into eighth ahead of Bell, with three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves completing the top ten for Penske.
Polesitter James Hinchcliffe was twelfth fastest for Schmidt Peterson Motorsport just behind team-mate Mikhail Aleshin.
Unfortunately for Pippa Mann, it was her that caused the one and only stoppage when the Dale Coyne Racing driver hitting the turn four wall late during the session. She was taken as a precaution to the medical centre but was released without injury and cleared to take part in Sunday’s race.
Carlos Munoz – Credit: Bret Kelley / IndyCar
Indianapolis 500 Carb Day Practice Times
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