Max Chilton completed his rookie orientation session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday, and felt that the time he spent racing in Indy Lights last year benefited him as he took to the 2.5-mile oval for the first time in an IndyCar.
The Chip Ganassi Racing driver is now free to test and ready himself for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500, and after setting the twelfth fastest time of the day when the track opened up for practice in the afternoon, he felt he has a good baseline for the rest of the month of May.
“It was a good, solid first day,” revealed Chilton. “It’s good to get the rookie orientation practice out of the way.
“I really worked on the controls in the car and have an understanding of what things will be like and the tools you have moving forward. The Indy car is a bit different than the Indy Lights car with the amount of movement the car has and the different levels of downforce.
“I think taking that step back last year to Indy Lights allowed me to make a good step forward in the car today. Today was a good day for the Gallagher team and we have a good foundation for the month now.”
