It’s difficult to take the results of an early April open test session for the Indy 500 with much more than a grain of salt, but when the reigning race winner finishes at the top of the speed chart on the first day, perhaps it’s more than just a way-too-early indication that he’ll be the driver to beat on Memorial Day Weekend next month.
Josef Newgarden of Team Penske ended Wednesday’s test with a top lap speed of 228.811 mph around the four-turn, 2.5-mile (4.023-kilometer) Indianapolis Motor Speedway, driving his No. 2 Chevrolet.
Last year, Newgarden won the Indy 500 from 17th place, the lowest starting position for a champion since Ryan Hunter-Reay won from 19th in 2014. Newgarden led only five of the 200 laps around the Speedway, Indiana oval, but the fifth was the 200th after making only the third last-lap pass for the win in the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing”‘s history.
The Indy 500 season has officially begun.
The day was cut short owing to inclement weather, although the current championship leader recorded his fastest time during the first practice session.
Of the 35 scheduled Indy 500 entries, 34 participated in Wednesday’s test, with Abel Motorsports and their No. 50 Chevrolet being the only exemption. The 34 drivers that participated completed 1,327 laps. Rookies Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing and Kyffin Simpson of Chip Ganassi Racing led all drivers after 80 laps.
The next fastest driver after Newgarden, who completed 46 laps, was Arrow McLaren rookie Kyle Larson. Larson, who completed 47 laps, reached a peak speed of 226.384 mph behind the wheel of his No. 17 Chevrolet, over two and a half mph slower than Newgarden.
Larson is seeking to become only the sixth driver — and the first since 2014 — to complete the Memorial Day Double by competing in both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He is competing for Arrow McLaren, with assistance from his Cup Series team, Hendrick Motorsports.
DraftKings Sportsbook, which is offering fans an automatic $150 bonus for betting $5, has Newgarden as the third favorite to win this year’s Indianapolis 500 at +850. Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing, the +550 favorite, finished fourth on Wednesday’s speed chart.
DraftKings offers full odds, which are subject to change.
Another Indy 500 test session will take place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday, weather permitting, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Practice for the Indy 500 is set to begin on Tuesday, May 14, with qualifying on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, and the race on Sunday, May 26 (11:00 a.m. ET, NBC).
