Newgarden Paces Final Indianapolis 500 Practice with 228.342 mph Carb Day Best

Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden set the fastest time on Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, turning a top lap of 228.342 mph in the No. 2 Shell Fuel Rewards Chevrolet during Friday’s final two-hour practice. Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing was second at 227.474 mph, with Team Penske’s David Malukas third at 226.565 mph. All 33 drivers combined for 2,169 laps, with the sole caution triggered when Marcus Ericsson suspected a loose right-rear wheel — later found to be fine. Newgarden, who also led Monday’s rain-shortened session, starts 23rd on the grid but downplayed his pace: “I don’t know that we were that great today.”

Sources: SpeedwayMedia

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Alexander Rossi Passes Medical Clearance, Will Race Indy 500 with Carbon-Fiber Ankle Brace

Alexander Rossi will start Sunday’s 110th Indianapolis 500 from second on the grid after passing medical clearance during Carb Day practice on Friday, racing with a carbon-fiber brace on his injured right ankle. Rossi fractured a small bone in his ankle during Monday’s three-car accident at Turn 2, which also collected Pato O’Ward and Romain Grosjean. Surgeons completed outpatient procedures the following day. The 2016 race winner completed race-pace laps Friday to satisfy IndyCar’s medical team. “I am cleared to race,” Rossi confirmed Thursday, noting that driving a race car requires no weight-bearing and the brace does not affect his throttle or brake control.

Sources: WTHR

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O’Ward and Rossi Both Content with Backup Cars Ahead of Sunday’s Race

Pato O’Ward heads into Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 in a backup Arrow McLaren chassis after Monday’s three-car crash destroyed his primary No. 5 Chevrolet. IndyCar’s rules let O’Ward retain his sixth-place starting position despite the car switch. While unfamiliar from the month’s setup work, the backup is a chassis he has won races with on short ovals. O’Ward declined to name the car publicly, joking the name is “a bit rated R,” but promised to reveal it if he wins. Alexander Rossi is also starting from a backup ECR Chevrolet in second place, with both drivers reporting confidence in their equipment after Friday’s Carb Day running.

Sources: IndyCar.com

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Katherine Legge to Make History as First Woman to Attempt Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 Double

Katherine Legge will become the first woman in history to attempt the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 double when she races in both crown jewel events on Sunday. The 44-year-old British-American driver will pilot the No. 11 AJ Foyt Motorsports Chevrolet at Indianapolis before flying to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports entry in the same day, covering more than 1,100 miles of racing. Legge is also the first non-American driver and the oldest competitor to attempt the feat. Tony Stewart remains the only driver to have completed every lap of both races, achieving it in 2001.

Sources: CNN Sport

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500 Festival Parade Brings Race Week Pageantry to Downtown Indianapolis

The Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade rolls through downtown Indianapolis today, Saturday May 23, bringing all 33 Indianapolis 500 drivers together for the traditional pre-race celebration ahead of Sunday’s 110th running of The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. This year’s parade, themed “Racing Through History,” features 13 marching bands, floats, balloons, and celebrity appearances, with Indiana Pacers stars Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard serving as grand marshals. Festivities begin at 11:45 a.m. ET with the parade launching at noon, broadcast live on WTHR Channel 13. The annual tradition has drawn up to 300,000 spectators to the city streets each May since its first running in 1957.

Sources: WTHR

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