IndyCar Drivers Return To IMS For Indy 500 Open Testing
Boxes Checked! IndyCar Drivers Return To IMS For Indy 500 Open Testing
SPEEDWAY, Ind. — The sweet, powerful sound of engines echoed throughout 16th and Georgetown for the first time in 2025 on Wednesday.
The day marked the first time teams were able to see what their horses had this year after keeping them in the stables since last May. Open testing for the Indianapolis 500 is always an unpredictable time for drivers and teams. Have they hit the mark after a year of development? Or are they way off?
“Today was really solid just to start out,” defending race winner Josef Newgarden said. “For many teams,, you’re bringing a new car. When the car is fast, everything can be fixed. I hope we can come out of this and be fast for the Month of May in a couple of weeks.”
Many of those questions were answered as 34 drivers turned nearly a thousand laps between them throughout the day, which got off to an unusual start.
The session, due to start at 11:00 am EDT on the dot, was delayed for over an hour due to “connectivity issues”, according to IndyCar. Apparently, the teams were having a hard time having a direct line of communication with race control. This is a vital part of the the practice session as this essentially directs traffic so nothing unfortunate happens.
Once that was settled, drivers finally got their first crack at the two-and-a-half-mile oval. It did not last long for Santino Ferrucci, who slowed after just a handful of laps on the back stretch, smoke billowing from under the bonnet.
It was later confirmed that his AJ Foyt Racing crew had to change his engine, which pretty much wiped out his whole day, though he was able to shake down the new engine in the final minutes of the day.
After a couple of hours of drivers shaking loose, the drivers who were required to complete a veteran refresher and rookie orientation took to the track. This included the popular veterans like Takuma Sato, Marco Andretti, Helio Castroneves, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Devlin DeFrancesco, and Kyle Larson. Larson, not a rookie this time around, as he attempts “The Double” once again. His attempt at it last year was marred by rain.
Larson, and all the aforementioned veterans completed their refreshers. Among the rookies were Jacob Abel, Robert Shwartzmen, and Louis Foster.
The ‘all-skate action picked back up at 3:00 pm. At this point, drivers began getting a feel for their race day set-ups. This meant a lot of pack running, in which Scott Dixon found himself the quickest of. The day ended with a scare from Graham Rahal, who clipped the outside wall in turn three and nearly lost it into turn four. He saved it, but took some damage to his suspension.
Felix Rosenqvist turned in the fastest speed without an aerodynamic tow at 220.418 mph. Don’t let that number fool you. It’s basically meaningless in the grand scheme of things. Nine Honda-powered cars were among the fastest ten speeds for the day.
For Pato O’Ward, who finished 2nd last year, it was simply a fact finding day of sorts.
“We did a lot of sciencey stuff today. Different aero bits, front wing, ride heights, lots of stuff because you never know what you can find,” said Pato O’Ward. “We stay out of the pack for the most part. Tomorrow morning, we will see what qualifying will be like (with the new hybrid). Everyone is playing a guessing game with that.”
Unlike previous years, drivers will be given the typical Fast Friday boost in their engines for the morning session. Since this will be the first Indianapolis 500 with the use of the new hybrid engines, teams will get see how the boost interacts with the hybrids for the first time in qualifying set up. The session will be invaluable for all drivers and teams involved.
Welcome to the Month of May (even though it’s still April)! The drama, the stress, and the magic are just getting started.