IndyCar returned to the Thermal Club on Saturday for a second full day test running on the private club course.
While four hours of testing were scheduled throughout the day, drivers were only able to take advantage of approximately three hours on account of a couple unexpected situations that delayed running.
The first stoppage came just 15 minutes after the green flag waved, and was caused by pieces of the track breaking apart on the exit of Turn 5.
Many drivers had been running wide over the exit curbs, and part of the asphalt just outside of the track line began to break apart and fly into the air from the forces the open wheel cars put through the track.
A red flag was thrown immediately, and the track safety crew spent the next 50 minutes filling the hole with a fast-setting epoxy, which seemed to hold up well for the rest of the day.
An extra 15 minutes were allotted to help make up for the lost time, but the day’s busy schedule did not allow more added time than that.
Later in the afternoon, the final test session was delayed by five minutes due to an exceptional gust of wind that blew across the course.
Sand and dust were thick enough for a few minutes that visibility dropped to dangerous levels, but the gusts settled just enough a short time later to allow the remainder of the test session to continue.
The wind continued to affect drivers significantly, however, and many drivers ran long into the runoff areas as they pushed the limits in the afternoon.
Overall, 2,335 laps were completed across approximately eight hours of running on Friday and Saturday, giving each team plenty of data to sort through as they make plans for the rest of the season.
Christian Lundgaard set the fastest time of the weekend on Saturday, completing a lap of the 3.067-mile course in 1 minute 38.2199 seconds during the late afternoon session.
Will Power and Scott McLaughlin were second and third fastest respectively, each also setting times in the latter half of the second day.
Drivers were allowed to use their Push to Pass systems during the afternoon session, which simulated what they will have available for the qualifying runs later in the evening.
With 40 seconds of the boost available per lap, everyone could essentially use the extra power down each and every straight on the winding course.
That extra power combined with a track that was taking on more Firestone rubber and cooler track conditions helped to allow the times to continue to fall as the day progressed.
The fastest times of the weekend may still be to come, however, as qualifying is scheduled to take place when the sun is quite low in the sky.
Two short qualifying runs will take place at 5:00 PM local time, 8:00 PM Eastern, followed by two heat races and the $1 Million Challenge on Sunday.
