34 drivers arrived at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday eager to take part in the first of two planned open test days ahead of next month’s Indianapolis 500.
The day got off to a slow start, however, with internet and communication issues at the track presenting a safety issue and delaying the beginning of the day’s action.
Over two and a half hours passed before cars were able to get on track, which pushed the schedule back for the rest of the day.
An extra hour was added to the back end of the schedule, which helped to mitigate the impact of the delay.
When the day was done, it was The Iceman Scott Dixon that had his name at the top of the time sheets.
Dixon’s fastest time was completed in 39.9677 seconds and averaged 225.182 MPH.
Josef Newgarden was just behind, setting the second fastest lap with a speed of 225.125 MPH. The two-time reigning Indy 500 champion appears to have pace again for this year.
Takuma Sato set the third fastest time after he completed his mandated Refresher Program, followed by Marcus Armstrong and Colton Herta.
As far as overall team performances were concerned, Andretti Global and Meyer Shank Racing both looked strong. Both teams placed three drivers in the top 10 and appear to have a solid starting point.
Honda turned some heads by having their engines powering nine of the fastest 10 drivers, though it was suggested that Chevy is holding back some performance at this point in preparations.
In total there were 2,805 laps completed by all drivers present for the test, and Robert Shwartzman completed 133 laps all on his own.
Only minor troubles
A few drivers had car troubles, though they were almost exclusively limited to the mechanical variety.
Jack Harvey was the first to come to a halt on track, just 10 minutes after the green flag waved.
His problem was tracked down to a hybrid issue, which was replaced shortly after. He only had time to complete 15 laps, however, and well down the order in 31st.
Santino Ferrucci also rolled to a stop on the back stretch after losing power suddenly. A complete new engine was needed, and he was only able to complete a couple shakedown laps late in the day.
Kyle Larson also had some minor car issues, but his crew was able to get the #17 Arrow McLaren / Hendrick entry back up and running with only a short delay.
There were no accidents during the day, except for a late wall touch by Graham Rahal. The veteran expertly kept his car under control and drove the #15 entry back to the pits with a bent suspension.
There were no other incidents, showing that nearly everyone was employing a conservative approach.
Drivers will be back on track Thursday for the second and final day of the open test, with the first 2.5 hours dedicated to running with the higher boost pressures that will be allowed for qualifying.
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