O'Ward and Herta Lead Indy 500 Practice

Pato O’Ward was the fastest in Thursday's practice for the 108th edition of the Indianapolis 500. Colton Herta led the "no-tow" speeds, crucial for qualifying.
O’Ward recorded a speed of 228.861 mph, benefiting from the tow of other cars on the 2.5-mile oval.

“We made a very fast lap thanks to the tow, which was unexpected,” commented O’Ward. “I'm happy with the car. We did both race and qualifying simulations. Although this doesn't directly translate when the boosts increase, it gives us an idea of how the car behaves with less downforce.”

Speeds will increase in the next practice, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on “Fast Friday.” The engines will have approximately 100 more horsepower due to increased boost levels, also available during qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.

Scott McLaughlin, the fastest on Wednesday with 229.493 mph, was second on Thursday with 227.316 mph. Alex Palou, the NTT INDYCAR series champion, was third with 226.915 mph.
Herta, in his Andretti Global car, was fourth with 226.828 mph, also benefiting from the tow. However, in no-tow qualifying simulations, Herta was the fastest with a lap of 224.182 mph.

Josef Newgarden, the last Indianapolis 500 winner, completed the top five with 226.684 mph.
The eight-hour session was interrupted for 68 minutes and ended 13 minutes early due to rain, affecting practice for the third consecutive day. Between the rain delays, the 34 drivers worked on their setups for qualifying and the race, completing a total of 1,896 laps.

There were two yellow flags for accidents, the first of the month, involving rookie Linus Lundqvist and 2022 Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson. Neither was injured.
At 11:30 a.m. ET, Lundqvist lost control of his car in Turn 2, hitting the SAFER Barrier and then the inside wall on the backstretch. His car suffered significant damage and did not return to the track. Despite the accident, Lundqvist was the fastest rookie of the day with a lap of 226.261 mph, seventh overall.

At 3:49 p.m., Ericsson, in his Andretti Global car, spun in Turn 4, hitting the SAFER Barrier and then the inside barrier and the pit lane attenuator. His car suffered considerable damage and the team confirmed they would use a backup car.

The 108th edition of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for Sunday, May 26 (11 a.m. ET).