By: Spencer Neff
April 22, 2025

This week, the NTT INDYCAR SERIES ramps up preparations for next month’s 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. On Wednesday and Thursday, the 34 cars and drivers entered for the race will participate in testing on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Below is the on-track schedule for both days (subject to change):

Wednesday, April 23, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (ET)

10:05 a.m.-noon: Veteran drivers:

Rookie Orientation Program and refresher tests: noon-2 p.m.

2-6 p.m.: All Drivers

Thursday, April 24, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET)

9:30 a.m.-noon: “High Boost” Session: Qualifying Simulations

2-5 p.m.: All drivers

Ahead of the next two days of running, here’s a look at some of the major headlines.

Can Penske and Newgarden continue dominance ?

Josef Newgarden has led at least one session at each of the last three Open Tests. Last year, he became the sixth driver to win consecutive Indianapolis 500s, both with a pass on the final lap.

In 2024, Newgarden started third in a Team Penske front row lockout, just the second in the race’s history. 36 years earlier, Rick Mears led Danny Sullivan and Al Unser to the green.

Last year, Scott McLaughlin led 2018 race winner Will Power and the aformentioned Newgarden.

While McLaughlin is the only one of the three with an Indianapolis 500 pole position, he is also the lone member of the team without a “500” victory to his name. After leading a race-high 66 of 200 laps, McLaughlin finished a career-best sixth.

Not only would a third consecutive victory be a historic first at this race but it would be Car Owner Roger Penske’s 21st.

Will Arrow McLaren keep pace ?

Despite Penske’s dominance of qualifying and the race, fellow Chevrolet team Arrow McLaren was not far behind. The four-car outfit had two drivers on the second row and Pato O’Ward finished second to Newgarden after being passed on the final lap.

This season, Nolan Siegel takes over the No. 6 occupied last year by Callum Ilott (now with PREMA) and Christian Lundgaard is behind the wheel of Alexander Rossi’s No. 7, which started and finished in fourth. Lundgaard earned a career-best 13th in the 2024 race with Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

Siegel did not qualify in his first attempt last year with Dale Coyne Racing and would be eligible for Rookie of the Year honors. Last year’s winner of the award, Kyle Larson, also returns for Arrow McLaren. Larson’s attempt to run both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 was derailed when rain pushed the start of the race back nearly four hours.

Impact of Hybrid Technology

Perhaps the biggest story leading into this week’s testing will be the hybrid power unit. Since it was not ready for last year’s race, 2025 marks the first time an Indianapolis 500 will be run with the added power unit.

With an increase in weight, speeds are expected to be down slightly from year’s past, which included 2024’s record pole run by Scott McLaughlin (234.220 mph) and the fastest field in history a year prior (232.184 mph).

Thursday morning’s “high-boost” session will provide a glimpse into what to expect when the boost is turned back up to 1500 mbar from its 1300 mbar in race trim. With 34 cars competing for 33 spots like the previous two years, qualifying will be as imperative.

Rookies and Refreshers

Nolan Siegel passed his refresher program in October ahead of this week’s Open Test. Fellow rookies Louis Foster of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Jacob Abel of Dale Coyne Racing and Robert Shwartzman of PREMA Racing will also need to complete their Rookie Orientation Program (ROP). The requirements to pass include 10 laps at 205-210 mph, 15 laps at 210-215 mph and 15 laps at 215 mph+.

Non-rookie drivers who have not participated in an INDYCAR oval event since last year’s race are required to complete the latter two phases.

Among those needing to do so include four-time race winner Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing, Larson, two-time race winner Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,2014 race winner Ryan Hunter-Reay for Dreyer and Reinbold Racing, 2020 pole winner Marco Andretti of Andretti Global and Devlin DeFrancesco, teammate of Sato. DeFraaancesco did not participate in last year’s event.

IndyCar1909.com would also like to offer condolences to the friends and family of Larry Henry, who passed away on April 11. Henry was a backstretch and turn announcer for the IMS Radio Network, working there from 1981 to 1995.

Header Image By Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR