By: Spencer Neff
May 15, 2025

Practice Results Combined Practice Results

Josef Newgarden continued his quest for an unprecedented 3rd consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory by posting the fastest lap in Thursday’s practice. The 2023 and 2024 wine posted a best lap of 226.652 mph (39.712 seconds) on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

In addition to the fastest overall lap, the Team Penske driver notched the best lap without the aid of a tow (car within 10 seconds ahead) at 222.555 mph. Today was the last day of running before the boost is turned up for qualifying weekend.

2008 race winner Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing posted the best lap for Honda, .207 of a second off Newgarden’s Chevrolet. Juncos Hollinger Racing’s Conor Daly was third on the afternoon with 2022 and 2024 runner-up Pato O’ Ward of Arrow McLaren in fourth.

Dreyer and Reinbold’s Ryan Hunter-Reay was fifth, giving Chevrolet four of the five best laps in today’s six-hour practice. Hunter-Reay previously won the race in 2014, 11 years to the day of this year’s scheduled race day.

Dixon and Hunter-Reay were two of four drivers to run their best lap of the week today, along with Daly’s teammate Sting Ray Robb and Rinus VeeKay of Dale Coyne Racing.

VeeKay’s teammate Jacob Abel was 20th, best among the four drivers looking for their first start in this race. After two days of rain compacting the practice schedule, today’s session was run under sunny and warm conditions.

With less than two hours remaining in the session, the first incident of practice week occurred. Christian Rasmussen of Ed Carpenter Racing tagged the outside wall exiting Turn 2 and spun at the beginning of the back straightaway.

Last year’s highest-finishing rookie would be released from the infield care center less than 15 minutes later. His car was towed back to the garage area. Rasmussen was eighth on the lap chart before the contact.

Ahead of “Fast Friday”, only Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing did not record a lap without a tow- in “Quali Sim”.

Up Next

The preparations for qualifying weekend ramp up with “Fast Friday” tomorrow. Boost on the 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V6 Chevrolet and Honda engines will increase from 1300 mbar to 1500 mbar of pressure. Speeds are expected to increase by 10 mph.

Full-field practice his scheduled for 12-6 p.m Friday. The qualifying draw for Saturday will take place at 6:15 p.m. tomorrow evening.

IndyCar1909 will be on-site and credentialed for all on-track activities. Stick with IndyCar1909 and our social media for the latest on the Indianapolis 500 and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. 

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