SPEEDWAY — More than 2,000 laps of practice were turned on Tuesday – the opening day of practice for the 106th Indianapolis 500.
Following the drop of the green flag by Indiana Pacers player Oshae Brissett, drivers quickly got up to speed.
Seven Indy 500 rookies took much of the spotlight on opening day as they worked their way around the famed oval.
This year’s rookie class is headlined by 4-time Brickyard 400 and 7-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson.
As a member of Chip Ganassi Racing, Johnson is teamed up with defending series champion Alex Palou and Indy 500 champions Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan.
Johnson, who was seen spending time with Kanaan on the pit wall throughout the day was asked about what tips Kanaan has offered him so far.
“With Tony, you never talk about racing,” Johnson said. “It is always something else. So we told a few lies and a few stories. But I certainly appreciate his friendship and the way he keeps me laughing.”
Johnson turned the third fastest lap of the day with a speed of 227.722 mph.
Takuma Sato, a 2-time Indy 500 champion, topped the charts at a speed of 228.939 mph.
Drivers return to the track for day two of practice for the 106th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Wednesday. Practice begins at noon.
-
Person fatally shot on north side of Indianapolis
A person was fatally shot on the north side of Indianapolis Wednesday morning, according to police.
Vision Zero falling behind on keeping people safe, safety advocate says
Three pedestrians were killed over the weekend in three separate locations in Indianapolis. A safety advocate is asking if the city is doing enough to protect pedestrians.
Indianapolis councilor proposes adding 17-year-olds to city’s curfew enforcement
Right now, 17-year-olds are not included in the public safety curfew hours but must follow the state’s curfew laws.
Ashton Dulin looks to step into larger role in Colts WR room
Ashton Dulin has been with the Colts since 2019 and has developed into a key player on special teams. He now looks to step into a larger role in the offense.
