Jimmie Johnson makes most of opening day of practice for Indy 500

SPEEDWAY — More than 2,000 laps of practice were turned on Tuesday – the opening day of practice for the 106^th 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 106^th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” on Wednesday. Practice begins at noon.