Munoz tops Sunday times at the Brickyard

Carlos Munoz

Carlos Munoz, who breezed through Indianapolis 500 ROP a day earlier, topped the speed chart on the second day of practice for the 97th running of "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

The Firestone Indy Lights point leader, who hopes to compete in both the Indianapolis 500 and Firestone Freedom 100 in the same weekend, recorded a lap of 223.023 mph (40.3545 seconds) in the Chevrolet-powered No. 26 Unistraw car.

Reigning IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, an Indy 500 front-row starter last May, was second-fastest (222.825 mph), while E.J. Viso (222.523) was third in the No. 5 Team Venezuela entry. Marco Andretti (222.485 mph) checked in fourth in No. 25 RC Cola entry.

AJ Allmendinger and a strong tow impeded James Hinchcliffe from completing an Andretti Autosport top-five sweep during the second day of practice. Allmendinger, who also completed ROP in short fashion May 11, got more comfortable with the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske car and posted a fast lap of 221.279 mph.

The afternoon of May 13 is reserved for practice, with Conor Daly participating in the three-phase Rookie Orientation Program earlier in the day in the No. 41 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing. Pippa Mann in the No. 63 Dale Coyne Racing car is scheduled to go through a refresher program.

The top 17 cars were separated by less than a second.

QUOTES

DARIO FRANCHITTI (No. 10 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "Very gusty conditions today and cold at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We had a list of items we wanted to run through for the Target team. We achieved what we wanted to in a short amount of time and wrapped up early. The real work starts tomorrow."

SIMON PAGENAUD (No. 77 Schmidt Hamilton HP Motorsports Honda): "It always feels like an impressive place when we're at IMS. We reach our fastest speeds of the year here with our Honda power, and I really enjoy it. I'm coming here at a completely different level in my head compared to last year, so I'm approaching it in a completely different way. We did a program today and had two good runs. We know where we sit, and we know what to do. There are a few things that we can do to make sure I feel the HP car a little more, but we have a great baseline from last year."

SCOTT DIXON (No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Honda): "We had a pretty basic day today with the weather being so cold. We just had some pretty basic changes we needed to get done with the car. Overall, a short and sweet day at the track."

E.J. VISO (No. 5 Team Venezuela/Andretti Autosport/HVM Chevrolet): "Well, first day on track, back to historical Indianapolis. Very happy to be here. This is my second home during the year, and I'm very proud to be part of the team. I think the job we've done as a team has been impressive. These guys have put together a fast setup for us for this year. Today we realized we actually went pretty fast; we had a good car on our own and a good car in traffic. I think it's going to be a flawless and smooth month, and I'm really looking forward to it."

JOSEF NEWGARDEN (No. 21T Sarah Fisher Hartman/Century 21 Honda): "We got through a good little program today. We were able to accomplish what we needed to as far as changes. We had good, clean solo running in good dry conditions, and that's what we wanted to do today to get through a couple of setup items and check those off the list. We're finishing the day a little early, but we had productive day, for sure. We can go into the week now feeling good about what we've done these first few days. It was a little cold this morning. We had a lot more downforce than yesterday to start, but it evened out as the afternoon went on. It's was windy into Turn 1 and 2, which made it a little difficult, but no real issues out there. It's been fun."

MARCO ANDRETTI (No. 25 RC Cola Chevrolet): "So far the RC Cola car is not quite on pace with my teammates, but I'm not too worried being this early in the month. We put in some good laps and got a lot out of today's practice. We're working a lot on trying to find a good setup that will put us up front. A lot of improvements have been made since last year's DW12, so I'm pleased with where things are going right now."

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy's Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): "Yesterday we had a good day and got through everything we wanted to. Today we had a couple of issues we had to work through. They are not a big deal, but they got us sidetracked off our game plan a little. I still feel decent about where our Fuzzy's car is at right now. At the same time, we were hoping to get a few more things done on our planning list today. But we can make it up on Monday. I want to wish my mom (Laura) and my wife (Heather) a Happy Mother's Day. We have spent a lot of Mother's Days here at IMS over the years, and I want to thank the ladies for their continued support here."

JAMES JAKES (No. 16T Acorn Stairlifts Honda): "It was nice to get back out there and shake off the cobwebs. The Acorn Stairlifts car felt pretty good initially. We only did an installation run, really, so we didn't do much. We will take it day by day and build up the running and prepare for qualifying."

MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. (No. 17 Office Depot Honda): "It's great to be back in the car. The feel of the speed is not as big as it was last year after not being in an Indy car in eight years, but it is still big, so I took my time getting up to speed as planned. For me, the goal today was to run flat out, get my confidence back up, get a good feel. We only did a little bit of running. Tomorrow (race engineer) Bruno (Couprie) and more of the team arrives, so I feel like we did what we had to do for the first day, and I am happy about it. Now we have all week to get a little faster and get the Office Depot car up to speed."

AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet): "Another day in the learning process today, and we got a couple different things tested in the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet that should be helpful as we move on. We did a couple of short runs and a full-tank run so I could see how the car would feel, and I am getting more comfortable with it. To a certain degree, I also got to see how the car is going to react in traffic, and I thought that was really good. Obviously, the cold conditions are a little different than what we will probably have for the race. But to do a race run, the car felt pretty good, and I'm happy with the progress we made."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15T Midas/Big O Tires Honda): "We have a little work to do to make the Midas/Big O Tires car a little more comfortable to drive. We didn't get a tow and were running a lot of downforce compared to the rest of the guys, so I'm not concerned with a comparison just yet. At the end of the day, we will be just fine."

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet): "We just opened our account. It was nice to get out here and run some laps, but this was mainly just a shakedown for us. The National Guard car felt fine out there, and we obviously weren't being very aggressive with the car. It's always nice to get back out to the Speedway, and we're excited about continuing our program this week."

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda): "Today was a good second day. We shook the primary car down and went through a couple of changes. It's still early in the week, and we're still trying to a handle on where the track is going to be, especially as we get closer to qualifying at the end of the week. It was a good opening weekend. Really happy with the pace of the car. As far as knowledge of what we've got heading into the week of practice, I think we feel pretty good. We've got a good foundation and keep working on the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car and get quicker all the time. The guys have been really good on practice pit stops. We'll keep working on that, too, because I know they'll be rock solid on Race Day."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 8, 8T NTT DATA Honda): "It's really exciting. I just can't begin to tell you how excited I was when Chip (Ganassi) gave me the call. I knew this was going to happen. I feel very lucky to be here. Certainly going to go out and do my best. Try to make the most of it. It was great to get out there. We were able to shake down the T car and the primary at the end. So we basically got through exactly what we wanted to do. Both cars feel great. The boys have done a great job preparing them both. When I went out tonight, it was like I never left driving Indy cars. It just felt normal. It feels good to be back in the groove of things and looking forward to doing more tomorrow. The first part of the week is usual. Everyone is out doing race runs. There will be lots of cars on track; there will be drafts. You'll have to look at the average of lap times. There are some guys who are better at getting tow laps and posting big times, and then all of a sudden you're qualifying with nobody on track and you see surprises." (About not driving for Penske anymore): "Take a second take when I see the No. 2 car go by every now and again, but, you know, it's just racing. I caught up with Roger (Penske) in Long Beach, and it's just the way things go down. I'm just looking forward. It's great for me having this opportunity. Hopefully for next year we can try to be back here full time. You never know what's around the next corner. You just have to keep with it and stay positive. It's such a small community of people and so many guys that I worked with at Penske are at Ganassi, as well. And the rest of them I know from having raced at Ganassi in 2005. It's so important in this business not to hold grudges, not to burn bridges. You just have to go out there and be professional and just keep doing what we do. I feel like I have a place in IndyCar, and I just have to go out and do a good job."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): "It's just so great to be back at Indy. The feeling the first day on track is pretty special. Like you say, Andretti Autosport has had a good season so far, and we certainly had a strong run. But all of that has nothing to do with Indy. You start over here. We really don't know where we stack up yet compared to everybody because we haven't had a full field out there yet. Today was a good day to just check some things off the list and run through some of the bigger changes, trying to understand a few things that we were looking at during the winter. Then we had a chance to run with the teammates, which was kind of interesting at times. It was fun, though. It was fun just getting back in that rhythm of running in traffic at Indy. This place is so special for so many reasons. It really drives like no other racetrack. It was good to get back in it, shake a little rust off at Indy and get ready for the week." (On how the team tries to forecast and plan for the rest of the week): "With these cars, the way IndyCar is now, you have no idea who's done what in the offseason. To tell you the truth, what we saw last year from Ganassi and Honda, you had no idea that was going to happen on Race Day. I think qualifying will be one show, then the race. You have no idea what anybody has until you get there."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet): "The last time we all ran together on an oval was last September, so to get out there with all the other guys was a good starting point. It was really just, more than anything, blowing some of the cobwebs off ourselves as drivers running in a draft at a place as tricky as the Speedway. I think it's a good starting point. There's obviously a lot of work to do; we've got some things we want to try, and I think you'll see us running together a lot over the week." (About different mindsets of running on ovals and road courses): "I think you've got to have a lot of respect for each other and the racetrack when you're here, certainly. Because the speeds we are going are just so much greater than on a road course. Also the nature of the racetrack – it's just one groove, and it's a very sensitive place to race. We're showing each other a lot of respect out there right now, but we've got to keep doing it and working to make sure we can be aggressive as we need to be on Sunday (Race Day)."

CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 Unistraw Chevrolet): "It is nice to be in the top (of the charts). It was in the tow, and I think I had a little bit better tow than my teammates. But, for sure, we have a long ways to go. I'm still learning a lot, especially on the grooves. I have a great car. It allowed me to be more confident. I have great teammates that helped me a lot. They say to me what I am doing wrong or stuff like that." (About running in the grass in Turn 1): "It was just a misunderstanding. Inside the turn I went into the dirt; it was close. In the race, I'm going to have those situations. I had two tires in the grass, so I was lucky to continue. After that, I was more comfortable behind the guys."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): "I think it was another good, productive day. We didn't get to do everything we wanted, but at least consistent weather gave us quite a good platform. We aren't quite where we want to be with correcting the data, so we're not looking at the absolute speed we want. Some of the drivers are doing the 'tows' and all of that in groups, but that's not what we want to do. We were working on running alone, correcting things and working on our platform. We're just working slowly and progressing. We're getting to car closer to what we like, but it's only halfway. We will changes engines tonight, so it will be a new day tomorrow."

RYAN BRISCOE (No. 8, 8T NTT DATA Honda): “It’s really exciting. I just can't begin to tell you how excited I was when Chip (Ganassi) gave me the call. I knew this was going to happen. I feel very lucky to be here. Certainly going to go out and do my best. Try to make the most of it. It was great to get out there. We were able to shake down the T car and the primary at the end. So we basically got through exactly what we wanted to do. Both cars feel great. The boys have done a great job preparing them both. When I went out tonight, it was like I never left driving Indy cars. It just felt normal. It feels good to be back in the groove of things and looking forward to doing more tomorrow. The first part of the week is usual. Everyone is out doing race runs. There will be lots of cars on track; there will be drafts. You'll have to look at the average of lap times. There are some guys who are better at getting tow laps and posting big times, and then all of a sudden you're qualifying with nobody on track and you see surprises." (About not driving for Penske anymore): "Take a second take when I see the No. 2 car go by every now and again, but, you know, it's just racing. I caught up with Roger (Penske) in Long Beach, and it's just the way things go down. I'm just looking forward. It's great for me having this opportunity. Hopefully for next year we can try to be back here full time. You never know what's around the next corner. You just have to keep with it and stay positive. It's such a small community of people and so many guys that I worked with at Penske are at Ganassi, as well. And the rest of them I know from having raced at Ganassi in 2005. It's so important in this business not to hold grudges, not to burn bridges. You just have to go out there and be professional and just keep doing what we do. I feel like I have a place in IndyCar, and I just have to go out and do a good job."

RYAN HUNTER-REAY (No. 1 DHL Chevrolet): “It's just so great to be back at Indy. The feeling the first day on track is pretty special. Like you say, Andretti Autosport has had a good season so far, and we certainly had a strong run. But all of that has nothing to do with Indy. You start over here. We really don't know where we stack up yet compared to everybody because we haven't had a full field out there yet. Today was a good day to just check some things off the list and run through some of the bigger changes, trying to understand a few things that we were looking at during the winter. Then we had a chance to run with the teammates, which was kind of interesting at times. It was fun, though. It was fun just getting back in that rhythm of running in traffic at Indy. This place is so special for so many reasons. It really drives like no other racetrack. It was good to get back in it, shake a little rust off at Indy and get ready for the week." (On how the team tries to forecast and plan for the rest of the week): "With these cars, the way IndyCar is now, you have no idea who's done what in the offseason. To tell you the truth, what we saw last year from Ganassi and Honda, you had no idea that was going to happen on Race Day. I think qualifying will be one show, then the race. You have no idea what anybody has until you get there."

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE (No. 27 GoDaddy Chevrolet): “The last time we all ran together on an oval was last September, so to get out there with all the other guys was a good starting point. It was really just, more than anything, blowing some of the cobwebs off ourselves as drivers running in a draft at a place as tricky as the Speedway. I think it’s a good starting point. There’s obviously a lot of work to do; we’ve got some things we want to try, and I think you’ll see us running together a lot over the week." (About different mindsets of running on ovals and road courses): “I think you’ve got to have a lot of respect for each other and the racetrack when you’re here, certainly. Because the speeds we are going are just so much greater than on a road course. Also the nature of the racetrack – it’s just one groove, and it’s a very sensitive place to race. We’re showing each other a lot of respect out there right now, but we’ve got to keep doing it and working to make sure we can be aggressive as we need to be on Sunday (Race Day)."

CARLOS MUNOZ (No. 26 Unistraw Chevrolet): “It is nice to be in the top (of the charts). It was in the tow, and I think I had a little bit better tow than my teammates. But, for sure, we have a long ways to go. I’m still learning a lot, especially on the grooves. I have a great car. It allowed me to be more confident. I have great teammates that helped me a lot. They say to me what I am doing wrong or stuff like that." (About running in the grass in Turn 1): “It was just a misunderstanding. Inside the turn I went into the dirt; it was close. In the race, I'm going to have those situations. I had two tires in the grass, so I was lucky to continue. After that, I was more comfortable behind the guys."

TAKUMA SATO (No. 14 ABC Supply Co./A.J. Foyt Racing Honda): “I think it was another good, productive day. We didn’t get to do everything we wanted, but at least consistent weather gave us quite a good platform. We aren’t quite where we want to be with correcting the data, so we’re not looking at the absolute speed we want. Some of the drivers are doing the ‘tows’ and all of that in groups, but that’s not what we want to do. We were working on running alone, correcting things and working on our platform. We’re just working slowly and progressing. We’re getting to car closer to what we like, but it’s only halfway. We will changes engines tonight, so it will be a new day tomorrow."

ED CARPENTER (No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka/Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet): “Yesterday we had a good day and got through everything we wanted to. Today we had a couple of issues we had to work through. They are not a big deal, but they got us sidetracked off our game plan a little. I still feel decent about where our Fuzzy’s car is at right now. At the same time, we were hoping to get a few more things done on our planning list today. But we can make it up on Monday. I want to wish my mom (Laura) and my wife (Heather) a Happy Mother’s Day. We have spent a lot of Mother’s Days here at IMS over the years, and I want to thank the ladies for their continued support here."

JAMES JAKES (No. 16T Acorn Stairlifts Honda): “It was nice to get back out there and shake off the cobwebs. The Acorn Stairlifts car felt pretty good initially. We only did an installation run, really, so we didn’t do much. We will take it day by day and build up the running and prepare for qualifying."

MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. (No. 17 Office Depot Honda): “It’s great to be back in the car. The feel of the speed is not as big as it was last year after not being in an Indy car in eight years, but it is still big, so I took my time getting up to speed as planned. For me, the goal today was to run flat out, get my confidence back up, get a good feel. We only did a little bit of running. Tomorrow (race engineer) Bruno (Couprie) and more of the team arrives, so I feel like we did what we had to do for the first day, and I am happy about it. Now we have all week to get a little faster and get the Office Depot car up to speed."

AJ ALLMENDINGER (No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet): “Another day in the learning process today, and we got a couple different things tested in the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet that should be helpful as we move on. We did a couple of short runs and a full-tank run so I could see how the car would feel, and I am getting more comfortable with it. To a certain degree, I also got to see how the car is going to react in traffic, and I thought that was really good. Obviously, the cold conditions are a little different than what we will probably have for the race. But to do a race run, the car felt pretty good, and I’m happy with the progress we made."

GRAHAM RAHAL (No. 15T Midas/Big O Tires Honda): “We have a little work to do to make the Midas/Big O Tires car a little more comfortable to drive. We didn’t get a tow and were running a lot of downforce compared to the rest of the guys, so I’m not concerned with a comparison just yet. At the end of the day, we will be just fine."

JR HILDEBRAND (No. 4 National Guard Panther Racing Chevrolet): “We just opened our account. It was nice to get out here and run some laps, but this was mainly just a shakedown for us. The National Guard car felt fine out there, and we obviously weren’t being very aggressive with the car. It’s always nice to get back out to the Speedway, and we’re excited about continuing our program this week."

CHARLIE KIMBALL (No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen Honda): “Today was a good second day. We shook the primary car down and went through a couple of changes. It's still early in the week, and we're still trying to a handle on where the track is going to be, especially as we get closer to qualifying at the end of the week. It was a good opening weekend. Really happy with the pace of the car. As far as knowledge of what we've got heading into the week of practice, I think we feel pretty good. We've got a good foundation and keep working on the No. 83 NovoLog FlexPen car and get quicker all the time. The guys have been really good on practice pit stops. We'll keep working on that, too, because I know they'll be rock solid on Race Day."

Results