IndyCar News: Palou Edges Newgarden To Top IMS Oval Test

There’s still one jewel missing from Alex Palou’s racing crown, but testing Oct. 11 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway showed he may be closer than ever to adding it next May.

Reigning NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion Palou has won the championship three times in the last four seasons, but he still seeks his first Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge victory. But Palou led testing on the historic 2.5-mile oval Friday with a top speed of 224.342 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.

Palou’s best Indy 500 finish is second, behind Helio Castroneves’ historic fourth win in 2021. Palou earned his first “500” pole in 2023.

“It was a good day of testing,” Palou said. “We tried a lot of stuff. Yesterday was Firestone, today was more us, Ganassi and Honda. We’re happy. You want to come here, and even if you’re testing a bunch of stuff, you want to be first.”

Looming right behind Palou on the speed chart was two-time reigning Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden, second at 223.973 in the No. 2 Shell Powering Progress Team Penske Chevrolet. Rinus VeeKay was third at 223.383 in the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda in his first day of testing with that team.

“It’s always great to be back here at Indianapolis,” said Newgarden. “Certainly, it has changed in a positive way after finally converting two wins. Obviously, my team is pumped. They’re not new to that. They’ve won a lot of races around here, but new for me. It adds a little special element. I love being here.

“Excited to run today and get ready for 2025. Not just for ourselves, we’re here helping Firestone and INDYCAR out right now. We’re trying to get a good package for next year. A couple of new car configurations, so always exciting to be here at the speedway.

“The car is different. It weighs a little bit more [with the hybrid components], and the hybrid component is a factor. Next year, the complexity of this race, I don’t think it’s going to flip on its head but you’re going to have new elements that you weren’t used to last year. The hybrid will be a big part of that.

You’re going to have to figure out how to utilize that and get the most out of it, especially at the end of the race. We’re learning about that today. We didn’t have that this year. So, I’m going to try and figure out what’s best for us, and the league is trying to figure out what’s best for everybody.”

Graham Rahal was fourth at 222.650 in the No. 45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, with 2022 “500” winner Marcus Ericsson rounding out the top five at 222.324 in the No. 28 Andretti Global Honda.

Eleven car-and-driver combinations – one driver from each team – combined to turn 1,123 laps in six hours of testing Friday after four drivers tested tires Thursday afternoon for Firestone. A primary area of focus for all teams and drivers was the new hybrid system, which made its competitive debut in July 2024.

The hybrid system offers the competitors and their twin-turbo V6 engines an additional 60 horsepower. Previous iterations of the hybrid package were previously tested during the development process, but this test marked the debut of the system as it will race next May.

“I think the overtake we get (from the hybrid) is nice,” Palou said. “I think it’s good enough to set up a pass maybe in the middle of the pack. We’ll have to see.”

The 109th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge is Sunday, May 25, live on FOX and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Visit IMS.com for ticket and event details.

Friday’s Test Results