Power Paces Opening Day of Indy 500 Practice

Will Power entering Turn 1 on opening day of Indy 500 practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (Photo: Anthony Sylvia | The Podium Finish)

SPEEDWAY, Ind. – Team Penske is the most decorated team in the history of the Indianapolis 500. Opening day of practice for this year’s 109^th running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge was no exception for the three-car powerhouse, as 2018 winner Will Power paced a Penske 1-2 on the speed charts.

Power set the fastest time in the last 30 minutes of the rain-shortened practice session at 227.026 mph in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet. Power’s teammate and two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden was second with a lap of 226.971 mph in the No. 2 Shell V-Power NITRO+ Team Penske Chevrolet. Newgarden is eying a record-setting third consecutive Indianapolis 500 victory.

Practice was delayed by two hours, 32 minutes due to rainy conditions, and ended 32 minutes early due to lightning detected in the vicinity of the speedway.

“I think we’ve got a pretty good baseline,” Power said. “My teammates are pretty good. I learned a thing or two off them. It’s almost its own championship in itself. You’ve got to look for your weaknesses and improve.”

Alex Palou navigating Turn 1 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during Indy 500 opening day of practice. (Photo: Anthony Sylvia | The Podium Finish)

NTT IndyCar Series points leader Alex Palou was the fastest among the Ganassi garage, posting the third fastest speed on the day at 226.673 mph in the No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou is racing at an unprecedented pace so far this year, winning four of the first five races of the 2025 season, including last weekend’s Sonsio Grand Prix at the IMS road course.

Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves showcased his experience at the 2.5-mile oval with a sixth best speed of 224.523 mph in the No. 06 Cliffs Honda by Meyer Shank Racing, a team that Castroneves is part-owner of.

All 34 drivers turned laps on Tuesday afternoon for a total of 1,549 laps in the shortened session. FOX will continue to air practice coverage throughout the week from noon-6 p.m. (noon-4 p.m., FS2, 4 p.m.-6 p.m., FS1, and the SiriusXM IndyCar Radio Network channel 218).

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