Rain and lightning cut short Indy 500 practice, but Team Penske still shines

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Team Penske was fastest on opening day of practice for the Indianapolis 500, a day shortened at the front and back end because of weather.

Will Power and two-time defending Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden went 1-2 in Chevrolets for Penske in Tuesday’s abbreviated session. Cars ran only about three hours, first because of morning rain and then a lightning strike ended the session with about 30 minutes remaining.

Power turned a lap at 227.026 mph around Indianapolis Motor Speedway, while Newgarden went 226.971 mph.

Alex Palou, winner of four of the first five races this season and the current IndyCar points leader, was third fastest for Chip Ganassi Racing. The Honda driver is the two-time reigning IndyCar champion and has won three of the last four series titles. He went 226.673 mph.

He was followed by Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon and then Scott McLaughlin, another Penske driver. Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was sixth fastest for Meyer Shank Racing, and new father Alexander Rossi, who welcomed his first baby last week, was seventh fastest.

The birth of Rossi’s son was a surprise to many in the industry as he and wife, Kelly, deliberately did not reveal her pregnancy to many people.

“Because why would we?” he asked. The boy, named Benjamin Kenneth, was born last Wednesday. His first name was the only name they could decide on, and his middle name is after her late father.

Marcus Armstrong of Meyer-Shank was eighth fastest, Marcus Ericsson, a former Indianapolis 500 winner, was ninth, and Marco Andretti, in his only scheduled IndyCar race of the season, was 10th for Andretti Global.