Sato climbs to the top again on Good Friday

Three hands-on Indy 500 classes; Takuma climbed to the top of the speed three times at the end of the day.

Alexander Rossi set the speed limit at 231,883 km / h. It stood for most of the day until the two-time 500 Sato winner accelerated 232,789 miles per hour in the Dale Coyne-51 race with HMD Motorsports Honda when the lucky hour came.

“It’s a great feeling,” Sato said. “The whole team did a fantastic job to prepare for this.”

Anxious gusts of wind made the six-hour session a test of courage for many drivers, as early wind gusts of just over 20 miles per hour reached almost 35 miles per hour later in the afternoon. With a large dose of extra horsepower that can be used until the end of the weekend as qualifying looms, traditional four-wheel simulations have become rare as many drivers are rescued after one or two laps for safety in weight conditions.

Rossi’s pace promised his team Andretti Autosport, even if it was outstanding. Ramon Grosjean was next in Andretti’s camp in P15, and Colt Hertha, who made just seven laps, was last in P33. At Andretti’s camp, there is speculation that Rossi’s pace in the Honda № 27 could be reflected by the rest of the team on Saturday.

“Probably the weirdest day here, on the speedway,” Rossi said. “We knew it was going to be pretty chaotic because of the wind and the temperature. It turned out to be so. We came out first [qualifying] sim, and it became a type of day of risk versus reward. We know our car is fast; he was strong all month. “

Third, Pata O’Ward of Arrow McLaren SP accelerated the Chevy № 5 to 231.798 miles per hour and coped with the wild weights of excessive and inadequate agility as gusts pushed his car on every wheel. Chip Ganassi Racing’s strong week continued: Marcus Erikins finished fourth at 231,782 mph in Honda № 8 and Scott Dixon in fifth with 231,530 mph in Honda № 9. Dixon’s lap was particularly remarkable as it was set on his second wheel of the day; The 2008 Indy 500 winner made just four laps on Friday.

The top six was completed by O’Ward’s teammate Felix Rosenquist, who overtook IMS with the best speed of 231,493 km / h on a Chevy № 7.

Of the other runners, rookie Sato on team David Malukas once again impressed, finishing seventh; Sage Karam was a solid 13th for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, and rookie Calum Helot was 16th for Juncos Hollinger Racing.

The first and only incident of the week was recorded by Jimmy Johnson of CGR, whose Honda № 48 crashed into a wall at the exit of Turn 2. After hours of repairs, the newcomer returned to the road, where he was 17th with 229,929 mph.

Major teams that have yet to reveal their speed include Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Ed Carpenter Racing and AJ Foyt Racing. Long nights await everyone as they hope to participate in Saturday’s quest to place their cars in Fast 12.