Andretti fastest as Honda continues to match Chevrolet
Marco Andretti moved to the top of the timesheets on Fast Friday just before the first yellow of the day for moisture on the racetrack. It seems likely that the remainder of the day will be rained out.
Marco Andretti, Andretti Autosport Honda
IndyCar Series
With engines being turned up from 1.3 to 1.4-bar turbo boost – in other words, qualifying spec – on Fast Friday, Andretti Autosport-Honda put two drivers in the 231mph bracket, with Marco Andretti on 231.673 and part-timer Townsend Bell on 231.559. However it was Bell who held top spot in the “no-tow speeds” with a 231.342.
No-Tow Speeds [NTS] are ascertained by when a car is no closer than seven seconds behind the car in front.
Team Penske-Chevrolet ace Will Power completed only 18 laps but his earlier 231mph laps were still good enough for third overall, second in the no-tow list. Penske’s pace was reinforced by the presence of Simon Pagenaud in sixth (fourth NTS) with Carlos Munoz 5th (3rd NTS) and Alex Rossi 4th overall but only 12th NTS.
The Penskes of Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya were in the top 10 in both tables as was Scott Dixon in the Chip Ganassi Racing-Chevrolet.
However, more surprising was the pace of Gabby Chaves who had his third consecutive impressive day. The #19 Dale Coyne Racing-Honda set 230.4mph laps both with and without a tow to put him 7th overall and fifth without a tow.
Schmidt Peterson Motorsports put their early-week struggles behind them with ninth (Oriol Servia), 11th (Mikhail Aleshin) and 13th (James Hinchcliffe).
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