Dixon fastest in first practice
Five-time Mid-Ohio winner Scott Dixon topped first practice for Sunday’s Honda Indy 200, as Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske dominated the top positions.
Photo by: IndyCar Series
Dixon’s Chip Ganassi Racing-Chevrolet lapped the 2.258-mile course in 64.4491sec, an average speed of 126.127sec, beating the Team Penske-Chevys of Will Power and Juan Pablo Montoya by 0.12 and 0.15sec respectively.
Power went off course at Turn 2 on his 22nd lap, but was able to return to the track without hurt. Curiously, he went off almost simultaneously with Dale Coyne Racing-Honda driver Conor Daly swiping off his nosecone down at the Keyhole corner, Turn 4.
Tony Kanaan was 0.19sec shy of teammate Dixon in fourth, with Helio Castroneves’ Penske entry fifth.
James Hinchcliffe was fastest of the Honda driver, putting his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports machine sixth, but his teammate Mikhail Aleshin had two spins on his final flying lap and wound up only 17th.
Championship leader Simon Pagenaud, who topped the test times here last week, was seventh ahead of Josef Newgarden (Ed Carpenter Racing) and Sebastien Bourdais (KVSH Racing), who dueled for the win here two years ago, before Dixon beat them both.
Ryan Hunter-Reay had looked strong before the track gripped up, but had to be content with 10th and fastest Andretti Autopsort-Honda entry, a couple of tenths ahead of teammate Marco Andretti, and defending Mid-Ohio winner Graham Rahal.
IndyCar debutant RC Enerson in the #19 Dale Coyne car was 21st, a respectable six places and less than three-tenths off teammate Daly.
P. | N° | Driver | Team (Engine) | Time/deficit |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 | Scott Dixon | Ganassi (C) | 1:04.4491 |
2 | 12 | Will Power | Penske (C) | 0.1188 |
3 | 2 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Penske (C) | 0.1543 |
4 | 10 | Tony Kanaan | Ganassi (C) | 0.1896 |
5 | 3 | Helio Castroneves | Penske (C) | 0.2726 |
6 | 5 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt (H) | 0.3068 |
7 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | Penske (C) | 0.3221 |
8 | 21 | Josef Newgarden | Carpenter (C) | 0.3767 |
9 | 11 | Sébastien Bourdais | KVSH (C) | 0.4171 |
10 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti (H) | 0.4568 |
11 | 83 | Charlie Kimball | Ganassi (C) | 0.4717 |
12 | 27 | Marco Andretti | Andretti (H) | 0.6497 |
13 | 15 | Graham Rahal | Rahal (H) | 0.6794 |
14 | 26 | Carlos Muñoz | Andretti (H) | 0.7261 |
15 | 18 | Conor Daly | Coyne (H) | 0.8219 |
16 | 14 | Takuma Sato | Foyt (H) | 0.8486 |
17 | 7 | Mikhail Aleshin | Schmidt (H) | 0.8608 |
18 | 20 | Spencer Pigot | Carpenter (C) | 0.8643 |
19 | 41 | Jack Hawksworth | Foyt (H) | 1.0582 |
20 | 8 | Max Chilton | Ganassi (C) | 1.1035 |
21 | 19 | R.C. Enerson | Coyne (H) | 1.1042 |
22 | 98 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti-Herta (H) | 1.3012 |
(C) = Chevrolet, (H) = Honda
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