Indy 500: Ganassi 1-2-3-4 halfway through Day 3 practice

The session started with a bizarre moment while the Rahal Letterman Lanigan-Hondas of defending 500 winner Takuma Sato, Graham Rahal and Indy ‘extra’ Santino Ferrucci drove very slowly in formation across the yard of bricks to create a photo opportunity.

Team Penske-Chevrolet’s rookie Scott McLaughlin and Indy returnee Simona de Silvestro came onto the pitstraight and seeing the slow cars ahead – and presumably warned by their spotters – the pair backed off in response to the tardy trio ahead.

However, Colton Herta in his Andretti Autosport-Honda came around Turn 4 at regular speed to be confronted by McLaughlin’s slowing car, and had to squeeze between the Penske and the outside wall. The gap wasn’t quite big enough for Herta’s car, and he dum-dummed between the yellow #3 and the wall. There wasn’t a huge amount of damage done, but both cars had to be towed back to Gasoline Alley and repaired in their respective garages.

Another odd incident involving a Penske occurred when Will Power was allowed out on track with the driver cooling fan still attached to the cockpit. The 2018 Indy winner completed one slow lap and returned to pitlane, where the fan fell off at the feet of Palou’s Ganassi crew.

By the time three hours was completed, 2008 Indy winner Dixon was leading the pack on a 224.666mph lap, 0.7mph ahead of Ericsson, who was less than 0.2mph ahead of 2013 winner Kanaan, with series sophomore Palou just a further 0.1mph adrift.

McLaughlin recovered from the earlier farce to clock fifth fastest ahead of Ferrucci, while Josef Newgarden (Penske) was ahead of top Andretti runner and 2016 Indy winner Alexander Rossi, Penske’s 2019 winner Simon Pagenaud and Andretti’s 2014 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.

The three hours, which has seen ambient temperature rise to 85degF and track temps at 122degF was interrupted by 22mins of yellow-flag time – one for Herta’s wall brush and one for a track inspection.

Several drivers have run four-lap qualifying simulations, and in the no-tow speeds, Jack Harvey’s Meyer Shank Racing-Honda has turned a 222.091mph, ahead of Pagenaud, Rossi, Power, Newgarden and the field’s only team owner/driver and three-time polesitter Ed Carpenter.

Weather allowing – and there is no rain forecast – action will conclude at 6pm local (Eastern) time.

This is the last time the cars will run their BorgWarner turbos at race boost – 1.3-bar – before being upped to 1.5-bar for Fast Friday and qualifying weekend.