McLaughlin Leads Practice on Rainy Day at Indy

Scott McLaughlin led three Team Penske cars among the four fastest in a practice session marked by rain at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The session, part of the preparations for the 108th Indianapolis 500, started with a delay of over five hours due to morning rain and was interrupted three times before being definitively canceled due to heavier rain, leaving 59 minutes of track inactivity.

McLaughlin recorded the fastest lap of the day, with a speed of 229.493 mph. "The Yellow Submarine was pretty good right out of the box," McLaughlin commented. "We were able to use the draft to get that speed. The car has good pace right now. We've worked on many aspects and I think we're in a good spot."

Despite the interruptions, the 34 drivers on the track managed to complete 2,084 laps in fast groups around the 2.5-mile oval. The second fastest time was for Will Power, with a lap of 228.767 mph. Colton Herta was third with 227.858 mph, followed by current 500 winner Josef Newgarden with 227.675 mph. Alexander Rossi completed the top five with a lap of 227.484 mph.

Kyle Larson, Rossi's teammate this May, was the fastest rookie, occupying 15th place with 225.245 mph. Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is preparing to attempt the "double" of competing in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 of the NASCAR Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26.

“It’s a bit frustrating,” Larson said of the rain delays. “But there’s plenty of track time. I’m trying to remember that. I’m glad to have gotten out there and got running. I’m still trying to figure a lot out and work through the car balance, timing of runs and all that.”

Practice will continue Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. Qualifying will take place on Saturday and Sunday, with the race scheduled for Sunday, May 26.