Power Leads Opening Practice for Angie's List Grand Prix of Indianapolis

Will Power is one of only two Verizon IndyCar Series drivers to qualify in the top five for both previous Angie’s List Grand Prix of Indianapolis races. So it came as no surprise to see the defending pole and race winner sitting atop the speed chart following the opening practice for the third edition of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course event.

Power’s lap of 1 minute, 9.8943 seconds (125.624 mph) in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet to close the session was the only sub-70-second lap recorded. It came within 0.41 of a second of the track record the Team Penske driver set in 2015.

View Practice 1 results

Graham Rahal was second fastest in the No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing with a lap of 1:10.0699 (125.309 mph). Round out the top five were Power’s Penske teammates: Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet (1:10.3028), championship leader Simon Pagenaud in the No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevy (1:10.3448) and Helio Castroneves in the No. 3 hum by Verizon Team Penske Chevy (1:10.3751).

Twenty-five cars, the largest field for a Verizon IndyCar Series race thus far in 2016, are entered for the grand prix, but only 24 turned laps in the 75-minute session. James Hinchcliffe never made it out of pit lane in the No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda after a fuel leak was discovered in his car.

Also, rookie Matt Brabham, looking to make his first series start, completed just three laps after damaging a wheel hub when the wheel nut on his left rear tire came off.

A second practice session is scheduled from 3-4:15 p.m. ET today and will stream live on IMS.com. Qualifying takes place at 3 p.m. ET Friday (also streaming live), with the 82-lap race on the 2.439-mile permanent road course set for Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC and Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network).