Race Weekend Central

Rossi, Newgarden Top Sunday Practice at IMS

Alexander Rossi may not be in the Fast 9, but he is fast.

Rossi put down a 230.064mph lap to pace Sunday’s pre-qualifying practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After being bumped from ninth in the final minutes of Saturday’s first round of qualifications, Rossi will qualify for a starting position between 10th and 33rd in the May 29 Indy 500.

Josef Newgarden led the way for the Fast 9, ending the session with a speed of 229.906mph. Will Power, Juan Pablo Montoya and Scott Dixon rounded out the top five.

While Dixon may have ended the session fifth on the speed charts, the defending Verizon IndyCar Series champion was hit with misfortune. Dixon’s motor lost power during the practice, requiring his Chip Ganassi Racing crew to perform an engine change. It is unknown at this time weather Dixon will make it to the grid in time to qualify for next Sunday’s race. If he is unable to make an attempt, Dixon will be forced to start 33rd.

Two drivers in the Fast 9 elected to skip the tuneup. Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammates James Hinchcliffe and Mikhail Aleshin decided to keep their machines off of the track and out of danger.

The IndyCar field will return to the racing surface to set the field for the Indy 500 at 2:45 p.m. ET.

About the author

A graduate of Ball State, Aaron rejoins Frontstretch for his second season in 2016 following a successful year that included covering seven races and starting the popular "Two-Headed Monster" column in 2015. Now in his third year of covering motorsports, Aaron serves as an Assistant Editor for Frontstretch while also contributing to other popular sites including Speed51 and The Apex. He encourages you to come say hi when you see him at the track.

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