Team Penske may have struggled in qualifying, but they have the last laugh before Sunday’s 101st Indianapolis 500.
Helio Castroneves led the way in the extended one-hour session, ripping around the 2.5-mile track in 39.5819 seconds (227.377 mph). The three-time race winner ran 28 laps and was more than a full tenth of a second above the field.
Andretti Autosport’s Takuma Sato finished second quickest followed by Tony Kanaan. Pole-sitter Scott Dixon ended fourth quick ahead of Fernando Alonso, who caps off his first Verizon IndyCar Series weekend in fifth.
James Hinchcliffe won the pole for last year’s race, however, found a major issue in the engine of his No. 5 Honda. He suffered significant smoke in Turn 3 and was forced to stop and exit his car on the track.
Graham Rahal finished sixth with Josef Newgarden, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Hunter-Reay the top 10.
