Josef Newgarden set the pace in a competitive first day of running at the Indy 500 Open Test for Team Penske.
Conor Daly set the second quickest lap speed ahead of Dixon and IndyCar’s newest winner Kyle Kirkwood.
The first day of running at the Indy 500 open test got underway with two hours of running for the veterans, ahead of Rookie Orientation Programme and Refresher Tests with all the cars being allowed to run at the end of the session.
At the green light a flurry of cars left the pit lane and embarked on their installation laps.
2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou set consecutive lap times and a best lap speed of 218.934mph.
Team Penske’s Newgarden set the pace early in the Veterans Only test, driving to a 221.701mph.
A yellow flag was called with 1:39 to go after a helmet hose was left stranded on the track which disrupted the session.
The green flags resumed the session a couple of minutes later, Conor Daly and former Formula 1 driver Romain Grosjean took to the 2.500 circuit to build up mileage.
Andretti Autosport driver Colton Herta set a 223.015mph effort to top the timesheets ahead of David Malukas and Simon Pagenaud.
The reigning Indy 500 winner Marcus Ericsson quickly usurped Herta with an hour and a half left of the Veterans Only test, the Swede produced a 224.330mph lap speed.
The only owner-driver in the field Ed Carpenter slotted into second place with an hour to go, before the Rookie Orientation Programme started with a 223.765mph lap speed.
As the session progressed, Ericsson set the pace with a 224.330mph ahead of Carpenter, Pagenaud with Scott Dixon and Herta in P4 and P5.
In the closing stages, Palou slotted into second place setting a 224.088mph lap speed as McLaughlin set the third quickest speed.
Helio Castroneves soon became Ericsson’s closest challenger with a 224.280mph with two minutes remaining.
Chip Ganassi’s Ericsson topped the session ahead of Castroneves and Palou, prior to the Rookie Orientation Programme and refresher tests.
The perfect start to the Swedish driver’s preparation for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
Marco Andretti set the pace early on in the two hour Rookies and Refreshers test with a 221.419mph for Andretti Autosport ahead of Arrow McLaren SP’s Tony Kanaan, Andretti’s time was late removed from the timesheets.
The drivers were required to drive 10 laps at 205-210mph before 15 laps at 210-215mph prior to running 15 laps at 215+mph to pass the Rookie Orientation programme.
British driver Katherine Legge slowed out on a circuit but made it back to the pit lane early in the session which cost her valuable track time.
Legge returned to the track with an hour and a half to go in the session, she sat in P7 with a best lap speed of 213.635mph.
2014 Indy 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay broke the 221mph barrier with a 221.331mph to go comfortably ahead of Kanaan with just over an hour left.
The American then went fractionally quicker setting a 221.522mph as Andretti usurped Kanaan to take P2 with just under an hour to go.
Andretti bested Hunter-Reay’s effort, he set a 221.569mph prior to a yellow flag was called with half an hour remaining due to the conditions and a threat of rain over the track.
After a lengthy delay, running was resumed with the afternoon session of the opening day of the Indy 500 open test.
Two-time indy 500 winner Takuma Sato set the fastest lap speed with a 226.265mph ahead of McLaughlin and Colton Herta as cars started following each other in the slipstream, gaining top speed with just over three hours to go.
Herta improved his position to take second place from McLaughlin and set a 225.934mph lap speed as most of the field continued to set consecutive lap times.
The defending Indy 500 winner Ericsson sat in P14 with two and a half hours to go as his team mate Dixon slotted into first position with a 226.788mph lap speed, on the first day of running at Indianapolis.
On his one-off outing at Indy, British driver Stefan Wilson set an impressive 225.960mph to get fourth quickest for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, just ahead of Herta.
During the final hour of the running, Newgarden took to the top of the timesheets ahead of Dixon, breaking the 227mph barrier with a 227.686mph effort.
With 45 minutes to go, the American led the field ahead of Dixon with Chip Ganassi’s Sato in third place.
Kirkwood broke into the top three ahead of Sato with half an hour remaining as the days action came to a close.
Callum Ilott’s troubled day ended early with 15 minutes to go, the Juncos Hollinger driver didn’t hit the headlines on day one of running at IMS.
Home town driver Daly set the second quickest time, fractionally slower than Newgarden with a 227.466mph as Legge ran out of fuel with a minute left.
Running continues with day two tomorrow with a potential threat of rain around the circuit.
