There was a very early yellow when rookie David Malukas’ Dale Coyne Racing with RWR-Honda was slow on track and trickled into pitlane, but action swiftly resumed. However, 10min into the session, IndyCar oval debutant Jimmie Johnson’s Chip Ganassi Racing-Honda came down onto the apron with his engine off, briefly causing a second yellow.
For the first 15mins of the session, Meyer Shank Racing-Honda’s Simon Pagenaud was the only driver in the 223mph zone – 223.087mph/23.2376sec of the 1.5-mile oval. His cause helped by the additional 220lbs / eight percent increase in downforce thanks to the underfloor sidewalls and bargeboards that teams can use here in 2022.
