Indy 500 - Second Practice Notes & Quotes

AJ Allmendinger of Team Penske made the most of his second day of practice Sunday for the Indianapolis 500.

 

Allmendinger, the only Team Penske driver to practice in the chilly conditions with temperatures in the 50s at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the six-hour session, had the fifth-fastest lap of the day. His No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet was clocked at 221.279 mph, the best of his 40 laps.

“Another day in the learning process today and we got a couple different things tested in the No. 2 IZOD Team Penske Chevrolet that should be helpful as we move on,” said Allmendinger, who noted after the session that 221.279 mph was the fastest he had ever been in a car.

“We did a couple of short runs and a full-tank run so I could see how the car would feel and I am getting more comfortable with it. To a certain degree I also got to see how the car is going to react in traffic and I thought that was really good.”

Allmendinger, who did not participate in the first session of the day, waited until late in the afternoon to begin his practice after the second rookie orientation program ended.

“Obviously the cold conditions are a little different than what we will probably have for the race,” noted Allmendinger. “But to do a race run the car felt pretty good and I’m happy with the progress we made.”

Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves and teammate Will Power took the day off after participating in Saturday’s first practice session. Sunday’s cold temperatures led to less-than-ideal conditions to prepare for the 500-mile race on May 26th.

Credit - Penske Racing