IndyCar wraps up Practice 1 on first day of testing at PIR
The desert was alive with the sound of horsepower for the first time in 2017, as the Verizon IndyCar Series began its open testing programme at Phoenix International Raceway. A full field of 21 cars participated in on day one.
As is typical of the desert, teams and drivers battled the intense Arizona heat while trying to get in the perfect run, with ambient temperatures reaching as high as 29C. However the heat did little to deter running as all drivers tallied an impressive 910 total laps in Practice 1.
The drivers that found new seats for 2017 had mixed results in Practice 1.
Team Penske newcomer, Josef Newgarden paced the field in Practice 1, setting a 00m19.3511s with a top speed of 190.129mph.
“We rolled off really strong and it felt so solid from the beginning.
“Brian and I are working well together and he’s trying to learn what I like. But so far, so good. It was a good start,” said Newgarden.
While new Andretti Autosport man, Takuma Sato was P7 with a 00m19.6843s. IndyCar rookie, Ed Jones of Dale Coyne Racing managed P9 with a 00m19.7363s. The third and last of the driver switchers to make the top-10. The young A. J. Foyt Enterprises pair of Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz struggled with their cars. Munoz could only achieve P18, while team-mate Daly came last due to an oil leak and managed only seven laps in Practice 1.
Twitter: Check out the results from the first open test @PhoenixRaceway. The second test session will begin and streamed at… https://t.co/qwgCA6OMy4 (@IndyCar)
And while the oil leak didn’t damage the Chevy engine in Daly’s car, Foyt officials decided against further running.
Practice 2, is scheduled for 8pm Eastern Time. The first time the 2017 Indycars will be under the lights.