Indianapolis 500 final practice: Josef Newgarden tops speed chart

Josef Newgarden has some work to do if he's to win his third Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, but it's clear his No. 2 Team Penske Chevrolet is fast. 

Newgarden, the 2023 and 2024 Indy 500 champion, topped the speed chart in Friday's Carb Day practice at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the final practice session before the running of the 110th Indianapolis 500 on Sunday. Newgarden's laid down a fastest lap of 39.41 seconds/228.342 miles per hour around the 2.5-mile venue. 

Newgarden will start Sunday's race from the 23rd position. 

Christian Rasmussen, David Malukas, Conor Daly and two-time 500 winner Takuma Sato rounded out the top five, with defending winner Alex Palou, Kyle Kirkwood, Scott McLaughlin, Marcus Armstrong and rookie Dennis Hauger completing the top 10. 

Other notable practice results include Romain Grosjean in 11th, 2008 500 winner Scott Dixon in 14th, Santino Ferrucci in 17th, four-time 500 winner Helio Castroneves in 19th and Pato O'Ward in 20th. 

Katherine Legge, who will also compete in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, was last (33rd) on the speed chart on Saturday, running a fastest lap of 40.537 seconds/222.018 miles per hour. 

What drivers said

Newgarden was happy with his race car but knows there will be no time to waste on Sunday. 

"It's always there is positivity to that in that when the car can do that lap, that is a good thing, but that's not the whole story when it comes to our race car," Newgarden said of his performance on Friday. "I think we've been relatively solid all month, but you get these fluctuations every single day with temperature and wind, and you take the car apart, you put it back together, it's never quite the same thing every time you go out.

"The one day that's going to matter is in 48 hours. That's what it boils down to. I think our race car has been in a really good spot for the most part, and even through all the variability that I just spoke about. We've just got to make sure it's right as Sunday comes around."

The 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 is set to go green at 12:45 p.m. ET Sunday, with coverage on FOX and the IndyCar Radio Network. 

Quotes provided by IndyCar Media.