Scott Dixon Fastest in Second Day of Indy 500 Practice

Chip Ganassi Racing‘s Scott Dixon topped the speed charts on the second day of Indianapolis 500 practice, with his tow-assisted speed of 226.829 mph holding at the top for nearly two hours to the end of the session. It’s known that team owner Chip Ganassi likes winners, and all four of his cars found their way into the top ten by the checkered flag.

The session was delayed by fifteen minutes so that Top Gun Racing‘s RC Enerson could finish his rookie orientation program, which he completed successfully. When the session went green, Dixon’s teammate Marcus Ericsson led the early stages, sitting at the top for the first four hours of the day as teams ran various programs. The Swede also held the lead through a small rain delay for sprinkles in turns three and four a little over two hours into the session.

Ericsson was finally bested by the Ed Carpenter Racing duo of Conor Daly and Ed Carpenter with just under two hours left in the practice session, and they were then bested by Dixon who took that speed to the finish. Daly and Carpenter finished second and third in another strong day for ECR, with their third driver Rinus Veekay just outside the top ten in eleventh, while Ericsson finished fourth.

Tony Kanaan makes his return to the car normally driven by Jimmie Johnson, finishing the second day of practice in fifth as he looks to win his second Indianapolis 500 after drinking the milk in 2013.

After his right rear wheel caught fire towards the end of yesterday’s practice session, Sebastien Bourdais and the A.J. Foyt Enterprises team rebounded for a sixth place finish today. All three of his Foyt teammates placed twenty-fifth or worse, showing just how much the four-time Champ Car champion has elevated that program.

Patricio O’Ward, winner of the 2021 Xpel 375, came home seventh fastest for Arrow McLaren SP. After showing consistent pace at Indy in the April test, O’Ward continues to improve and excite IndyCar fans everywhere.

Alex Palou was the slowest of the Ganassi cars in eighth, but having all four cars inside the top ten just goes to show how much speed Ganassi has. Palou qualified seventh last year as a part of Dale Coyne Racing with Team Goh, and is showing that same kind of pace early in testing.

The last two spots of the top ten belong to the city of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, with Dreyer and Reinbold Racing‘s Sage Karam ninth and Marco Andretti tenth. Karam follows up a shock fourth place finish on day one with another top ten finish, the best speed of any part time or Indy 500-only team in the field. Andretti felt that his team still had work to be done, but a top ten car is a great starting point.

Practice will continue tomorrow, 20 May, at 1200 EST / 1700 BST.

2021 Indianapolis 500 Practice Day 2 Results

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