Rookie Rossi Leads Final Practice Prior to Indy 500 Qualifying

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief

INDIANAPOLIS – Alexander Rossi led final practice with a lap of 231.249 mph before qualifying begins for the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil.

The Andretti Autosport rookie continues to impress with his overall pace during the week of preparation for the milestone event, while some of his Rookie of the Year rivals have stumbled. Just minutes into the session, Max Chilton spun and found the Turn 2 wall and will likely have to go to a backup car for qualifying on Saturday afternoon.

Ryan Hunter-Reay joined teammate Rossi at the top of the timesheets, jetting around the 2.5-mile oval at 231.107 mph.

The session only saw 21 drivers take the track, with only six of them being Hondas.

Chevy still showcased stout pace with Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves breaking 230 mph and sitting third and fourth overall.

Click the link for the full final practice results: Final Practice – Session 6

Qualifying is set to start at 2:20 p.m. ET and is set to run until 7 p.m. ET.

Image: Bret Kelley/INDYCAR

 

About Joey Barnes 600 Articles
Joey Barnes is the Founder of Motorsports Tribune, an outlet that began with the goal of helping aspiring journalists break into and grow the industry. A regular on the racing scene since 2013, the journey for Joey started by covering a Grand-Am event at Circuit of The Americas in his home state of Texas. He has since primarily focused on the IndyCar Series, with appearances in the garages of NASCAR, paddocks of Formula 1, IMSA and World Endurance Championship, while also occasionally engulfing clouds of dust at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and select Supercross rounds. With previous stops at Autoweek, IndyCar.com, Motorsport.com and RACER, among others, Joey evolved from the singular task as a freelance writer to advanced roles behind the copy desk and alongside some of the best editorial teams in the business. Recognized as a multi-time award winner by the National Motorsports Press Association, Joey currently resides in Dallas-Fort Worth with his trusty four-legged canine companion, Rocket.

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