CHEVROLET RACING IN THE VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES
101ST RUNNING OF THE INDIANAPOLIS 500
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
TEAM CHEVY PRACTICE 8 RECAP
MAY 22, 2017

Following two days of time trials for the 101st Indianapolis 500, Chevrolet teams turned their attention to fine-tuning their Chevrolet Aero Kits with the 2.2-liter V6 Chevrolet engine for the 200-lap race May 28.

All 15 Chevrolet drivers qualified for the field Sunday displayed additional speed in the 3½ hours of available track time as they continue to hone in on the optimal aerodynamic set-up of their race car. Reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Simon Pagenaud led Team Chevy drivers with a quick lap of 226.998 mph (39.6479 seconds) on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval to place fourth overall. Pagenaud qualified 23rd in the No. 1 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet.

“I felt like my race car was very good last week, and we showed it today I think in the heat,” Pagenaud said. “It actually gets really good in traffic. It can run with people. We made a lot of changes last night, mostly on obviously bodywork, because it’s a different package than qualifying, and also a new engine to go for the race. It’s a weapon, that engine, to put in there. They put a new engine that’s really strong. Chevy did a tremendous job with calibration.”
Thirty-three entries totaled 2,705 laps without incident in the penultimate practice. Through eight sessions, 35 driver/car combinations have recorded 10,528 laps. Drivers will receive one hour of track time for a warm-up during “Carb Day” May 26. NBCSN will telecast the event live at 11 a.m. ET.

Three-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves recorded a best lap of 226.705 mph (39.6991 seconds in the No. 3 Shell Fuel Rewards Team Penske Chevrolet. Castroneves qualified 19th for the opportunity to earn a record-tying fourth Indy 500 victory. He’s claimed wins from the 11th (2001), 13th (2002) and first (2009) starting positions. Castroneves logged 121 laps on the day to top Team Chevy drivers.

Sage Karam, the youngest driver in the field, who qualified 21st in the No. 24 DRR Mecum Auctions Chevrolet, also moved through the ranks with a top-10 lap of 226.381 mph (39.7559 seconds).

Ed Carpenter will lead Team Chevy drivers to the green flag of the 500 Mile Race from the middle of the front row. Carpenter, a two-time Indianapolis 500 pole sitter, blistered the racetrack during the “Fast Nine Shootout” Sunday with a four-lap average speed of 231.664 mph in the No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet.

ABC will telecast the race at noon ET May 28.