Felix Rosenqvist shattered the 233mph barrier on a thrilling Fast Friday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, setting the stage for an electrifying qualifying weekend at the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500.
The "Speedy Swede" piloted his #60 Meyer Shank Racing Honda to a blistering single-lap speed of 233.372mph with just over an hour remaining in the session, topping the speed charts and sending a clear message to the competition.
Fast Friday, originally scheduled for a noon ET start, was delayed by two hours due to rain. Once the track dried, teams unleashed an additional 100 horsepower, and the session was extended until 7 p.m. to make up for lost time. The result? A surge in speeds that had fans on their feet.
Alexander Rossi, the 2016 Indy 500 winner, was right on Rosenqvist's tail. Driving the #20 ECR Chevrolet, Rossi clocked in at 232.932mph for second place, while also posting the fourth-fastest "no-tow" speed—a key metric that measures pure car pace without the aerodynamic advantage of drafting.
Team Penske's Scott McLaughlin rounded out the top three with a 232.674mph lap, which also happened to be the fastest no-tow speed of the day. "It's better than going upside down," McLaughlin joked, referencing his dramatic crash at the same boost level during a previous test. "The Pennzoil Chevy was solid. We'll go back and scratch our heads a little bit more. It's only going to get harder as the weekend goes on."
Two-time Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato wasn't far behind, posting a 232.655mph lap in the #45 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Honda to claim fourth. Meanwhile, 2022 winner Marcus Ericsson (Andretti Global) secured fifth at 232.622mph, proving that past champions are ready to battle for the Borg-Warner Trophy once again.
Reigning and four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou, the defending Indy 500 winner, took sixth overall but impressed with the second-fastest no-tow speed at 232.532mph. Ed Carpenter, a three-time pole-sitter for "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," was seventh at 232.470mph in his #20 ECR Chevrolet.
The field remained incredibly tight, with Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren) in eighth at 232.427mph and Rinus VeeKay (Juncos Hollinger Racing) in ninth at 232.417mph. VeeKay also posted the third-fastest no-tow speed, signaling strong potential for qualifying.
As the sun set on a dramatic Fast Friday, the message was clear: the battle for the pole position is wide open, and the speeds are only going to climb. With rain in the forecast and temperatures rising, every run will count in the quest for Indy 500 glory. Stay tuned—this is just the beginning of the excitement.