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Penske's Helio Castroneves ends IndyCar Phoenix test on top

Team Penske's Helio Castroneves stayed on top as IndyCar's pre-season test at Phoenix International Raceway concluded

Having led the way on the first day of running, Castroneves missed most of Saturday's first session.

He regrouped in the evening, setting a time of 19.2735 seconds (190.894mph) during a qualifying simulation.

IndyCar returns to the one-mile oval in April, for the first time since 2005.

"We had a little issue with the car in the first session, but were able to take full advantage on the second one," Castroneves said.

"The car seemed to be very solid in qualifying trim and we were able to jump into race mode.

"It's going to be fast and non-stop. The Phoenix fans are going to have a heck of a race."

Andretti Autosport pair Marco Andretti and Ryan Hunter-Reay were second and third in the evening, with laps of 19.3351s and 19.3986s, and after Takuma Sato's AJ Foyt Racing entry, Carlos Munoz made it three Andretti cars inside the top five.

Sato made light contact with the wall late in the session while taking evasive action as Simon Pagenaud slowed after losing tyre pressure.

Pagenaud had set the fastest time of the day session and his 19.2884s put him second overall for the test behind Penske team-mate Castroneves.

"Speed is one thing but we did a really good two-day test," Pagenaud said.

"It was pretty awesome because the whole group worked really well.

"We did everything we really wanted to try and now we have a good toolbox.

"We have built a really good toolbox, who does what and when depending on the temperature.

"I think we have a better understanding of the aero kits and Chevrolet had done a really good job with the evolution of the engine.

"It was a really good test and I'm excited for the short ovals. That was our weakness in the past was on the short ovals."

With laps of 19.2917s and 19.3316s set in day, Josef Newgarden and Ed Carpenter were third and fourth overall, behind Castroneves and Pagenaud and ahead of Andretti.

AFTERNOON RESULTS:

Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap Laps
1 Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 19.2884s - 63
2 Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.2917s 0.0033s 56
3 Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.3316s 0.0432s 55
4 Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.3474s 0.0590s 42
5 Will Power Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 19.3560s 0.0676s 30
6 Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 19.4073s 0.1189s 49
7 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.4259s 0.1375s 15
8 Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 19.4375s 0.1491s 22
9 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Dallara/Honda 19.4492s 0.1608s 18
10 Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.4915s 0.2031s 44
11 Sebastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.5228s 0.2344s 29
12 Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 19.5478s 0.2594s 56
13 James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda 19.5614s 0.2730s 59
14 Gabby Chaves Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda 19.5629s 0.2745s 64
15 Max Chilton Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.5699s 0.2815s 30
16 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 19.6226s 0.3342s 41
17 Takuma Sato AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda 19.7689s 0.4805s 69
18 Luca Filippi Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda 19.9406s 0.6522s 51
19 Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda 19.9424s 0.6540s 40
20 Jack Hawksworth AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda 19.9946s 0.7062s 66
21 Helio Castroneves Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 31.3428s 12.0544s 15

EVENING RESULTS:

Pos Driver Team Car Time Gap Laps
1 Helio Castroneves Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 19.2735s - 117
2 Marco Andretti Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 19.3351s 0.0616s 102
3 Ryan Hunter-Reay Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 19.3986s 0.1251s 86
4 Takuma Sato AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda 19.4998s 0.2263s 71
5 Carlos Munoz Andretti Autosport Dallara/Honda 19.5485s 0.2750s 90
6 Luca Filippi Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda 19.6833s 0.4098s 48
7 Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.7424s 0.4689s 128
8 Conor Daly Dale Coyne Racing Dallara/Honda 19.7490s 0.4755s 70
9 Ed Carpenter Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.7664s 0.4929s 89
10 Juan Pablo Montoya Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 19.8555s 0.5820s 101
11 Tony Kanaan Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.8578s 0.5843s 49
12 Graham Rahal Rahal Letterman Lanigan Dallara/Honda 19.8601s 0.5866s 133
13 Charlie Kimball Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.8794s 0.6059s 100
14 Simon Pagenaud Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 19.8892s 0.6157s 108
15 Gabby Chaves Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda 19.9071s 0.6336s 138
16 Josef Newgarden Ed Carpenter Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.9160s 0.6425s 85
17 Max Chilton Chip Ganassi Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.9171s 0.6436s 130
18 Sebastien Bourdais KVSH Racing Dallara/Chevrolet 19.9574s 0.6839s 128
19 James Hinchcliffe Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Dallara/Honda 20.0151s 0.7416s 149
20 Will Power Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet 20.0340s 0.7605s 16
21 Jack Hawksworth AJ Foyt Enterprises Dallara/Honda 20.1457s 0.8722s 42


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