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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