St Petersburg IndyCar: Ryan Hunter-Reay ends Friday practice on top

Ed Carpenter Racing's Spencer Pigot joined him in that bracket as all teams got their first taste of the softer-compound Firestones.

Hunter-Reay's team-mate Marco Andretti had been the early pacesetter with a 1m01.1011s lap time.

He was eventually joined in the top three by Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing duo Graham Rahal and Takuma Sato, before James Hinchcliffe's Schmidt Peterson Motorsport car jumped to second.

Then Hunter-Reay delivered his knockout blow, with Pigot grabbing second for ECR soon afterwards.

Colton Herta briefly jumped to third in the Harding Steinbrenner Racing Dallara-Honda, before Andretti improved again and knocked the Indy Lights graduate down to fourth. Herta's car eventually coasted to a halt out on course.

Carlin starred as it clocked fifth and eighth fastest times with Max Chilton and Charlie Kimball, sandwiching Alexander Rossi and Hinchcliffe.

The three Team Penske Dallara-Chevrolets were only ninth, 10th and 17th for Josef Newgarden, Will Power and Simon Pagenaud respectively, while Scott Dixon and morning pacesetter Felix Rosenqvist were 13th and 14th for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Zach Veach had a couple of trips off course, and ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson brushed the wall in the second SPM entry while running on his softer red tyres.

Practice two times