Indy 500: Ganassi's Chilton fastest in last full practice session
Chip Ganassi Racing's Max Chilton led the way in the final full practice session for the Indianapolis 500, as drivers focused on running in traffic
Chilton, who will start 15th in Sunday's IndyCar race, clocked a 228.592mph lap during the three-and-a-half-hour session to finish 0.4mph clear of Dale Coyne Racing rookie Ed Jones.
Polesitter Scott Dixon was third fastest on a 227.165mph to complete an all-Honda top three, ahead of the fastest Chevrolet driver, reigning champion Simon Pagenaud for Penske.
After eight practice sessions and qualifying, the only remaining running before the 101st Indy 500 will be Friday's traditional hour-long session on Carb Day.
Takuma Sato was the best of the Andretti drivers in fifth, with Ryan Hunter-Reay seventh, defending winner Alexander Rossi ninth, Marco Andretti 10th and Fernando Alonso 12th.
McLaren Formula 1 driver Alonso was one six to complete more than 100 laps, along with Chilton, Penske's Helio Castroneves and Will Power in fifth and 11th, Charlie Kimball and Jack Harvey.
"It was OK," said Alonso. "It was going back to the known setup from last Thursday, so some good laps today.
"Even though the session was a bit shorter, we maximised the track time, so it was a useful day again.
"Today, we tried many things, we just need to put everything together now and try to be ready for Sunday."
Rookie Harvey, whose Andretti entry is being run by Michael Shank Racing, not only completed the most laps (124) but topped the speeds recorded without the aid of a tow with an 224.036mph effort.
The next fastest no-tow speeds came from Rossi, Jones, Hunter-Reay, Tony Kanaan and Mikhail Aleshin.
James Davison was 28th fastest in Dale Coyne's hastily-repaired back-up #18 car, his first day with the team replacing the injured Sebastien Bourdais.
PRACTICE EIGHT RESULTS:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Speed | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Chilton | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 228.592 | 108 |
| 2 | Ed Jones | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 228.118 | 86 |
| 3 | Scott Dixon | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 227.165 | 98 |
| 4 | Simon Pagenaud | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 226.998 | 95 |
| 5 | Takuma Sato | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 226.806 | 80 |
| 6 | Helio Castroneves | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 226.705 | 121 |
| 7 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 226.542 | 61 |
| 8 | Sage Karam | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 226.381 | 87 |
| 9 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti Herta | Dallara/Honda | 226.376 | 70 |
| 10 | Marco Andretti | Andretti Autosport | Dallara/Honda | 226.224 | 66 |
| 11 | Will Power | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 226.199 | 109 |
| 12 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Honda-Andretti | Dallara/Honda | 226.147 | 122 |
| 13 | Mikhail Aleshin | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 225.967 | 68 |
| 14 | Tony Kanaan | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 225.955 | 83 |
| 15 | Jay Howard | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 225.946 | 82 |
| 16 | Gabby Chaves | Harding Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 225.931 | 80 |
| 17 | Charlie Kimball | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dallara/Honda | 225.729 | 119 |
| 18 | James Hinchcliffe | Schmidt Peterson Motorsports | Dallara/Honda | 225.504 | 94 |
| 19 | Oriol Servia | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 225.389 | 36 |
| 20 | Graham Rahal | Rahal Letterman Lanigan | Dallara/Honda | 225.234 | 72 |
| 21 | Jack Harvey | Michael Shank Racing | Dallara/Honda | 224.823 | 124 |
| 22 | Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 224.793 | 99 |
| 23 | Conor Daly | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 224.727 | 87 |
| 24 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Team Penske | Dallara/Chevrolet | 224.651 | 55 |
| 25 | Ed Carpenter | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 224.442 | 79 |
| 26 | J.R. Hildebrand | Ed Carpenter Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 224.337 | 89 |
| 27 | Carlos Munoz | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 223.749 | 69 |
| 28 | James Davison | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 223.670 | 88 |
| 29 | Pippa Mann | Dale Coyne Racing | Dallara/Honda | 223.524 | 60 |
| 30 | Sebastian Saavedra | Juncos Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 222.965 | 69 |
| 31 | Spencer Pigot | Juncos Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 222.093 | 45 |
| 32 | Zach Veach | A.J. Foyt Enterprises | Dallara/Chevrolet | 221.612 | 61 |
| 33 | Buddy Lazier | Lazier Racing | Dallara/Chevrolet | 218.998 | 43 |
Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti robbed at gunpoint after Indy 500
How real is Alonso’s Indy victory chance?
Double F1 race winner Jean Pierre Jabouille has died
Former French Formula 1 driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille has died on Thursday at age 80, French media have reported.
IMSA champion Jarvis to contest full ELMS season with United Autosports
Reigning IMSA Sportscar Championship title-winner Oliver Jarvis will contest the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports alongside Formula 2 convert Marino Sato, in addition to the World Endurance Championship.
20 years on: Porsche’s 911 GT Daytona 24 Hours giant-killing relived
IMSA’s new GTP class for LMDh cars had a more auspicious debut last weekend than the Daytona Prototypes that arrived in 2003. Back then, they were humbled by a GT Porsche 911, which won the Floridian sportscar classic by nine laps.
Entries open for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award story
Entries have opened for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award, with budding motorsport engineers invited to apply for the revamped prize.
Nigel Mansell’s greatest F1 and Indycar drives
It’s 30 years since Mansell won the Formula 1 world title and then headed off to do battle in America. Here are his best races – and the Briton’s memories of them
How Ericsson achieved Indy immortality as Ganassi's main man stumbled
Chip Ganassi Racing team was strong again in the Indianapolis 500, with poleman Scott Dixon and reigning champion Alex Palou leading almost three quarters of the race between them. But when dominator Dixon was penalised for pitlane speeding, ex-Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson stepped up to score the biggest win of his career and seize the IndyCar points lead
Ranking the top 10 IndyCar drivers of 2021
In an enthralling 2021 IndyCar campaign, the series bounced back from its COVID-19 truncated year prior and Alex Palou defeated both the established order and his fellow young guns to clinch a maiden title. It capped a remarkable season with plenty of standout performers
How F1's other IndyCar exile finally unlocked his potential
Romain Grosjean's swashbuckling rookie year in IndyCar captured the imagination of many in 2021. But another ex-Formula 1 driver whose potential was masked by five years of toil in, at best, middling machinery also enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 - winning twice and finishing sixth in points. Here's how Marcus Ericsson finally delivered on his promise
How Ganassi's relentless new champion outfoxed IndyCar's best
IndyCar sophomore Alex Palou stunned by overcoming team-mate Scott Dixon and the rest of a white-hot field in 2021. He was consistently fast and crucially showed a level head, rebounding well from setbacks to put himself in a near unassailable position entering the final round
Have Harvey and RLL formed IndyCar’s next winning match-up?
Despite appearing to have an IndyCar job for life with Meyer Shank Racing, Jack Harvey’s departure and move to Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing sparked plenty of debate. However, Harvey's and RLL's combined strengths could prove to be a winning combination - if they get the balance right
Remembering Dan Wheldon and his last and most amazing IndyCar win
Saturday 16 October marks the 10th anniversary of Dan Wheldon’s death. David Malsher-Lopez pays tribute, then asks Wheldon’s race engineer from 2011, Todd Malloy, to recall that magical second victory at the Indianapolis 500
Why Kyle Kirkwood is America's new IndyCar ace-in-waiting
Kyle Kirkwood, the record-setting junior formula driver, sealed the Indy Lights championship last weekend. But despite an absurdly strong junior career and scholarship money, his next move is far from clear
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.