Indy 500 – EL8: Palou fastest amid Penske scandal

In addition to Alex Palou's performance, it was obviously the relegation of Team Penske's cars (Josef Newgarden and Will Power) to the back of the grid that made headlines before the two-hour test session held under the sun. With crash boxes now legal on the rear of the Dallara-Chevrolets, the two drivers finished seventh and eighth at the end of this test session.

The pole-sitter for the 109th Indianapolis 500, Robert Shwartzman (Prema Racing), finished 26th in the session, which was the first day he was able to truly focus on his machine's race pace. As in qualifying, his car proved formidable when at the front of a group, but the Israeli rookie struggled more in the peloton.

With six wins in the event between them, Helio Castroneves (Meyer Shank Racing) and Takuma Sato (Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing) showed great form on Monday, posting the second and third fastest times, ahead of Dreyer & Reinbold Racing teammates Jack Harvey and Ryan Hunter-Reay. This was the only time they and their team had made on-track appearances this year.

Silence will now envelop the Indianapolis Motor Speedway until Friday, when the final two hours of free practice will take place starting at 17 p.m. Then it will be time to head out for the 500-mile race on Sunday at 18:45 p.m.

Indianapolis 500
Free Trials 8

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