Indy 500: Ericsson, Herta top 4-lap averages on Fast Friday

Ericsson, who is in his third IndyCar season and his second with the legendary Ganassi team, clocked 231.950mph over the course of four laps of the iconic 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The BorgWarner turbos had been cranked up to 1.5-bar boost, 0.2 higher than raceday settings, adding approximately 90hp to the output of the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6s.

That put him 0.223mph ahead of Colton Herta in the Andretti Autosport-Honda , and 0.42mph ahead of Arrow McLaren SP’s Pato O’Ward in the best of the Chevrolet runners.

Herta’s Andretti teammates Alexander Rossi and Stefan Wilson clocked fourth and fifth fastest with defending Indy 500 winner Takuma Sato on 230.820mph with Rahal Letterman Lanigan.

The Ed Carpenter Racing-Chevys of three-time polesitter Carpenter and Rinus VeeKay were seventh and 10^th separated from each other by RLL’s Santino Ferrucci and Ed Jones in the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser Sullivan-Honda.

Six-time champion Scott Dixon was 12^th, frustrated with being unable to get a clear run as the track cooled toward the end of the six-hour session.

The four Team Penske-Chevrolets finished outside the Top 20.

The fastest no-tow laps were Rossi on 231.598mph, ahead of Sato on 231.379mph, Herta on 231.348mph, Dixon on 231.292, Ericsson 231.226mph, Palou 231.208 and with the top Chevrolet being O’Ward on 230.046.

Three of the top speeds through the Turn 3 trap went above 240mph, with Herta top on 240.359, with Dixon and Sato next up ahead of Rossi, Jones, Juan Pablo Montoya and Alex Palou.

Trap 1 speeds saw Dixon top on 237.705mph ahead of Josef Newgarden on 236.264, Rossi, Herta, Rinus VeeKay, Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing-Honda, and Wilson.

The draw for the order of first runs in qualifying tomorrow are held this evening. Qualifying runs will begin at 12 noon local (Eastern) time.

Best four-lap averages:

1. Marcus Ericsson – 231.950 mph
2. Colton Herta – 231.726 mph
3. Pato O’Ward – 231.522 mph
4. Alexander Rossi – 230.999 mph
5. Stefan Wilson – 230.844 mph
6. Takuma Sato – 230.819 mph
7. Ed Carpenter – 230.423 mph
8. Santino Ferrucci – 230.364 mph
9. Ed Jones – 230.251 mph
10. Rinus VeeKay – 230.234 mph

Best no-tow single-laps:

Best single-lap speeds: