Carlos Muñoz returned to the top of the speed charts on Thursday with an average speed of 225.163 MPH, leading an Andretti Autosport 1-2-3 with defending IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay in second (225.006 MPH) and Marco Andretti in third (224.882 MPH). Scott Dixon was fourth (224.468 MPH), the fastest Honda. Chevrolets occupied the next five spots with Helio Castroneves (224.457 MPH), EJ Viso (224.221 MPH), JR Hildebrand (224.075 MPH), Ed Carpenter (224.019 MPH) and Oriol Serviá (223.995 MPH). Takuma Sato was tenth (223.660 MPH).
We had our first accident during practice week when Conor Daly made contact with the wall exiting turn one. Daly walked away from the accident with no injuries. The Inidanapolis 500 rookie was twenty-eighth quick (220.780 MPH).
AJ Allmendinger was eleventh (223.660 MPH) ahead of Simon Pagenaud (223.465 MPH) and Justin Wilson (223.460 MPH). Townsend Bell (223.182 MPH) and Dario Franchitti (222.818 MPH) rounded out the top fifteen.
Other notables: Will Power sixteenth (222.383 MPH), Tony Kanaan seventeenth (222.165 MPH), James Hinchcliffe twentieth (221.887 MPH), Simona de Silvestro twenty-second (221.776 MPH), Josef Newgarden twenty-seventh (221.152 MPH) and Graham Rahal thirtieth (220.555 MPH).
Buddy Lazier hit the track for the first time during practice week. He completed the refresher course. Still no word on the #99 Schmidt Honda but another new name has been added to the list of potential drivers. 1999 Indy Racing League champion and 2000 Indianapolis 500 pole sitter Greg Ray has expressed interest in the open seat. Greg Ray last raced at Richmond in 2004.
Weather for Fast Friday calls for a high of 76 degrees Fahrenheit with a 60% chance of precipitation. Winds SE at 10 to 15 MPH.
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