Alex Tagliani topped the charts in practice on Monday, after sitting out the first day of practice for the 95th Indianapolis 500. The Canadian lapped the legendary oval at a blistering average speed of 225.878 mph. The lap, aided by a massive draft from a group of cars ahead, put the Sam Schmidt Motorsports entry well ahead of second place Scott Dixon.
Sam Schmidt Motorsports had yet to put either Tagliani or teammate Townsend Bell on track before Monday, yet both were impressive. Last year, Tagliani qualified a surprising fifth for the now defunct FAZZT Race Team, demonstrating his mastery of the Brickyard. As Pole Day approaches, SSM's presence in the Fast 9 session that determines pole seems more and more likely.
Tagliani and Bell were not the only drivers to make their month's debut at the speedway today, as Scott Speed, Ho-Pin Tung, Dan Wheldon, Davey Hamilton, and Charlie Kimball all made their first official appearances of May. Tung was the fastest of those five with a speed of 223.172 mph, 21st fastest on the day.
One team that has surprisingly not been in the top three of either session so far is Team Penske. On Monday, Australian Ryan Briscoe became the first driver of the month to top the 225 mph mark, but that was only good enough for fourth. 3-time 500 champion Helio Castroneves and IZOD IndyCar Series Points Leader Will Power barely squeaked into the top 10, placing eighth and tenth respectively. This lack of speed may indicate a current emphasis on race set-up, before focusing on qualifying speed later in the week.
The push for speed continues Tuesday at noon for another six-hour practice session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Will Tagliani repeat? Will Team Penske finally find the pace? Or will someone else spring a surprise at the speedway? Check in tomorrow for more coverage!
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