Kyle Larson Shines in Indy 500 Practice, Gains Grid Positions

In the run-up to the Indianapolis 500, teams and drivers hit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Monday for a crucial practice session. The weather was just about perfect—light winds, mid-70s—giving everyone a chance to fine-tune their cars in what should be race-day conditions.

The session wasn’t exactly calm, though. Two big teams got slapped with significant penalties, shaking up Sunday’s starting grid in a way that’s bound to get people talking.

Top Performers of the Day

Alex Palou, behind the wheel of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda, set the pace with a blistering lap at 226.765 mph. Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indy 500 winner, and Takuma Sato weren’t far behind, rounding out the top three.

Palou’s speed gives him some serious momentum as he chases another win in this iconic race. You can feel the anticipation building for what he might pull off on Sunday.

Kyle Larson’s Journey

Kyle Larson, better known for his NASCAR exploits, jumped into the No. 17 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet and put down the 11th-fastest lap at 225.056 mph. Larson spent the session getting comfortable again after his car needed repairs from a crash in the final pre-qualifying run on Fast Friday.

He ran 82 laps, hanging around the top 10 for most of the day. Larson talked about how practice never quite matches the chaos of race day, especially when it comes to passing other cars.

Still, he locked in the 21st starting spot on the 33-car grid. Larson’s about to become just the fifth driver to tackle both the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. That’s not something you see every year.

Penalties Shake Up the Starting Grid

Things took a turn when Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden and Will Power got hit with hefty penalties. Officials found their Chevrolets had modified attenuators right before qualifying.

Both drivers had made it to the Fast 12, but those infractions dropped them to the back of the grid. Now, Newgarden and Power will start in 32nd and 33rd place. The team also got fined $100,000 per car, and their race strategists are suspended for Sunday’s race.

Impact on Team Penske

Even with all that, Team Penske still showed some muscle in Monday’s practice. Will Power logged the seventh-fastest lap, and Josef Newgarden was right behind in eighth.

Scott McLaughlin, Penske’s third driver, will start 10th on Sunday. He had a nasty crash before the top-12 pole qualifying session, but officials didn’t find anything wrong with his car, so his spot stands.

Rookie Spotlight

Robert Shwartzman from Prema Racing made some noise as the first rookie pole-sitter at the Indy 500 in 43 years. Monday’s practice, though, wasn’t his best—he slid down to 26th on the speed chart.

He’ll be looking to turn things around and make good on that pole position come race day. You get the sense he’s got something to prove.

Final Preparations

The traditional two-hour final Indianapolis 500 practice, called “Carburetion Day,” is set for Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. After that, the “Pit Stop Challenge” kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Teams get one last shot to tweak their strategies and check if their cars feel just right before Sunday’s race. There’s always a buzz in the air as the countdown to the Indianapolis 500 keeps ticking down.

This year’s race? It looks like it’ll be a real spectacle, with veterans and rookies both hungry for a shot at glory on one of racing’s biggest stages. If you want a recap of Monday’s practice or the latest updates, you can check out the official NASCAR website.