Sato leads veterans' IndyCar test for Indy 500

Just 28 laps had turned by the time the caution lights blinked on, with three-time Indy 500 polesitter Ed Carpenter leading the way. When action resumed over four hours later, defending Indy 500 winner Will Power sent Team Penske-Chevrolet to the top of the speed charts, albeit with the aid of a tow, clocking 226.225 – the first car under the 40sec barrier.

However, Carpenter inched closer and then put his Chevy-powered machine into P1 with a 226.414, before another Chevy engine – that in Max Chilton’s Carlin car – appeared to blow up and brought out the yellows once more.

Sato’s 23^rd lap yielded fastest speed of the test, 226.993mph, and he also set the fastest speed without the aid of a tow – a 222.942mph. Before the rain ended the session some 15mins early, Spencer Pigot moved the second ECR-Chevy into third, while Ed Jones in the ECR with Scuderia Corsa entry clocked seventh fastest with his final lap of the session.

Between Jones and fourth-placed Power were two more former winners, Ryan Hunter-Reay of Andretti Autosport and Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing.

Simon Pagenaud, who started second here last year, was eighth in a second Penske, just a tick ahead of compatriot Sebastien Bourdais in the Dale Coyne Racing with Vasser-Sullivan Honda, and 2016 rookie winner Alexander Rossi in the second fastest Andretti machine.

The 2016 polesitter, James Hinchcliffe, who failed to qualify for last year’s race, turned the most laps of the session – 49 – and finished 15^th of the 20 participants.

The 2013 Indy winner Tony Kanaan, who led last year’s Indy for AJ Foyt Racing-Chevy, suffered an oil leak that kept his car in the garage for most of the day.

Following more rain, IndyCar is now targeting a 5.45pm ET start time for the Rookies and Refreshers test – including Fernando Alonso in the McLaren-Chevrolet – but the all-comers session that was meant to end the day has now been cancelled.