INDIANAPOLIS — Opening day for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500 featured six hours of practice around the famed 2.5-mile oval at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Noblesville native Conor Daly finished among the top three on the speed charts, recording a best lap of 225.838 mph.
Daly returns for his 13th Indianapolis 500 start, driving the No. 23 Chevrolet for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. The race marks the team’s lone IndyCar entry of the season, and Daly’s first Indy 500 appearance since spending 2025 as a full-time driver for Juncos Hollinger Racing, where he finished 18th in the championship standings.
“Just a good Day 1,” Daly said. “I’m very happy with the mechanical balance in the car right now.”
Much of the early session consisted of single-car runs, with pack drafting not becoming common until later in the afternoon. Even then, traffic remained manageable, and the day unfolded without major interruptions.
Despite limited drafting throughout most of the session, Daly said he was pleased with the early feel of the car and believes the team has a clear direction moving forward.
“We definitely know what we want to do for tomorrow,” Daly said. “We identified a couple things that we want to reevaluate tomorrow.”
Wind conditions also became a major factor throughout the paddock, adding another layer of challenge for drivers trying to find consistency.
“The wind is really making things interesting,” Daly said. “It seems like the last couple of years that’s changed the race a lot.”
Still, the opening day remained relatively clean despite the high speeds and steady track activity. The only significant issue came for defending Indianapolis 500 winner Alex Palou, who spent much of the session in the garage after reporting a problem in the rear of his car.
Palou returned to the track in the closing minutes and quickly jumped to the top of the speed charts, posting the fastest lap of the day at 225.937 mph.
Jessica Garcete is an IndyStar sports reporter. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter. Subscribe to the YouTube channel IndyStar TV: IndyCar for a behind-the-scenes look at IndyCar and expert analysis.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy’s own Conor Daly starts strong as Indy 500 practice opens
Reporting by Jessica Garcete, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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