INDIANAPOLIS — Day 2 of Indy 500 practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway brought temperatures that were noticeably cooler than Tuesday. Nonetheless, Wednesday afternoon was filled with six hours of practice for all of the 33 drivers for this year’s Indianapolis 500.
Following a day of practice, Marcus Ericsson took some time to address the conditions of the weather and track. After winning the 106th running of the race in 2022, Ericsson looks to make another podium appearance this year. It will be his eighth time competing in the race.
“(Tuesday) it was very warm, very nice conditions,” said Ericsson. “Today with the wind and the cooler temps, it really changes the behavior of the car. I think it was good for probably all teams to sort of see how the car changes in those conditions. And I think, for us, we learned some good stuff from it.”
Ericsson hails from Sweden, but has lived in the Indianapolis area since late 2018. He made note of the region’s volatile weather and how it may temper expectations.
“Looking at qualifying, the same place is going to be warmer for Saturday and Sunday. But, obviously in Indiana, you never know until we wake up in the morning.”
He finished today with a top of speed of 224.274 mph, good for 19th at Wednesday’s practice. With that in mind, the Swedish-driver was third for no-tow speed; the result of an impressive 17th lap that reached a speed of 221.204 mph.
After just 45 laps Tuesday, Ericsson turned 83 laps in Wednesday’s practice. The 35-year-old Andretti Global driver also increased his top speed by nearly two mph from the day prior.
Top Performers from Day 2 of Practice
Cameron Cocquyt covers motorsports at the IndyStar. 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: Marcus Ericsson on changing weather conditions at Day 2 of Indy 500 practice
Reporting by Cameron Cocquyt, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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