Indianapolis, Ind. (19 May 2023) – Engines were turned up on Friday for the annual “Fast Friday” practice day – the final day of Indianapolis 500 practice before qualifying begins on Saturday (11:00am ET, Peacock TV).
Helio Castroneves – No. 06 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda – and Simon Pagenaud – No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda completed several qualifying runs in preparation for Saturday’s five hour and 50-minute qualifying session.
Simon Pagenaud, No. 60 AutoNation / SiriusXM Honda:
Top Speed: 232.595 mph
Total Laps: 33
Pagenaud and the N0. 60 crew closed out Thursday’s practice day P3 in the overall standings and gave the team a boost of confidence heading into Fast Friday. The final day of practice on Friday saw Pagenaud make several qualifying attempts at the team made adjustments throughout the day.
Last year Pagenaud qualified 16th with MSR – his first Indianapolis 500 start with the team. Over the course of his 11 Indianapolis 500 starts, Pagenaud has had three top three qualifying results including pole position in 2019 on the way to winning the 500 mile race.
Simon Pagenaud Quote:
“Fast Friday is done for us and we had a good day, everyone seems pretty happy. We will work on some details now to gain some speed tomorrow. But I am feeling confident, especially with how consistent the car is over the runs. We’re expecting temperatures to drop tomorrow and for the wind to shift, so we are preparing for that.”
Helio Castroneves, No. 06 AutoNation SiriusXM Honda
Top Speed: 232.138 mph
Total Laps: 45
About to make his 23rd Indianapolis 500 start, Castroneves is no stranger to the high intensity day that Fast Friday brings. Aside from being a four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Castroneves also has a strong history of success in qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy veteran has amassed four pole positions and 10 top five starts. In his over two decades of qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, Castroneves has only started below 15th, three time.
Helio Castroneves Quote:
“Last day before qualifying and we stayed out a bit longer in the day trying to figure it out. There are so many details that I am shocked to be honest. The 06 MSR crew did an amazing job and never gave up. We had out fastest run on the last one out there and the car felt pretty consistent. Let’s hope Jim (Meyer) and Mike (Shank) have a good draw and we will go for tomorrow.”