Palou concludes successful IR-28 oval validation test for IndyCar at Indy

Alex Palou, the five-time IndyCar champion and 2025 Indianapolis 500 winner, successfully completed the second day of the IR-28 oval validation test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday. The session lasted 15 minutes early after Palou finished the team's full checklist. Palou, driving for Honda teams in Chip Ganassi Racing, took over testing duties from Alexander Rossi, who represented Chevrolet in the previous day's runs.

Due to an approaching cold front, temperatures dropped nearly 10 degrees on Thursday, offering a wider range of environmental data for IndyCar and chassis manufacturer Dallara. The primary focus of the test was to evaluate aerodynamic configurations and extreme ride-height adjustments, rather than chasing raw lap times. Despite not focusing on speed, Palou noted that the car naturally gained pace throughout the session, improving by more than 2 miles per hour.

Palou mentioned that the oval configuration felt more familiar to the series' current machinery compared to its debut on the IMS road course last month. The team also addressed cockpit heat concerns reported by Rossi during Wednesday's test, making adjustments that improved cooling for the car.