Pato O’Ward topped the timesheets for the second practice session of the Honda Indy 200 weekend, lapping the 2.26-mile Mid-Ohio circuit in a time of 1:06.0911.
That time was over a second quicker than Friday afternoon’s fast time, showing how the track has evolved even though the weekend is only halfway through.
O’Ward commented after the session that the Arrow McLaren SP team made some minor setup changes overnight that helped to boost him to the top spot.
Josef Newgarden, the fastest man on Friday, ended the session in second, only a miniscule 0.0082 seconds behind the young Mexican.
Colton Herta put in the third fastest time, showing that he still has a feel for the track after taking victory the last time IndyCar visited the circuit last September.
The 45-minute session was held in the morning hours, with cool and tranquil conditions prevailing and leading to the faster times.
Clouds that were present on Friday moved out completely overnight, leaving nothing but clear, sunny skies for the morning’s practice session.
A mix of tire compounds were seen throughout the session, with drivers getting a feel for both the softer and the harder tires in preparation for the important
Teams were also intent on figuring out their long-run pace, with many staying out for ten or more laps at a time in order to plan their strategies for Sunday’s race.
There were no incidents, but a few drivers did have some close calls. Scott Dixon and Simon Pagenaud were among the veterans that pushed the envelope a bit further than they wanted and took a quick trip through the grass.
The next on-track action is for qualifying, which is a full Fast-Six knockout session this week and will take place at 12:00 PM EDT.
