Test Patterns: Smooth Sailing at IMS with Track Patch, Tires, More

Four NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers tested Oct. 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, each working through separate programs.

Reigning series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing and Pato O’Ward from Arrow McLaren focused on Firestone Firehawk racing tire development and the newly repaved surface at the exit of Turn 2 of the iconic 2.5-mile oval. Indianapolis 500 winners Alexander Rossi, driving his No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, and Takuma Sato in the No. 75 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing focused on brake and damper components being considered for future implementation.

The repaved section at Turn 2 could be the most significant change affecting the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 24.

IMS crews dug beneath the historic bricks Sept. 23 to address long-standing bumps in the area, which had gradually worsened in recent years.

“We’ve been watching it for five or six years, but this year, leading into May, the bump was actually higher than it was in 2024,” said J. Douglas Boles, INDYCAR and IMS president. “We had to roll that part of the track to get it back to 2024 levels. We felt good about that. It was fine through the Month of May, but during the summer the heat in Indiana allowed those bricks to push further into the surface.

“Our concern was if we didn't fix it this fall, that if it continued to do what it looks like it's done over the last 24 months, we could end up in a situation where we couldn't fix that bump in time to run the Indianapolis 500, so they'd have to manage that bump throughout the race.”

The culprit: original 1909 bricks, paved over in 1937, had expanded and broken due to moisture over the decades, raising the asphalt above.

IMS milled and replaced a total of 100 feet of asphalt in the area, diamond-grinded the patch to match the existing track texture and removed sharp edges.

“It's fixed, so it's good,” Palou said.” It was not an issue in qualifying or running alone (last May), but it was an issue when you were following cars closely. There was dirty air, no downforce and the car is loaded and you get a sudden bump, you would just lose confidence.”

Palou believes the changes will allow the cars to run closer next May, which creates better action.

“I think that exit is going to help everybody,” he said. “It’s not just going to help the guys running in the back or at the front. I think it's going to be better for overtaking.”

Tire Testing Could Lead to More Options

Palou and O’Ward tested four different Firestone Firehawk Racing Tire options for the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, including the one from last year’s race and three new compounds.

“One of them stood out to me,” O’Ward said. “That tire was just way better in every way in terms of feeling and how the balance of the car was throughout the stint.

“I think it will make everything better. It was definitely in the right direction.”

This year’s tire posed a unique challenge because 2025 marked the first full season the NTT INDYCAR SERIES used the hybrid unit, adding roughly 120 pounds to the rear of the car. The innovation was introduced to the series in July 2024.

“I would say the vibrations last year were probably the worst part because it just feels like the rear of the car really overpowers the front with all the weight,” O’Ward said. “So, this new tire definitely felt like the front axle was just way more in tune of what this car needs. It was black and white from one to the other.”

Palou wasn’t told which compound he was running during Tuesday’s test, but he still noticed a change.

“We just need to let them know what we feel,” Palou said. “But it was good, a little bit less vibrations on some compounds, which obviously helps on the long run and for the race.

“It might be just a very small difference, but it might make a big impact during the race, when there's 33 cars.”

Brake Testing Focuses on Safety, Consistency

While Palou and O’Ward tested tires, Rossi and Sato evaluated new damper and speedway-specific brake configurations.

Though brakes aren’t heavily used on the 2.5-mile oval, their performance on pit entry -- particularly after long green-flag runs -- can be critical. The test aimed to reduce brake drag and validate simulation results.

“This was an enormous success,” Sato said. “After 20 laps, the brakes were still there. We used to have to pump the pedal. Not anymore. It gives great confidence and stability.”

Rossi (photo, above) echoed the sentiment: “Turn 4 into pit lane has always been a trouble area that ultimately stems from brake drag. It’s free lap time if you eliminate brake drag, but you sacrifice consistency.

“These new components aimed to get rid of that, so no kind of changes have to be made, and the pedal that you would expect when you had your last pit stop remains the same throughout the race. It seems to be working pretty well overall.”

Palou Turns First Indy Oval Laps Since ‘500’ Victory

Tuesday marked Palou’s first time back on the IMS oval since his May 25 win in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, his first career NTT INDYCAR SERIES oval victory.

“I thought about it when I was driving through the tunnel this morning for the first time,” Palou said. “I’ve been here since but only doing media things. This was actually the first day that I was driving. So, it felt great.”

Palou has been strong at Indy – 119 laps led entering this past year’s race, a pole winner in 2023, runner-up in 2021 and fifth-place finisher in 2024. Next May, he’ll chase a rare feat: back-to-back wins.

Only five drivers have gone back-to-back at Indy: Wilbur Shaw (1939-40), Bill Vukovich (1953-54), Al Unser (1970-71), Helio Castroneves (2001-02) and Josef Newgarden (2023-24).

“The first lap that I did, I thought about it the whole lap,” Palou said. “I just had to forget about it, because you don't want to be thinking about something that had happened, like six or seven months ago. But still, it's special to be here after we've won.”

Sato Recovered From April Crash, Eyes 2026 Return

Takuma Sato (photo, above) crashed during the April Open Test while preparing for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. What many didn’t know at the time was that Sato suffered a broken rib in the incident.

Determined to compete in May, he took precautionary measures to manage the injury. Despite the setback, he qualified second and finished ninth in a Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda.

“Everything’s healed,” Sato said with a laugh. “It wasn’t comfortable getting back in after six months, but after 10 laps, I was up to speed. The team gave me a lot of confidence.”

Sato, 48, has yet to confirm his plans for 2026 but remains optimistic about returning to RLL in pursuit of a third Indianapolis 500 victory -- a feat achieved by only 10 drivers in the race’s history.

“If we get the pieces together, hopefully we’ll be back,” Sato said. “As long as I feel confident, I feel physically, mentally still prepared to challenge for this biggest event. I'd like to continue. Whether that will be only a few years or multiple years, I don't know, but certainly working on the progress for the next year.”

Notably Absent

Two major teams – Team Penske and Andretti Global – didn’t test Tuesday. Firestone selected Chip Ganassi Racing and Arrow McLaren based on 2025 point standings (Palou and O’Ward finished first and second, respectively), while Rahal Letterman Lanigan and Ed Carpenter Racing were invited due to past Indy success and local ties.

Between them, Palou, Sato and Rossi have won the “500” four times since 2016.

Plus, David Malukas (Team Penske) and Kyle Kirkwood (Andretti Global) conducted a Firestone tire test Oct. 7 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Still, the absence of Penske and Andretti could give the test participants a slight edge.

“There's always stuff (to learn),” Palou said. “It's all about the details. Like, how do you open the corner? How do you do the downshifts? Like, although it's like a very small thing, it could make big differences, especially when we're in qualifying, and that's a difference between maybe making it into pole or just being in seventh.

“So, there's always stuff that you can do and now with the hybrid, that's another element that you can do to try and get some ideas. So, I got some. I don't know if they'll work in May or not, but I think everybody that is in the car always has something to learn.”

Odds and Ends

• This is the second but not the last offseason test for Rossi. He tested Oct. 13 on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile IMS road course. He next joins Scott Dixon for a Firestone tire test Nov. 6-7 at Phoenix Raceway.

• This also wasn’t the final test of 2025 at IMS. The annual Chris Griffis Memorial Test for INDY NXT by Firestone is Monday, Oct. 27 on the road course.

• Chip Ganassi Racing hosted Garrett, a Make-A-Wish Kid and his family today (photo, above). Garrett, 18, from Oswego, New York, recently received a liver transplant. He is a huge Palou fan and did a meet and greet, that included sitting on the timing stand to watch Palou test.

• Palou mentioned that the car he tested Tuesday was not the same one he drove to victory in the Indianapolis 500 in May. This was strictly a test car.

• Rossi, on the other hand, drove his Indianapolis 500 car from May. He had a strong showing, leading 14 laps, but a gearbox overheating issue caused a fire in his pit box during a stop on Lap 73. He finished 28th.

• The test session ended two hours early due to rain. Sato and Rossi will test again starting at 9 a.m. ET Wednesday.