INDIANAPOLIS — Among the many events leading up to the Indianapolis 500, one of the most important — and exciting — days on the schedule is “Fast Friday.”
Fans looking at the schedule for May 15 may wonder exactly what Fast Friday is and why it matters so much ahead of qualifying weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Fast Friday serves as the final major practice session before qualifying begins on Saturday, but unlike the earlier practice days, teams are allowed to turn up the turbo boost on the engines. That extra horsepower gives drivers their first real chance to experience qualifying-level speeds and setups around the famous 2.5-mile oval.
The session is essentially a full-speed test for both teams and drivers. Crews spend the day making last-minute adjustments to the cars while drivers push the limits searching for every bit of speed possible before qualifying locks in the starting order for the Indy 500.
Because of the added power, fans can expect to see cars consistently reaching and surpassing 230 mph throughout the day. The higher speeds also allow teams to better understand how their cars will react in qualifying trim, especially in traffic and changing track conditions.
Fast Friday has become one of the most anticipated practice days of the month because it offers the first true glimpse at which teams may have the speed capable of competing for the pole position — and potentially the Indianapolis 500 itself.
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