INDIANAPOLIS — It’s not yet the month of May, but cars will soon be back on track at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Nearly a full field of NTT IndyCar Series drivers will participate in an open test at IMS on Thursday, April 8, and Friday, April 9.
Thirty-two car-and-driver combinations are scheduled to be a part of the two-day session, which will stream live to race fans exclusively on NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, Peacock.
Reigning Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and six-time NTT IndyCar Series Champion Scott Dixon of Chip Ganassi Racing will be among the drivers testing at IMS. Sato and Dixon were the top two finishers in last year’s race, which was held without spectators in August due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Nine former 500 winners have plans to test, including Helio Castroneves (2001, 2002, 2009) and Juan Pablo Montoya (2000, 2015). Also in attendance will be past Indianapolis 500 champions Tony Kanaan (2013), Ryan Hunter-Reay (2014), Alexander Rossi (2016), Will Power (2018), and Simon Pagenaud (2019.)
Marco Andretti, who won the pole for last year’s Indianapolis 500, will also participate.
Simona De Silvestro will make her return to IMS in the No. 16 Chevrolet of Paretta Autosport, a new IndyCar Series team. She last competed in the race in 2015. Pietro Fittipaldi, whose grandfather Emerson twice won the 500, will participate in the test in a bid to earn his first starting position at Indianapolis.
Official practice for the 105th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge begins Tuesday, May 18, with more than 33 entries competing for a starting position. The Indy 500 is Sunday, May 30.
