Caio Collet delivered a breakout moment on Wednesday as the AJ Foyt Racing rookie set the fastest lap of the two-day Indianapolis 500 Open Test, peaking at an eye-catching 226.381mph during the morning tow session at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 24-year-old Brazilian, driving the #4 Chevrolet, was one of only two drivers to breach the 226mph barrier. Two-time Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden closely followed with a 226.223mph effort in the #2 Team Penske entry, also achieved with a strong drafting tow.
Despite topping the timesheets, Collet insisted the result exceeded his expectations.
Top speeds – Indy 500 Open Test (selected)
| Driver | Team | Car | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caio Collet | AJ Foyt Racing | #4 Chevrolet | 226.381 mph |
| Josef Newgarden | Team Penske | #2 Chevrolet | 226.223 mph |
| Alex Palou | Chip Ganassi Racing | #10 Honda | 225.272 mph |
| Conor Daly | Dreyer & Reinbold | #23 Chevrolet | 225.215 mph |
| Pato O’Ward | Arrow McLaren | Chevrolet | 225.109 mph |
“No, I never expected that,” Collet said. “As a rookie I was just trying to learn. But the team gave me a really strong car and helped me get up to speed quickly. We improved step by step across both days.”
While Collet’s headline lap came in traffic-assisted conditions, Jack Harvey again stood out in clean air, topping the no-tow classification with a 221.122mph lap in the #24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Chevrolet. His promising run was cut short in the afternoon after a mechanical issue ended his session early.
Newgarden, meanwhile, went fastest in the heavily disrupted afternoon session with a 225.617mph lap and struck an optimistic tone ahead of May’s race.
“This is just the first step towards coming back here next month and trying to win another Indianapolis 500,” said the 35-year-old. “It was a clean day for us and we’ve got a strong baseline. It’s always nice to see the car near the top.”
Reigning Indy 500 winner Alex Palou ended the day second in the afternoon session for Chip Ganassi Racing, while Conor Daly—who had led Tuesday’s running—placed third in session times.
Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward completed the top five in the combined classification.
The day did not begin smoothly, with morning rain delaying the start until 11:15am local time. On-track action was later interrupted briefly when a fox wandered onto the circuit in Turn 1, prompting a caution while Takuma Sato approached in his Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda. The animal safely cleared the track without incident.
Veteran Katherine Legge also completed her refresher programme in the #11 HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet, successfully advancing through the required stages before joining full-speed running in the afternoon.
Despite the occasional disruption, teams left Indianapolis with valuable data and a clearer sense of competitive order heading into May’s 110th running of the Indy 500.