Josef Newgarden Leads Final Indianapolis 500 Practice Despite Rear Grid Start

Josef Newgarden, the two-time defending Indianapolis 500 champion, led the final Carb Day practice with the fastest lap at 225.687 mph despite starting from the 32nd position as a penalty for an illegal part found during qualifying. Newgarden aims to become the first driver to win three consecutive Indy 500s, an achievement made more challenging by his deep starting position, which is the furthest back any winner has started in the race's history. His Team Penske teammate Will Power also starts at the back (33rd) due to the same penalty but showed competitive pace in practice. The session was marked by mechanical issues for several drivers, including Takuma Sato, who started second but experienced engine trouble during practice, and Graham Rahal and Ryan Hunter-Reay, who also faced significant technical problems. Scott McLaughlin, another Penske driver unaffected by the penalty, will start 10th after recovering from a crash and posted a slower final practice lap. Despite these setbacks, Newgarden expressed confidence in his team's ability to battle through the field on race day, emphasizing the importance of strong performance in traffic.