Dixon paces opening day at Grand Prix of Indianapolis

[Source: INDYCAR press release]

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Note: For the time sheets from today, please visit our Grand Prix of Indianapolis Event Summary.

INDIANAPOLIS (Thursday, May 8, 2014) – As reigning Verizon IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon expected, the competition on the 2.439-mile, 14-turn Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit is razor close. He just happened to produce the best timed lap in the second practice session May 8 for the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

Dixon, driving the No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing car, recorded a best lap of 1 minute, 10.4654 seconds on the course that was revised from the one used in the past by Formula One, MotoGP and sports cars.

Five different teams were represented in the top five of the 45-minute session, and the top 24 cars were separated by less than a second under a canopy of blue sky and summer-like temperature.

Each of the three Verizon IndyCar Series races this season has had a different pole sitter and winner.

Simon Pagenaud was second in the session — .0191 of a second back — in the No. 77 Schmidt Peterson Hamilton Motorsports car, while series championship points leader Will Power was third (1:10.5672) in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske entry. Sebastien Bourdais, driving the No. 11 Mistic KVSH Racing car, was quickest in the morning session (1:10.5150) and third overall.

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