CONOR DALY

IndyCar will celebrate Independence Day in the middle of Ohio.

Scott Dixon was again atop the leaderboard for the final practice before the Indianapolis 500.

IndyCar Indy 500 Auto Racing Scott Dixon, of New Zealand, looks at his practice speeds during practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Wednesday, May 19, 2021, in Indianapolis. Six-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon was fastest Wednesday on the second day of Indianapolis 500 practice, but he was followed closely by the American combo of Conor Daly and Ed Carpenter. Both are from Indianapolis with deep ties to the speedway and ECR has been known to raise its game for the Indy 500. Team owner Carpenter, the stepson of former track owner Tony George, is a three-time Indy 500 pole-winner. Former Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan was fifth fastest and Alex Palou, another one of IndyCar's first-time winners this season, was eighth.

Ed Carpenter Racing rolled into Indianapolis Motor Speedway with the momentum of its first victory since 2016.

Marco Andretti packs up his gear following practice for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)INDIANAPOLIS The horsepower boost sent speeds skyrocketing over 233 mph early on Fast Friday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Andretti Autosport cars quickly jumped to the top of the board with Marco Andretti logging a lap of 233.491 miles per hour (375.77 kilometres per hour). It's the fastest lap in a practice which is considered unofficial since Sebastien Bourdais went 233.116 mph in 2017. The first thing you need is speed and then you need to put the four laps together," Andretti said.

Racing has also been scrambled, and when the Indianapolis 500 was moved from May to Aug. 23, one of the Ed Carpenter Racing engineers had a conflict. One of Carpenter's crew members had worked with Pearn before and the connection was made: Pearn, the crew chief of Martin Truex Jr.'s 2017 NASCAR championship season, would work the Indianapolis 500. It was like, Yeah, why not?" said Pearn, who called the Indy 500 a bucket list event. Daly, making his seventh Indy 500 start, finished a career-best 10th in his hometown race last season while running for Andretti Autosport. You throw a green and checkered.To prepare for Indy, Pearn took a very literal approach I had to read the rule book, he said.

IndyCar Rev Group Grand Prix winner Alexander Rossi enters Victory Lane Sunday, June 23, 2019, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. Road America allowed fans back in for its events starting last month. Fans this weekend will get temperature checks at gates and receive masks and hand sanitizer as they enter. The only drivers to open an IndyCar season with at least three straight victories are A.J. Drivers believe the Road America course wont be as grueling with all of its straightaways despite its 14 turns.

FILE - In this June 8, 2019, file photo, Josef Newgarden does a burnout after winning the IndyCar auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. IndyCar opens its pandemic-delayed season with an all-in-one-day show Saturday on the fast high-banked 1 -mile oval at Texas Motor Speedway, more than eight months after the 2019 finale. Only Indianapolis Motor Speedway has hosted IndyCar races longer than TMS, which has had races each year since opening in 1997, including the season finales from 1999-2004. Hinchcliffe put together a three-race deal with Andretti Autosport that includes the Indianapolis 500 after he abruptly lost his ride with Arrow McLaren last year. Kanaan is closing out his IndyCar career with the TK Farewell Tour," racing at oval tracks and the Indianapolis 500.