MADISON, Illinois – Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson spun his No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda entering pit lane with three minutes remaining in Friday night’s final practice session. Johnson’s car did not hit anything, but it brought an early conclusion to the final one-hour practice session for Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 at World Wide Technology Raceway.
Graham Rahal was the fastest driver with a lap at 177.728 miles per hour around the 1.25-mile oval in the No. 15 Honda. He was followed by 2020 Bommarito winner and seven-time NTT IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon’s 177.459 mph in the No. 9 PNC Bank Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Rookie driver David Malukas was third at 176.724 mph in the No. 18 Honda for Dale Coyne Racing. Andretti Autosport’s Roman Grosjean was fourth in the No. 28 Honda at 176.546 mph with defending IndyCar champion Alex Palou fifth in the No. 10 American Legion Honda at 176.415 mph.
The top eight cars in the final practice were Honda’s. Three-time Bommarito Automotive Group winner Josef Newgarden was ninth at 175.652 mph in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Team Penske.
Pole winner Will Power was 17th. Earlier in the day, Power scored the 67th pole of his career, tying Mario Andretti for the most poles in IndyCar Series history.
Saturday’s race can be seen on USA Network beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Time. The green flag is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.