FORT WORTH, Texas – Simon Pagenaud of Meyer-Shank Racing was the fastest driver in Saturday morning’s opening practice session for Sunday’s XPEL 375 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Pagenaud’s No. 60 Honda had a best speed of 223.087 miles per hour around the 1.5-mile oval.
“It was a good welcoming to the car on an oval, it felt very nice, and we had a seamless session,” Pagenaud said. “At least we’re in the game. We’re 13th in the qualifying line, so we probably won’t have a shot at the pole, but I think we have some speed in the car.
“I think this package is better. They did a great job at IndyCar to get this package right.”
Pagenaud has led 85 laps in 11 previous races at Texas but has never won a race here. His best finish was a pair of runner-up finishes in 2018 and 2020.
Click here for the speed chart.
Arrow McLaren SP’s Felix Rosenqvist was second at 222.878 mph in the No. 7 Chevrolet. Colton Herta’s No. 26 Gainbridge Honda was third at 222.786 mph with rookie driver Callum Ilott’s 222.257 mph in the Juncos/Hollinger Chevrolet.
“I didn’t know how to approach it, we did the test a couple of weeks here, but here with 27 cars on track is quite different,” Ilott said. “With the other cars on track, you have to be aware and anticipate what the other cars on track are doing.
“It’s one thing doing a lap on your own and another thing doing it in a race.”
Scott McLaughlin of Team Penske, who won the season-opening race at St. Petersburg, Florida on Feb. 27, rounded out the top five at 222.234 mph.
“Being realistic, the car feels very good,” McLaughlin said. “We’re in the game. It seems a bit more raceable this year and our car seems to be working in the tow very well. We’ll try to get that higher line working for the race.”
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, who was hopeful he would be more competitive in his first IndyCar oval race, had a fuel pickup problem early in practice. He ended up 24th out of 27 cars with a best speed of 218.878 miles per hour in the No. 48 Carvana/American Legion Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.
Johnson, however, ran the most laps in practice at 69 as the team’s game plan was to run “race laps” instead of qualifying trim in practice.
“That was a lot of fun,” Johnson said. “At the end, I put my right foot into it and had my argument with my foot not to lift. I feel like I made a lot of gains in those 60 and 70 laps out there.
“I’m anticipating how quick how things can end in one of these cars. From what I’ve been told on the ovals in these cars, once the car wiggles, it’s over.”
Johnson won a NASCAR-record seven races at Texas Motor Speedway in a career that began in 2002 and ended at the end of the 2020 season. His track-record seven wins rank fourth among his career victories at a single track (Dover-11, Martinsville-9, Charlotte-8) and no other Cup driver has won more than four at Texas.
Johnson also owns the track’s series records for consecutive wins (3), laps led (1,152) and top-five finishes (16) in 35 career starts.
Josef Newgarden’s speed at 221.397 mph was 11th on the timing sheet but was the fastest driver on the “No-Tow Speeds” at 220.971 mph. Newgarden turned his lap on the sixth trip around the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway oval.
Newgarden’s Team Penske crew parked the car early, satisfied with the effort in practice.