Sebastien Bourdais posts fastest lap of week in Indy 500 practice

INDIANAPOLIS – Sebastien Bourdais posted the fastest lap of the week during Friday’s Indianapolis 500 practice session and kept the top spot even after a two hour, 36-minute rain delay.

The French driver finished with a top speed of 233.116 mph. It was the second-fastest speed for a driver who wasn’t drafting someone else as Dale Coyne Racing became the fifth different team in five days to lead a pack of more than 30 cars on the 2.5-mile oval.

Andretti Autosport teammates Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indy winner, and Takuma Sato were second and third. Hunter-Reay went 232.132 mph while Sato posted a speed of 231.969.

Two-time Formula One champion Fernando Alonso, also on the Andretti team, was fourth at 231.827 mph. He was clocked at over 236 mph, a career best, at one point on the track.

Juan Pablo Montoya had the fastest Chevrolet in practice. He was fifth, topping at 231.682 mph.

Thirty-two drivers made it onto the track on what was the final full day of practice before qualifying begins Saturday. The nine-car pole shootout will be held Sunday and the race is scheduled for May 28.

Practice was marred by two crashes and rookie Jack Harvey’s smoking car, which caused another yellow. Simon Pigot and rookie Zach Veach both crashed after the rain delay. But both were checked at the infield medical center and were released and cleared to drive.