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Rain curtails first day of practice for Indianapolis 500

Juan Pablo Montoya waits out a rain delay Monday. (Associated Press)

INDIANAPOLIS – Ryan Hunter-Reay is more than ready for a change of scenery. He wants to move from road courses and set his eyes on the first oval race of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – the Indianapolis 500.

“I’m so ready to be done with the road course right now,” the defending Indy 500 winner said. “I’m very excited to be back on an oval.”

Inclement weather shortened the first day of Indianapolis 500 practice on Monday, less than 48 hours after teams and track workers made the conversion from the road course to the 2.5-mile oval.

Sage Karam led the way in practice with a fast lap of 225.802 mph. Scott Dixon was second at 225.293, followed by Brazil’s Tony Kanaan (225.217), Marco Andretti (225.184), and JR Hildebrand (224.760).

Drivers downplayed how tough it is to make such a quick turnaround from Saturday’s Grand Prix of Indianapolis road-course race to begin preparation for the Indy 500 on an oval track.

“I don’t even think about it,” Juan Pablo Montoya said. “Just get in the car and drive it, see what it does. Make it better, go through the program. That’s all you can do.”

Australia’s Will Power, who won the Grand Prix, and teammate Helio Castroneves, a three-time Indianapolis 500 winner, each took just one lap in Monday’s practice.

“We were just making sure the conditions were right, with the weather,” Power said, “And we were just saving tires.”

Team crews made car alterations from road-course to oval racing, but nothing a crew can’t handle, according to Team Penske owner Roger Penske.

“This is their business; they know how to do it without any problem,” he said. “The biggest thing is changing the sponsors on the car. That’s probably tougher, putting new sponsors on all the cars.”

A year ago teams were more pressed for time to be ready for practice the day following the inaugural GP. This year, race organizers altered the schedule, giving drivers Sunday off.

Still, drivers know the tough task handed to their crew between races, but track workers wasted no time starting the track conversion in time for Monday’s practice.