Rossi leads morning session on Day 2 of IndyCar testing at Phoenix

Ed Carpenter Racing’s Alexander Rossi was quick from the outset Wednesday morning at the Unser IndyCar Open Test at Phoenix Raceway, producing his best lap in the No. 20 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevy on his fifth tour of the one-mile oval, at 174.444mph.

Rossi was shadowed by Team Penske’s Josef Newgarden in the No. 2 Chevy (174.362mph) and Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou in the No. 10 Honda (174.220mph) for most of the three-hour run. Tuesday’s fastest driver, Team Penske’s David Malukas, was fourth in the No. 12 Chevy (173.759mph) ahead of Arrow McLaren’s Pato O’Ward (173.706mph) and Andretti Global’s Kyle Kirkwood in the No. 27 Honda (173.660mph). Rossi’s teammate Christian Rasmussen held sixth with the No. 21 ECR Chevy (172.785mph) until O’Ward moved ahead in the final hour.

Elsewhere, oval and IndyCar rookie Mick Schumacher looked more comfortable on his second day of running at Phoenix, turning the 16th-fastest lap (171.096mph), which wasn’t far from Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing teammate Louis Foster in 14th (171.705mph) who led the squad.

AJ Foyt Racing’s Caio Collet, who crashed during Tuesday afternoon’s session, was back in track Wednesday morning and posted the 24th-fasted speed. Teammate Santino Ferrucci was 25th.

RESULTS