IndyCar Drivers Test Repaved Turn 2 At Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Pato O’Ward tries out the repaved Turn 2 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on October 21, 2025.

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An IndyCar Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is important for many reasons. A repaving project in Turn 2 at the IMS last month was tested at high speeds by four NTT IndyCar Series teams including four-time IndyCar Series champion Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing on Tuesday, October 21.

Turn 2 of the 2.5-mile IMS oval was recently repaved and Tuesday’s test was the first time to see how the cars will react at speed to the repaired area of the track.

Testing is scheduled from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Eastern Time Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s session ended at 3 p.m. because of rain.

On Tuesday, drivers Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren and Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing tested Firestone Racing tires and the newly repaved surface at the exit of Turn 2 of the oval. Alexander Rossi of ECR and Takuma Sato of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing will use both days to test and help evaluate the performance of brake and shock components under consideration for the coming years.

IndyCar President and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles went into detail to explain why the repave in Turn 2 was necessary.

“The bump in Turn 2 started several years ago, actually in 2020,” Doug Boles said. “I believe we were having some track issues, and one night we were actually fixing the track, and we really noticed the bump. With some headlights that were shining, you’d actually see a shadow where that bump was beginning to develop. So, we’ve been watching it for five or six years.

“Now this year, leading into May, the bump was actually higher than it was in 2024. We measured the track all the way around so we can see where things are every year. We had to roll it to get it back to 2024 levels. We felt good about that. It was fine through the Month of May, but during the summer, the heat in Indiana this summer has really allowed those bricks to push further into the surface.

“Kyle Larson was the first to notice it in NASCAR, a couple of other places that we were also able to solve inside Turn 2.”

Boles believed if the bump wasn’t corrected in the near term, it would continue to form and become much more disruptive in the future. That is why the recent repave in the area was necessary,

“Our concern was, if we didn’t fix it this fall, that if it continued to do what it looks like it’s done over the last 24 months, we could end up in a situation where we couldn’t fix that bump in time to run the Indianapolis 500,” Boles explained. “They would have to manage that bump throughout the race. We felt the best thing to do was, let’s just excavate the asphalt, get down in there, understand what’s going on with the bricks, get those bricks out then resurface it. Then, get out here on this test to make sure it’s good to go.

“So, little bit nervous today getting here, to be real honest with you, hoping that everything was fine. It’s too important to not have it go really well. I talked to Pato O’Ward first and he said, no issues at all. He thinks it’s great. And then talking to (Alex) Palou, he said the same thing. They both said it’s really ready to go racing. No grip level difference. It’s really on the driver exit apex, if you will, as you’re tracking out of Turn 2. He felt like, from a safety standpoint, trying to run two by two, coming through 2, that it’s going to be better, so I feel pretty good.”

IndyCar Also Tests Tires And Components

Boles also explained which parts were being tested on the Indy cars over the next two days.

“We’re working on some brake situations, brake fixes,” Boles said. “We did see some incidents in May, so we’re trying to figure out. Is there a way that we can eliminate some of those problems with brakes as drivers come in and go from 240 miles an hour to stop in the pit box?

“We’re working on some things there. Also looking into some shocks. We’ve talked for a long time about, should we go to a spec shock? Should we not go to a spec shock? We’re actually testing some different shock options. Not that we’re making that decision, but you can’t decide if you don’t have the data. We’re trying to get some of the data there. So those will be future decisions that we’ll make. Some of them could be next year. The brakes, for example, and shocks would likely be something further in the future.”

IndyCar Test A Return to Action For IndyCar Champion Alex Palou

Four-time and reigning NTT IndyCar Series Champion Palou was in his car on the IMS oval for the first time since he won the 109^th Indianapolis 500 on May 25.

He gave a very favorable assessment of Turn 2 and a new compound Firestone tire that is being tested over the next two days.

“It’s fixed, so it’s good,” Palou said of Turn 2. “It was not an issue in qualifying or running alone, but it was an issue when you were following so many close. There was dirty air, no downforce and the car is loaded, and you get a sudden bump, you would just lose confidence.

“I think it’s going to allow us to be a little bit closer because you can lose the car, you can crash it, so therefore we don’t go as close. So maybe not having that bump helps us just to have that confidence that it’s all going to be okay on next time.”

Palou is also confident the exit of that turn will give the drivers in the race much more confidence running at high-speed in competitive situations.

“I think that exit, it’s going to help everybody, like it’s not going to help the guys running in the back or at the front, it’s going to help everybody,” Palou explained. “I think it’s going to be better for overtaking.

“Basically, you when you have not as much downforce, not as much grip, you tend to be a bit more conscious, just because you don’t want to have too much steering angle and then get the bump and just spin or whatever. So, we tend to just leave a bit more space. So hopefully now we will be able to run a bit closer.”

According to Palou, three different compounds of the Firestone tire were tested. Firestone did not inform the drivers which compounds are used and asked each driver to tell them what they feel from run to run.

“So far, it was good, a little bit less vibrations on some compounds, which obviously helps on the long run and for the race,” Palou said. “It might be just a very small difference, but it might make a big impact during the race, when there’s, like, 33 other cars. But today, it’s tough, like what we can feel alone and only in 25 laps. It’s minimal.”

IndyCar Test Gets Positive Review From Pato O’Ward

Pato O’Ward of Arrow McLaren finished second to Palou in the 2025 championship. He gave his thoughts on the Firestone tires that he tested.

“We tried four different compounds, the one that we raced and then three different ones,” O’Ward explained. “One of them stood out to me which was just way better in every way. Firestone didn’t seem to think it was too much of a difference from one compound to the other, but in terms of feeling and how the balance of the car was throughout the stint and everything, it was definitely in the right direction. So, hopefully they listen to us and go in that direction for next year, because I think it will make everything better, and it’ll make us feel like we’ve got something to work with.

“I would say the vibrations last year were probably the worst part, because it just feels like the rear of the car really overpowers the front with all the weight. So, this new tire definitely felt like the front axle was just way more in tune of what this car needs. And yeah, I mean, it was black and white from one to the other. I only did two long runs, but we did the last year’s, the one that that I was liking, and it was completely better and different.”

IndyCar Test Also Includes Brake And Potential Damper Changes

Alexander Rossi’s task at ECR was to focus on brakes and other components such as potential damper changes.

“We’re not really testing different theories or anything, we’re just throwing new components on series, which have all been successful so far,” Rossi said. “Obviously, the deceleration off of Turn 4 into pit lane has been a trouble area in the past, and that ultimately stems from brake drag, right? Brake drag is something that all teams try and get rid of.

“It’s free lap time if you’re able to get rid of it, but by doing that, it means that the pedal isn’t as consistent throughout the race, and so you can catch guys by surprise depending on what stage the brakes are at when they try and slow down on the floor.

“These new components are aiming to get rid of that, so no kind of changes have to be made, and the pedal that you would expect when you had last pit stop remains the same throughout the race, if that makes sense.

“They are not actually supposed to be any different or feel any different. It’s just the brake drag is supposed to be reduced. And so far, it seems to be working pretty well overall.”

IndyCar Test Part Of A Busy Time For Pato O’Ward

O’Ward has had an interesting few days. Just a few days ago at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) near Austin, Texas, he was the “Free Practice” driver for McLaren during the United States Grand Prix Formula One race.

On Tuesday, it was back to his Chevrolet-powered Indy car.

“Big week,” O’Ward said. “Yeah, fastest cars in the world. That’s a big week.

“I’m happy to be back in Indy, man. I miss Indy, like I always do. I’ve been gone for a few weeks. I was in Europe for a while, and then I was in Texas visiting my family. But yeah, I’ve been gone for a while, and I miss Indy. I love coming back here, and obviously great that I get to jump in into the Indy car and do some laps around this place. That’s always a bonus.”

Why Drivers And Teams Jump At The Chance To Take Part In A Tire Test

Being asked to participate in a test session is very important to an IndyCar driver because team testing is so limited. When Firestone or INDYCAR needs to try out potential tire changes and components, they have two Chevrolet teams and two Honda teams.

“It’s just more laps,” O’Ward said. “For me, I get to have the first insight of maybe what the following year could look like in that place.

“The more laps we can we get to do, and the more we get to try, is the more you learn. And it’s always a good thing.

“They feel like second nature. I don’t really do anything to prepare. I just jump in the car and drive. Yeah, I mean, it’s just a car with four wheels on it. Just make sure that you know what you’re doing with the with the switches on the wheel.

“But other than that, it’s pretty straightforward.”

O’Ward, Palou, Rossi and Sato will continue the IndyCar Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, October 21, 2025, taking full advantage of the extra track time.