Next week marks an important one-day test for the Verizon IndyCar Series at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, ahead of the 100th Indianapolis 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil, April 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
It will see the debuts of the new domed skid plates underneath the car and rear wing beam flips, both of which were announced as 2016 safety enhancements last November.
IMS has also revealed the drivers that will test that day. It includes:
- Mikhail Aleshin, No. 7 SMP Racing Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
- Marco Andretti, No. 27 Snapple Honda
- Sebastien Bourdais, No. 11 Team Hydroxycut KVSH Racing Chevrolet
- Ed Carpenter, No. 20 Fuzzy’s Vodka Chevrolet
- Helio Castroneves, No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet
- Conor Daly, No. 18 Jonathan Byrd’s Hospitality Honda
- Scott Dixon, No. 9 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
- Jack Hawksworth, No. 41 ABC Supply Co. Honda
- James Hinchcliffe, No. 5 Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports Honda
- Ryan Hunter-Reay, No. 28 DHL Honda
- Tony Kanaan, No. 10 NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
- Charlie Kimball, No. 83 Tresiba Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
- Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 2 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet
- Carlos Munoz, No. 26 Andretti Autosport Honda
- Josef Newgarden, No. 21 Preferred Freezer Services Chevrolet
- Simon Pagenaud, No. 22 Menards Team Penske Chevrolet
- Will Power, No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet
- Graham Rahal, No. 15 Steak ‘n Shake Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda
- Takuma Sato, No. 14 ABC Supply Co. Honda
Sponsors and liveries may be subject to change; the ones listed above are likely for the Indianapolis 500 race; Daly’s primary sponsor for the Indianapolis 500 is yet to be determined.
Daly (2013) and Aleshin (2014) have one start apiece at the Speedway; Daly was due to start his second ‘500 last year before a mechanical failure ground his No. 43 Smithfield Honda on the parade laps. The remaining drivers all have two or more ‘500 starts.
The rookie orientation program is set to follow on May. Thus far there are four confirmed rookies: full-season drivers Max Chilton and Alexander Rossi, and confirmed part-timers Spencer Pigot and Matthew Brabham.