There has been a lot of talk surrounding Josef Newgarden's three-peat attempt in the buildup to the 109th running of the Indy 500. He became just the sixth driver to win the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" in back-to-back years last year, and he is aiming to becoming the first ever to win it in three consecutive years.
But an overlooked element of this attempt is the fact that Team Penske, in their illustrious history which features more than three times as many Indy 500 wins as any other team, have only once won the race three years in a row themselves.
That run also featured a back-to-back winner in Helio Castroneves in 2001 and 2002. The late Gil de Ferran won the race for the team in 2003.
And while practice isn't always a strong indicator of true performance, the 20-time Indy 500-winning organization sent a resounding warning to the rest of the field in Tuesday's rain-shortened opening practice session.
Team Penske sends a message on Day 1 at Indy
After reigning polesitter Scott McLaughlin topped the speed charts in the open test in April, Will Power led a 1-2 over Newgarden on Tuesday, with McLaughlin just behind them in fifth place.
McLauglin led a Team Penske front row sweep last year, and with the fastest four-lap pole average in Indy 500 history, before going on to lead the most laps.
Between Newgarden and McLaughlin on the speed chart were two Chip Ganassi Racing teammates: Alex Palou in third place, and Scott Dixon in fourth.
Helio Castroneves, whose Meyer Shank Racing team has a technical alliance with Chip Ganassi Racing, was the highest finishing non-Penske/Ganassi driver in sixth place. Excluding technical alliances, Ed Carpenter Racing's Alexander Rossi took the top spot in seventh.
On the no-tow speed chart, Newgarden led Team Penske in second behind Andretti Global's Kyle Kirkwood. McLaughlin was sixth, with Power in 17th.
The second practice session is currently on hold due to more rain, though things are expected to clear up this afternoon. Tune in to Fox Sports 2 and then Fox Sports 1 later this afternoon to catch all of the action. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!