Newgarden Paces Final Indy 500 Practice on Carb Day

Josef Newgarden paced the final Indianapolis 500 practice on Miller Lite Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 22, 2026. The newgarden session came just before race day and set the pace for the field’s last track time before Sunday.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Pace

Newgarden was the driver at the top of the final 500 practice, the clearest on-track marker from the day. Miller Lite Carb Day served as the setting for that final run, and the result put him in front as teams finished their last preparation at the Speedway.

That makes the practice order useful reading for anyone tracking who arrived sharpest before the race. It did not decide the grid, but it did show who had the speed at the end of the week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Jimmie Johnson And Pierce

Sunday’s race will also include Jimmie Johnson in the two-seat race car, with Pierce driving as the lead the field to the green flag. Johnson starts 23rd in the race, giving him a spot far back in the field despite the attention around his role on race day.

The same race weekend also carries a separate off-track push from e.l.f., which will show up through its sponsorship of Katherine Legge and the No. 11 e.l.f. Cosmetics Chevrolet. Its empowering.legendary.females. platform will be brought directly to fans at the Speedway and beyond, adding another layer to a weekend already centered on the final buildup to Sunday.

Race Week at Indianapolis

For Newgarden, the final practice pace is the last major note before the Indianapolis 500 itself. For everyone else in the field, Friday’s session was the final chance to compare speed at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before the race takes over on Sunday.