With four corners banked at 9 degrees, 12 minutes, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway drives more like a road course than an oval. But each of the corners is different, with weather influencing the car's characteristics. The straightaways are 5/8ths of a mile long -- time to catch your breath and dive into the next corner.
McLaughlin was fastest in opening practice for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg NTT IndyCar Series race on the Streets of St. Petersburg on Friday. He turned a fast lap of 1:01.1020.