Helio fastest on Carb Day

Helio Castroneves and Team Penske trumped Honda power on Carb Day for the Indianapolis 500 .

That wasn’t the only bad news for the engine manufacturer.

Along with watching the Chevrolet-powered threetime champion turn the fastest lap Friday in the final session of practice, Honda had another engine failure when James Hinchcliffe’s car slowed to a stop after Turn 3 and began spouting oil and water onto the apron of the racetrack. It was the seventh Honda engine to fail in the lead-up to the 101st running Sunday of the Indy 500, and its proximity to race day has raised the anxiety level for all its teams.

“I’m sure everybody is concerned,” pole-sitter Scott Dixon. “It’s been an issue I think we’ve seen the last few days, or actually the last few weeks.”

Also on Carb Day, Team Penske won the pit stop challenge with Will Power behind the wheel. Power’s crew edged James Hinchcliffe of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in the best-ofthree final, a Carburetion Day tradition at the famed track. Power won the first race, Hinchcliffe took the second and Power claimed the rubber match before thousands of spectators.

NASCAR

Stewart-Haas Racing and snack company Nature’s Bakery agreed to settle a $31 million breach-of-contract lawsuit the team had filed in a dispute with Danica Patrick’s former sponsor. The team said that Nature’s Bakery would serve as the primary sponsor for four NASCAR Cup Series races. They will be split between Patrick and teammate Clint Bowyer later this season.