Hugo Olson leads Fast Friday at the PRI Hoosier 500

Acres Lawn Services Fast Friday brought the speed back in a big way, as the fifth day of practice for the 2025 PRI Hoosier 500 delivered the second-highest lap total of the week — 1,760 laps — and the fastest lap anyone has turned all month.

Two-time Hoosier 500 champion Hugo Olsson delivered the headline run of December so far, clocking a blistering 38.629-second lap at 232.986 mph. Not only did it top Friday’s charts, but it now stands as the quickest lap of the month, eclipsing the marks set earlier this week when the field first ventured into the 230s.

Powerslide Motorsports teammate Adam Blocker wasn’t far behind with a 38.651-second lap at 232.853 mph as both drivers took advantage of heavier tow packs in the early afternoon.

Alexander Russell continued his impressive rhythm by placing third at 38.867 seconds (231.559 mph) in a Powerslide 1-2-3 sweep, followed by Nick Luetje in fourth and Noah Carmichael in fifth. Carmichael’s 39.198-second lap (229.604 mph) capped off a quieter day relative to some of his busier practice sessions.

With Fast Friday complete, practice totals now paint a vivid picture of the month’s workload: 7,515 laps have been turned by the field, and 81 drivers have recorded an official lap around the virtual 2.5-mile oval. All told, nearly 19,000 miles have been logged since practice began — an extraordinary amount of data gathering ahead of a pivotal weekend.

Carmichael remains the Ironman Award leader with 493 laps run, holding off a surging Ricky Paz, who rocketed up the standings after a massive 234-lap day — the single highest total by any driver this month — putting him at 457 laps overall.

The day’s top 10 also included strong showings from Jeff Drake, Robert Maleczka III, Ryan Campbell, Nathan Paris, and Jim Herrick. Herrick’s run to 10th carried added weight, as he later joined Oil & Gas Safety Supply Today at the 500 to unveil the special-edition 4D Racewear rings that will be awarded to both the race winner and the pole sitter.

Fast Friday represented the final chance for teams to prepare before the high stakes arrive. Drafts were larger, speeds were higher, and teams showed their final hand — at least in part — ahead of the most consequential morning of the season.

The intensity now ratchets up again as Swift Penguin Creations Pole Day arrives on Saturday, December 6. Cars roll at 6:10 AM Eastern, with live coverage beginning at 5:45 AM on the Hoosier 500 YouTube channel. The livestream continues until 7:00 PM Eastern before the broadcast shifts to the Performance Racing Industry Facebook and YouTube pages for the climactic final hour of Pole Day. Live timing and scoring are available at TheHoosier500.com/timing.

Five days of preparation have set the stage — and Fast Friday has made one thing clear: the path to the pole and the field of 33 will be fiercely contested. Onward to what will surely be a wild weekend of qualifications.