Adam Blocker tops Wednesday practice charts at PRI Hoosier 500

The third day of practice for the 2025 PRI Hoosier 500 started quietly and finished with a rush, as a late flurry of activity pushed the day’s lap count past 1,300 and brought some familiar heavy hitters back to the top of the board.

When the dust settled on Wednesday’s 1,368-lap run at virtual Indianapolis, Adam Blocker led the way with a best lap of 38.928s at 231.196 mph in the No. 74 — the second straight day that the 230 mph mark was comfortably in play. The Powerslide Motorsports driver, a two-time Hoosier 500 runner-up, appeared in the final hour of the session and needed only 18 laps to stamp his authority on the chart.

RESULTS: Wednesday Practice at the PRI Hoosier 500

Ty Quila continued his strong week by going second-quickest at 38.961s (231.000 mph), backing up his Tuesday speed with another front-running performance. Behind them, Noah Carmichael and Ricky Paz shared identical best laps of 39.166s (229.791 mph) to end the day third and fourth, respectively, with Carmichael’s PEAK-backed effort adding more weight to what has been one of the most consistent weeks in the field so far.

Rounding out the top five was Team I5G’s Christian Steele, who joined Blocker in the late-session surge. Steele’s best lap of 39.244s (229.334 mph) put the No. 56 firmly inside the top group after a compact 21-lap outing. Jordan Owens slotted into sixth at 39.257s (229.258 mph), followed by Casey Povelones in seventh at 39.308s (228.961 mph).

The final hour also marked the return of another I5G presence near the sharp end. Jacob Oster put the No. 16 in eighth with a 39.314s lap (228.926 mph), making Team I5G two-for-two on dropping cars into the top 10 once they rolled out. Chris Stofer and Hunter Smith rounded out the top 10, each clocking a 39.318s (228.903 mph), as a tightly bunched lead group emerged from what had initially looked like a subdued day.

The session had opened with a lighter touch. Just before 8:00 AM Eastern, it was Ian Slager who brought the day to life as the first car on track. Slager went on to complete 53 laps and finished 27th with a best tour of 39.593s (227.313 mph).

As the cumulative picture comes into focus, the mileage is beginning to tell its own story. Through three days, a total of 5,458 practice laps have been turned and 67 different drivers have now recorded at least one official lap around the 2.5-mile oval. Casey Pahutski continues to lead the way in sheer volume: the No. 84 driver has now logged 391 laps across the first three days, including another 108 on Wednesday, with his best lap of the week remaining Tuesday’s 227.917 mph run.

COMBINED RESULTS: Cumulative Practice Week Totals

Off track, Wednesday’s narrative was punctuated by a visit from PRI’s Michael Conley on Oil & Gas Safety Supply Today at the 500. Conley joined the show to discuss next week’s record-breaking PRI Show, PRI’s growing investment in the sim racing space, and the organization’s support of the Hoosier 500 as a key part of that effort. The appearance further underscored how deeply woven the event has become into PRI’s broader motorsports platform.

With Blocker, Oster, and Steele all dropping into the top 10 on their first significant outings of the week — and established names like Quila, Carmichael, Owens, and Povelones continuing to show up near the front — the competitive core of the 2025 field is starting to take shape.

Practice resumes Thursday morning at 8:00 AM Eastern, with the livestream beginning at 7:45 AM on the Hoosier 500 YouTube channel. Oil & Gas Safety Supply Today at the 500 returns at 8:00 PM Eastern on P1 Broadcasting with Gary Godsoe and Andrew Wood on the call — and Thursday’s show will feature one of the most anticipated moments of the week: the reveal of Saturday’s initial qualifications draw.