Marco Brasil Fastest on PRI Hoosier 500 Opening Day

Acres Lawn Services Opening Day for the 2025 PRI Hoosier 500 delivered a clean, steady first look at this year’s field as 43 drivers logged nearly 1,700 laps at virtual Indianapolis, and for the second time in as many outings, it was Marco Brasil who set the standard.

The Brazilian’s best lap — 39.194s at 229.627mph — matched the exact speed he used to lead the October 12 open test, underscoring the consistency and confidence within the No. 812 camp. Brasil spent most of Monday running in clean air, and his ability to produce the same benchmark he set six weeks earlier offered an early sign that his baseline setup remains one of the strongest in the garage.

RESULTS: OPENING DAY PRACTICE AT THE PRI HOOSIER 500

Joshua Huffine ended the day second with a 39.312s lap (228.938mph), showing similar solo-run strength, while Noah Carmichael’s performance was one of the more compelling storylines from Opening Day. A familiar face from the NHRA media world — and the first car on track when practice officially opened — Carmichael logged 100 laps in his PEAK-backed machine and placed third at 39.317s (228.909mph), just a whisper off Brasil’s session-leading time.

Last year’s Hoosier 500 runner-up, Robert Maleczka III, needed only nine laps to put himself fourth with a 39.319s tour (228.897mph). Maleczka stayed mostly out of traffic and kept to short, controlled runs, but his ability to immediately fire off a top-five lap mirrored his reputation for arriving prepared and on pace. Nick Luetje rounded out the day’s top five at 39.329s (228.839mph).

From sixth on back, the field was remarkably tight despite differing run plans. AJ Musselman, Chad Frankenfield, Shane Kocher, Jordan Owens, and Sheridan Wade completed the top ten, each working through small clusters of traffic or isolated laps as teams focused on verifying baselines rather than drafting exercises.

Owens’ ninth-place effort (39.379s, 228.548mph) came on a day with added significance, as he represented presenting partner Acres Lawn Services both on track and later in media availability.

Owens and Phil Rodenbeck of Visitor Watch Co. — the company designing the bespoke PRI Hoosier 500 timepiece — joined Monday’s edition of Oil & Gas Safety Supply Today at the 500 for Opening Day interviews.

Further down the order, lap counts varied widely as drivers approached the day with different objectives. Wade (127 laps) and Ian Slager (128 laps) led the mileage charts, using the long runs to gather early handling data in predictable, static-weather conditions. Others, like Maleczka, Luetje, and Matt Wagner, opted for shorter stints that still produced competitive speed figures.

Practice resumes Tuesday at 8:00 AM Eastern, with live coverage beginning at 7:45 AM on the Hoosier 500 YouTube channel. Later in the night, Oil & Gas Safety Supply Today at the 500 returns at 8:00 PM Eastern on P1 Broadcasting, with Gary Godsoe and Andrew Wood breaking down Day 2 and tracking how early speed trends evolve as the countdown to PRI Hoosier 500 qualifications weekend continues.