INDIANAPOLIS Castroneves has day's top time despite delay

The fast lap of 221.156 came with about 20 minutes remaining in practice.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- As pole qualifying for the Indianapolis 500 approaches, two-time champion Helio Castroneves is preaching patience.
Last year's polesitter altered his plan drastically Thursday when rain washed out nearly half of the scheduled seven hours of practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Castroneves and his team also were mindful that more rain could be in the picture today, the last full day of practice before the first of three days of qualifications for the May 30 race.
"Because of the weather, today we tried to play a little bit like it was Friday," he said. "We don't know what the weather will be like [today], so we tried a little stuff that we were supposed to test tomorrow.
"We just have to be patient and wait for Saturday. It's how this place is. It's tough, it's difficult. But, at the same time, it's awesome."
It worked
Whatever it was his team tested, it worked well. Castroneves topped the day's speed chart with a lap of 221.156 mph, the fastest for his Toyota-powered Dallara since practice began Sunday.
With the sometimes-heavy rain washing away a lot of the tire rubber accumulated on the track earlier in the week, speeds slowed a bit Thursday for most of the drivers.
But things did pick up during the final hour of the day, with cool temperatures, light winds and overcast skies making conditions nearly perfect for speed.
The fast lap by Castroneves came with about 20 minutes remaining in the session. It was just moments after Rahal Letterman Racing's Roger Yasukawa posted a 221.093 and two-time IRL champion Sam Hornish, Castroneves' teammate, hit 220.956 in his fastest lap of the week.
"The good news is that I'm happy with the car," Hornish said. "Having said that, Pole Day often throws a curveball with respect to track and weather conditions. So, hopefully, we'll get a chance to run [today]."
Castroneves was also fastest on Monday after running second Sunday to IRL champion Scott Dixon.
"Unfortunately, I did have a tow," Castroneves said of his fast lap. "Each time I went out, somebody came out of the pits in front of me and I couldn't get a lap by myself. But I thought, 'Just be happy you're on top of the list.'
"And there was a significant improvement in my car. We were pretty close to the same time today. So, even if I did get a tow, with these weather and track conditions, that's still an improvement."
Crash
The practice ended abruptly about five minutes early when Scott Sharp spun and slammed into the energy-absorbing SAFER barrier in turn one. His car sustained heavy damage, but Sharp, a former Indy polesitter, was not injured.