We've got the need for speed. Lucky for us, it's Fast Friday.
The big picture: It's qualifying weekend for the Indianapolis 500.
Today is the final — and fastest — practice before the field of 33 is set.
Cars get a turbocharger boost to reach the speeds they'll run during qualifying.
Vibe check: Quals are a lower-key way to get a taste of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.
You get all the speed — we're talking 230-plus miles per hour — without the race day crowd.
How it works: Don't skip this — it's different this year!
Qualifying begins at 11am Saturday, and by 6pm spots 15-33 will be set.
Drivers who qualified in the top 15 on Saturday will be back on track Sunday to secure their starting position.
On Sunday, cars ranked 1-9 are automatically advanced to the Top 12, while those in 10th-15th spots will have to compete for those last three spots.
The fastest three move on; the slowest three get spots 13-15 on race day.
Then, the Top 12 qualifiers will advance as last year, with those finishing 7-12 claiming those spots and the fastest six advancing to the Firestone Fast Six later in the day to determine positions 1-6.
Yes, but: The forecast doesn't look great.
Chances of rain start early Saturday morning and continue through Sunday.
The intrigue: Defending champ Alex Palou has turned some of the fastest laps in practice so far, but he's not the only driver looking hot going into the weekend.
Hometown hero Conor Daly won the day Wednesday with a 228 mph lap — and "we weren't even flat on that lap," Daly said.
Two-time runner-up Pato O'Ward and 2016 Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi have also looked strong.
If you go: Fast Friday, the final day of practice before qualifying, starts at noon and the qualification draw starts at 6:15pm.
