Thursday's practice session for the Indianapolis 500 started off with a bang as drivers wasted no time in utilizing the early morning start to achieve fast qualifying simulations. Andretti Global's Colton Herta emerged as the quickest among the ten drivers, posting an impressive no-tow best lap of 223.143mph within the first 15 minutes of the eight-hour session in his No. 26 Honda.

Ed Carpenter Racing's Rinus VeeKay closely followed Herta on the no-tow list, achieving a lap of 222.627mph in the No. 21 Chevy. Herta also recorded the fastest lap among the first runners, reaching a speed of 226.218mph after catching a tow. However, this was soon surpassed by Team Penske's Josef Newgarden, who pushed the number up to 226.684mph in the No. 2 Team Penske Chevy. Newgarden's lap stood as the track grew busier, with multiple packs of drivers running together to work on race-day setups.

At the 45-minute mark, Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward took over the top spot, recording a blistering lap of 228.861mph in his No. 5 Chevy while sitting fourth in a line of cars. O'Ward maintained his lead for the first 90 minutes, with teammate Kyle Larson joining him on track after having his engine replaced in the Arrow McLaren garage earlier in the morning.

The first incident of the practice session occurred when Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Linus Lundqvist crashed into the Turn 2 wall at 11:31 am. Lundqvist, hailing from Sweden, managed to exit the No. 8 Honda without any assistance. The car suffered significant damage to the right-rear suspension and rear wing as it made contact with the SAFER barrier due to oversteering.

Throughout the first two hours of running, O'Ward held onto the top position, with Scott McLaughlin from Team Penske closely trailing behind in second place, reaching a speed of 227.316mph with the help of a tow in the No. 3 Chevy. Alex Palou from Ganassi Racing secured third place, achieving a lap of 226.915mph in the No. 10 Honda.

However, Arrow McLaren's Alexander Rossi encountered difficulties at the start, struggling to launch from his pit stall and coming to a halt next to Meyer Shank Racing's pit boxes. The team swiftly took his No. 7 Chevy back to Gasoline Alley to address an unnamed drivetrain issue.

As the practice session reached its halfway point with four hours of running completed, O'Ward, McLaughlin, and Palou maintained their respective positions, promising an exciting continuation to the preparation for the Indianapolis 500.