Kurt Busch second-fastest at Indy 500 practice before rains hit

Las Vegan Kurt Busch turned the second-fastest lap of the day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tuesday before thunderstorms washed out practice for the 98th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Busch, trying to become the fourth driver to compete in the Indy 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, posted a lap of 224.159 mph in the No. 26 Suretone Honda. His Andretti Autosport teammate E.J. Viso went 224.488 mph to top the speed chart before the rains hit.

Viso is serving as a substitute driver for veteran James Hinchcliffe, who suffered a concussion during Saturday’s inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis and has not been cleared to drive in practice.

Thirty cars made it onto the track for practice, which lasted about an hour before heavy rains hit. Twenty-four topped 220 mph.

Team Penske’s Juan Pablo Montoya and two more Andretti Autosport drivers, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Marco Andretti, rounded out the top five in practice speeds Tuesday.

Qualifying for the Indy 500 begins Saturday with the pole position to be determined Sunday. The race is May 25, a week from Sunday.