SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Hot laps and warmer weather should heat up Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the next several days.

As long as the forecast cooperates, IndyCar says teams will run the road course Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Unlike many so-called “test” sessions, these are not merely practice laps by another name. Instead, teams will truly be testing a critical piece of gear: the hybrid powerplant that the series hopes to roll out in races in the middle of the season ahead.

The new configuration features an electric motor that augments the 2.2-liter twin-turbo V6 that the series currently runs. IndyCar says the hybrid will add horsepower and more ‘push-to-pass’ options for drivers to use for temporary boost.

The rollout of the hybrid has been halting. The original goal was to use the unit to power all races this season, then leaders pushed that back to some point after the Indianapolis 500. Some other series have already started running races with hybrids.

Hybrid test sessions so far have included the IMS oval and road course, the Milwaukee Mile and Road America in Wisconsin, World Wide Technology Raceway outside St. Louis, Florida’s Sebring International Raceway, and Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park.

The next three days promise opportunities for all of the series full-time teams and drivers to run laps. Most of them will be hybrid, but some teams that have already gotten that opportunity will instead work on their Sonsio Grand Prix setups, with the traditional internal combustion-only setup.

Thursday March 28 (All Hybrid Testing)

• Tom Blomqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
• Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing
• Jack Harvey, Dale Coyne Racing
• Graham Rahal, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
• Sting Ray Robb, AJ Foyt Racing
• Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing
• Also: 2023 Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden helps unveil a new banner at Gate 2, along 16th Street

Friday, March 29 (Hybrid and Grand Prix Testing)

• Agustin Canapino, Juncos Hollinger Racing
• Marcus Ericsson, Andretti Global
• Santino Ferrucci, AJ Foyt Racing
• Pietro Fittipaldi, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
• Colton Herta, Andretti Global
• Kyle Kirkwood, Andretti Global
• Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing
• Felix Rosenqvist, Meyer Shank Racing
• Nolan Siegel, Dale Coyne Racing

Saturday, March 30 (Hybrid and Grand Prix Testing)

• Christian Lundgaard, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Hybrid)
• Scott McLaughlin, Team Penske
• Josef Newgarden, Team Penske
• Will Power, Team Penske
• Christian Rasmussen, Ed Carpenter Racing
• Rinus VeeKay, Ed Carpenter Racing