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Fernando Alonso sputters in his Indy test

INDIANAPOLIS — Helio Castroneves and Fernando Alonso kept waiting around Wednesday. Now both international stars have some unfinished business to take care before qualifying for this year's Indianapolis 500. After enduring a rain delay of more than four hours then watching IndyCar regulars turn laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for two more hours, Castroneves and Alonso finally made it onto the track — but couldn't quite complete their refresher course. "Happy to be back here because this place is great," Alonso said after posting a fast lap of 218.690 mph — the slowest of the nine-driver evening session. "We were slow because the weather and some of the decisions people made on running time and things like that." He faced a bevy of problems in his first trip back to Indy since an impressive rookie performance in 2017. The rain delay forced organizers into rescheduling the one-day test, moving the rookie and refresher driver time from midday to the evening, cutting a significant amount of practice time for Alonso and the others. And when the green flag finally waved, Alonso's No. 66 car stalled in the warmup lane forcing the two-time Formula One champion from Spain to be towed back to pit lane where his crew worked feverishly to fix an electrical problem while sat in the cockpit. Eventually, he did get out and passed the first of two refresher phases. He'll have to wait until opening practice of the 500 on May 14 to pass the second. "It was frustrating for everyone because it was a brand new chassis and a brand new car, so we expected to run a lot," said Alonso, who drives for McLaren Racing. "If we could have had this at midday, you could work on your issues in the afternoon and then go out again." To put his day in perspective, Takuma Sato, the 2017 Indy winner from Japan, posted the fastest lap of the day at 226.993 mph and Colton Herta was the fastest rookie at 226.108. Castroneves, as usual, was good right from the start and posted a fast lap of 225.565. The three-time Indianapolis 500 winner looked smooth and fast on his favorite track and wasted no time passing the first phase. That much should have been expected from the popular Brazilian, who has recorded seven top-three finishes in 18 Indy starts and will make his season debut May 11 in the IndyCar Grand Prix. The weather and yellow flags prevented four of the five veterans — Castroneves, Alonso, Oriol Servia and JR Hildebrand — from passing phase two. Only Indy native Conor Daly made it.

GM learning from current Chevy Volt owners as it works on next-gen model

Details of the second-generation Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid are coming in at a trickle, and the latest is that the 2016 model-year Volt will be improved in all meaningful areas, including performance and all-electric range, says General Motors powertrain director Larry Nitz. 60 percent of Volt customers only charge using a standard 110 outlet. Nitz was speaking to Autoline After Hours about the current and future Volt. He said that GM has been tracking Volt driving habits and found that about two-thirds of the Volts' collective miles are driven in electric mode, and that 81 percent of all Volt trips were done in pure EV mode. Additionally, Volt drivers plug the car in 10 times each week, on average. Nitz also said 82 percent of the Volt's commuting miles are coming from the plug instead of the gas tank. Oh, and 60 percent of Volt customers only charge using a standard 110 outlet. Last month, GM released a teaser shot of the 2016 Volt (above) and said the car would make its worldwide debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show next January. Earlier this year, the Volt was reported to be getting a new chassis for the upcoming version. The Volt could use a bit of new life. Through August, Volt sales were down 12 percent from a year earlier to 13,146 units, and sales plunged 25 percent alone. That compares unfavorably to the Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle, whose 2014 sales have jumped 34 percent to almost 19,000 units. You can see Nitz dish the goods in the video below (Volt comments start at around minute 15). You will also notice AutoblogGreen contributor Gary Witzenburg talk about his history with the EV1 and share his take on the Volt. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Next-gen GMC Sierra spied with diesel power

The next generation of GM trucks is arriving soon, and we're expecting a huge leap forward over the current lineup. The Chevy Silverado and the GMC SIerra sell extremely well, but haven't done much to move the segment forward in a long time. The Ford F-150 has an all-aluminum body and turbocharged V6 power. The Ram 1500 gained a diesel and coil spring suspension. These spy shots show that diesel may be in the cards for GM. Some quick shots and copious use of flash show what is most likely a tank for diesel exhaust fluid and a diesel particulate filter, both necessary equipment for any modern diesel. It's unclear what form factor that engine will come in, though GM has a number of engines to choose from, including the 2.8-liter inline four that's found in the Colorado and Canyon, though that may be a little light duty for the Silverado and Sierra. Other rumors surrounding the trucks suggest a move to an aluminum cab while retaining a steel bed. That seems like a reasonable move for GM, even if the company was attempting to shame Ford for its move to aluminum a few years ago. Look for more news as early as the Detroit Auto Show in January. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 GMC Sierra spy shots View 21 Photos Image Credit: Spied Bilde Spy Photos Chevrolet GMC Truck