2011 Indycar First Tests

[Muzza]

DAY 1

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A day earlier, Will Power was among numerous IZOD IndyCar Series drivers who relayed their predictions of the "tightest race in series history." He, of course, was speaking in season-long terms, though individual races are a given

The first of a two-day Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park provided a preview. Seven different teams were represented in the top 10 of the combined time sheet for the two sessions (five hours total track time), and the top 18 of the 24 cars were separated by one second.

Power, who won five road/street races on the way to a runner-up finish in the 2010 championship, topped the field with a quick lap of 1 minute, 12.5056 seconds (114.198 mph) in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car on the 2.38-mile natural-terrain course. Scott Dixon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing (1:12.5538; 114.122 mph) was second and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing's Justin Wilson (1:12.6791) was third.

"It's already shaping up to be the toughest season in history," who started on the pole and finished fourth last April in the inaugural race at Barber Motorsports Park. "There are a lot of good drivers in good cars and maybe some good drivers in not-so-good cars. It’s great to see a whole field of good drivers. There’s not one person that shouldn’t be out there.”

Five more hours of track time are scheduled for March 15 in preparation for the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg next week. Barber Motorsports Park will play host to the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 10.

"We definitely found some things today that will help us here," Power added.

Teammate Helio Castroneves (1:12.7764), who won the race on the technically demanding circuit last year, was fourth-quick. James Hinchcliffe, driving the No. 06 Newman/Haas Racing entry, was quickest among the six rookies (1:12.8729 in the morning session).

"It's my first time to drive an IndyCar on a proper road circuit so it really gave me a chance to stretch the legs of the IndyCar a little bit, especially on the fast corners," said Hinchcliffe, the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights championship runner-up. "This morning we had a solid car. I think half of the field put new tires on in the morning and we were one of them. The car was really good again this afternoon. What was incredible was that we made a really good change later and matched it on tires that were about 15 laps old.  Doing that on my first day at this track in an IndyCar with everybody here is something to be really happy about. We’ll just build on that tomorrow.”

Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe, KV Racing Technology-Lotus driver E.J. Viso, Andretti Autosport teammates Mike Conway and Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Alex Tagliani of Sam Schmidt Motorsports roped top-10 spots. Graham Rahal, making his debut in the No. 38 Service Central Chip Ganassi Racing car, was on the outside of the top 10 by two-hundreths of a second.

The full Results: HERE

[Muzza]

DAY 2

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – So, Helio Castroneves, what was discerned from the IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park encompassing 2,811 laps, five sessions, two days and 24 cars?

“The field is so competitive; we have some new teams up at the top giving us a hard time,” he said. “These two days have been great motivation for competitors.”

That was displayed on the scoring pylon. What else?

“My teammates, they are two great talents – Ryan (Briscoe) and Will (Power) – pushing each other but I’m glad we were able to put the No. 3 up at the top at the end of the day. Our goal as a team is to finish 1-2-3 every race. We want to accomplish what we’ve failed to do the last three years: win the championship.”

Castroneves, who wowed the crowd with his fence climb after winning the inaugural IZOD IndyCar Series race in Alabama last April, topped the combined time chart with a best lap of 1 minute, 11.9434 seconds on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn course.

Back to the first point. Twelve drivers were within one second of Castroneves’ best lap (48th of 52 on the day) in the fifth (afternoon) session and over the course of the nine hours of practice in preparation for the season-opening Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg next week. Two seconds separated the top 23.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s Scott Dixon (third overall; 1:12.2815) and Briscoe (fourth; 1:12.2954) weren’t surprises, but Oriol Servia (fifth) in the No. 02 Newman/Haas Racing entry, rookie teammate James Hinchcliffe (seventh) and KV Racing Technology-Lotus second-year driver Takuma Sato (sixth) caught everyone’s attention.

“When you are running in the top five there is a reason,” said Servia, who didn’t don an IZOD IndyCar Series firesuit last season. “I felt good in the car, with the team.  There is still a lot to come from myself and the car.  Everybody is super motivated.  James was super helpful all day yesterday and today with him knowing the track. When you are a year out of the car, of course you still think you can drive but it is just so great knowing it is true.”

Marco Andretti (eighth overall) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (10th) led the four Andretti Autosport cars, and Justin Wilson was ninth overall for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing. Not to be overlooked was Power, who started from the pole at Barber last year and won five road/street course races on the way to a runner-up finish in the championship.

“We did a lot of work and learned tons of valuable information about our car here at Barber,” said Power, who was second overall in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car (1:11.9636 in session 4). "Today we practiced pit stops, which are every bit as important as speed on the track with how tight the competition is in this series.

“I am definitely ready to get this season started."

Count in everyone else who participated, and drivers/teams that didn’t get in on the action but plan to compete for a starting spot in the opener.

Full Results: HERE