Barron predicts 200-plus at Rockingham

Sanctioning body CART lifted its strict in-season testing rules and allowed the currently unemployed Barron to run a 2000-spec Dale Coyne Racing Lola-Ford, with the data being made available to every team in the series. And despite not racing a Champ Car since last season's Fontana finale, the US driver finished the day with a fastest lap of 195.00mph (27.69s).

"It's super-smooth and it's really fast," said a still jet-lagged Barron. "They've done a top-notch job here.

"The layout of the track is different from anything in the 'States by far. Nothing there comes close."

Barron noted that Turn Four, the final corner before the start-finish straight, seems the trickiest on the oval, but believes the track offers good overtaking opportunities.

"You're going to see a lot of overtaking midway between fuel stops," he said. "That's mostly going to be coming out of Turn Four and onto the front stretch."

Barron and Dale Coyne Racing head to Eurospeedway Lausitz in Germany next week, where a similar test will provide data for the venue's September 15th leg of CART's European swing.