Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Wheldon leads Homestead test

On the day the split officially ended, Dan Wheldon led the way during a six-hour evening test session at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The Target Chip Ganassi Racing driver set a lap of 25.0619 seconds (213.312mph) in the No.10 Dallara-Honda.

"The announcement today was great, but there's not anything significant in (going fast on the same day of the announcement)," said Wheldon, who won last year's opener at Homestead.

"When you get down to work, you have to make the most of it. If I win the race, I might feel something special, but not now."

The test was the first of the 2008 season and the first since the end of the 12-year split between open-wheel's sanctioning bodies. IndyCar Series founder Tony George and former Champ Car co-owner Kevin Kalkhoven announced earlier in the day that Champ Car teams will join the IndyCar Series later this season, perhaps as early as the season opener at Homestead on March 29.

No Champ Car teams participated in Wednesday's test, nor are they expected to participate in another six-hour night session on Thursday or in a three-day test next week at Sebring International Raceway.

However, as many as nine teams could take part in additional tests for former Champ Car teams next month at Homestead and Sebring. Dates of those tests have not been announced.

Wheldon was just slightly faster than his teammate, Scott Dixon, who was followed by Penske's Helio Castroneves, Andretti-Green Racing's Tony Kanaan and Penske's Ryan Briscoe.

Dixon, last year's IndyCar Series runner-up, also said he felt no significance in being among the fastest of the usual frontrunners.

"Nothing has changed at the moment," Dixon said. "Not until everybody is out there."

Testing resumes Thursday at 4pm Eastern Time.

Wednesday's testing times:

                    
Pos  Driver             Team               Time
 1.  Dan Wheldon        Ganassi            25.0619
 2.  Scott Dixon        Ganassi            25.0660
 3.  Helio Castroneves  Penske             25.1211
 4.  Tony Kanaan        Andretti-Green     25.1227
 5.  Ryan Briscoe       Penske             25.2127
 6.  AJ Foyt IV         Vision             25.2179
 7.  Marco Andretti     Andretti-Green     25.2465
 8.  Hideki Mutoh       Andretti-Green     25.2476
 9.  Ed Carpenter       Vision             25.2691
10.  Buddy Rice         Dreyer & Reinbold  25.3716
11.  Ryan Hunter-Reay   Rahal-Letterman    25.3934
12.  Vitor Meira        Panther            25.3987
13.  Milka Duno         Dreyer & Reinbold  25.6276
14.  Darren Manning     Foyt               25.6369

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article IRL officially confirms unification
Next article Carpenter and Foyt stay with Vision

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe