Castroneves heads Penske pair on day one

Castroneves' fastest lap was 171.364 miles per hour in a Dallara/Oldsmobile Aurora. That was far better than de Ferran's 167.776 mph in the same car/engine combination.

The 27-year-old Brazilian who lives in Miami looks at his first IRL race as a challenge.

"This is an extra challenge, but it is a tough way to show up here," Castroneves said. "A lot of people are watching us, expecting us to do well. Even we are expecting to do well. I'm not happy with the way the car is running on full tanks and we don't have a lot of time. This is a good way to prepare for the Indianapolis 500, so I'm sure we will be OK.

"The most dramatic difference between the CART car and the IRL car is lack of power. When you go into the turns, if you are going to pass somebody, you have to have the right gear and the right momentum. The IRL cars have a combination of a lot of downforce and less horsepower than the CART car. Because of that, you have to drive differently because momentum is so important. Because of the downforce we have in this car, that matters a lot."

Castroneves and de Ferran have been warmly welcomed by the other IRL drivers and teams.

"They don't look at us as an enemy, they look at us as a tough competitor," Castroneves said.