Cheever content with first day

The 48-year-old owner-driver has not raced single-seaters since the end of his last full IRL season in 2002. He plans to compete in the opening rounds of this year's championship in preparation for an assault on the Indianapolis 500, which he won in 1998.

Cheever did not participate in the pre-season testing sessions, so Friday's practice day at Homestead marked his first appearance in the Dallara-Honda.

"It was a good first day, all in all, after spending a day in the car for the first time in a few years," he said.

"The most difficult thing to get used to was the traffic. It takes a tremendous amount of focus, and faith, to go into the corners here with other drivers and feeling confident everyone is going to do the right thing."

Cheever was 14th quickest in the combined practice times.

"The car ran well, no mechanical problems," he said. "I'm very happy, really. I enjoyed the day very much.

"I would have liked to have been in the top 10, but we were close as it was. Our job will be to keep working to make the car as comfortable as possible, balance-wise, in traffic."