First run for new Chevy engine

General Motors' flagship marque is replacing its sister Olsmobile brand in the IRL next year, marking the company's return to single-seater racing for the first time since 1993. The 3.5-litre V8 motor is smaller and lighter than its Aurora predecessor and ran well on its debut.

Hornish completed 456 laps of the one-mile oval. "I'm really happy with how everything went," he said. "We put nearly 500 miles on the new engine, and from the driver's seat, it was great. I couldn't ask for anything more.

"The Oldsmobile engine was good, but the Chevrolet is going to be better. It looks like it already has 25 or 30 more horsepower than we had last season."

Panther Racing, which took Hornish to the IRL title this year, ran the car at the test. Chief engineer Andy Brown said: "For the new engine to be quicker than the previous engine straight out of the box and then to run flawlessly is very impressive."

The first track test follows two successful 500-mile dyno durability tests, which simulated a race pace of 220mph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.