Franchitti fastest in St. Pete practice
Dario Franchitti had the fastest lap during practice Friday as action got underway at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
His lap of 1:02.797 - 103.190 mph - around the 1.8-mile, 14-turn temporary street circuit in the No. 27 Andretti Green Racing Honda/Dallara gives him the choice of whether the field qualifies in order Saturday or is inverted.
"We've been moving small set-up changes and finding a little bit of time," Franchitti said. "This track is a typical street course, so it's getting faster and faster. I'm having a ball out there."
Scott Dixon was second-best in practice, 1:02.952, which he set during the morning session.
"We kind of messed up a bit in the second session," said Dixon, whose Target Chip Ganassi Racing team switched to a Panoz chassis from the Dallara it used last week during the IRL IndyCar Series opener at Homesetad-Miami Speedway.
"We had the wrong gears in the gearbox, I think we had two thirds in there, so the car didn't go anywhere.
"Right at the end there, there was a caution, so we didn't get to run on new tires. The car is fast. We still ended up second quick, and I definitely think we've got a real shot at pole here."
Tony Kanaan was third fastest, while Helio Castroneves was fourth, Buddy Rice fifth and Kosuke Matsuura sixth.
Reigning IndyCar Series champion and Dixon teammate Dan Wheldon, who edged Castroneves at the finish at Homestead, was 12th-fastest in Friday's sessions.
"We got the changes on the car that I wanted and that really improved the handling," said Rice, driver of the No. 15 Rahal Letterman Racing car.
"The track is a little bumpier than last year, but we can deal with that. I'm a little upset because what always happens on the a street course happened on the last lap.
"I felt I was on a 63 flat (seconds) lap and the yellow came out and we didn't the lap in. That seems to happen a lot on the street course. Right when you have everything together for a flying lap, boom, the yellow comes out.
"It is frustrating, but we'll be better on Saturday."
FAST SIX: Pos Driver Team Chassis Time 1. Dario Franchitti Andretti-Green Dallara 1:02.797 2. Scott Dixon Ganassi Panoz 1:02.952 3. Tony Kanaan Andretti-Green Dallara 1:03.145 4. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara 1:03.157 5. Buddy Rice Rahal-Letterman Panoz 1:03.309 6. Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernandez Dallara 1:03.470 PRACTICE 2 TIMES: Pos Driver Team Chassis Time 1. Dario Franchitti Andretti-Green Dallara 1:02.797 2. Scott Dixon Ganassi Panoz 1:03.102 3. Tony Kanaan Andretti-Green Dallara 1:03.145 4. Buddy Rice Rahal-Letterman Panoz 1:03.309 5. Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernandez Dallara 1:03.470 6. Bryan Herta Andretti-Green Dallara 1:03.499 7. Sam Hornish Jr Penske Dallara 1:03.522 8. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara 1:03.571 9. Tomas Scheckter Vision Dallara 1:03.725 10. Roberto Moreno Vision Dallara 1:03.945 11. Dan Wheldon Ganassi Panoz 1:04.127 12. Danica Patrick Rahal-Letterman Panoz 1:04.188 13. Vitor Meira Panther Dallara 1:04.491 14. Scott Sharp Fernandez Panoz 1:04.554 15. Marco Andretti Andretti-Green Dallara 1:05.263 16. Felipe Giaffone AJ Foyt Dallara 1:05.984 17. Eddie Cheever Jr Cheever Dallara 1:06.194 18. Buddy Lazier Dreyer and Reinbold Dallara 1:06.566 19. PJ Chesson Hemelgarn Dallara 1:07.597 PRACTICE 1 TIMES: Pos Driver Team Chassis Time 1. Scott Dixon Ganassi Panoz 1:02.952 2. Helio Castroneves Penske Dallara 1:03.157 3. Dario Franchitti Andretti-Green Dallara 1:03.351 4. Tony Kanaan Andretti-Green Dallara 1:03.389 5. Sam Hornish Jr Penske Dallara 1:03.672 6. Buddy Rice Rahal-Letterman Panoz 1:03.713 7. Vitor Meira Panther Dallara 1:03.978 8. Dan Wheldon Ganassi Panoz 1:03.999 9. Tomas Scheckter Vision Dallara 1:04.003 10. Bryan Herta Andretti-Green Dallara 1:04.142 11. Kosuke Matsuura Super Aguri Fernandez Dallara 1:04.196 12. Marco Andretti Andretti-Green Dallara 1:04.314 13. Roberto Moreno Vision Dallara 1:04.315 14. Danica Patrick Rahal-Letterman Panoz 1:04.974 15. Eddie Cheever Jr Cheever Dallara 1:05.116 16. Scott Sharp Fernandez Panoz 1:06.107 17. Felipe Giaffone AJ Foyt Dallara 1:06.585 18. Buddy Lazier Dreyer and Reinbold Dallara 1:07.417 19. PJ Chesson Hemelgarn Dallara 1:09.308
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