Ganassi duo on top in Kansas test

Testing opportunities are limited under IRL rules this season and the day marks the only opportunity competitors get to drive at the Kansas oval before the Kansas Lottery Indy 300 in July.

Dixon, whose only race win this season came on Watkins Glen's road course, was quickest of the Ganassi pair, by 15 hundredths of a seconds.

"We tried to run as much as we could in clean air because both Dan Wheldon and I had a lot of aero work to do for the mile-and-halfs," Dixon said. "We're both pretty happy with our cars. They've been pretty quick."

Wheldon stressed the importance of the test because it is the only official mid-season running IRL regulars get.

"We have about four hours at Richmond, but this is the only true test we get," Wheldon said. "We've got to use our time very, very wisely and test everything we need to that will help us down the road.

"We also have to find definitive answers. That's the most important thing because we're working to make sure we have good race cars."

The Penske Racing pair of Sam Hornish Jr and Helio Castroneves were third and fourth quickest respectively.

Castroneves recorded the more laps than anyone else during the test (198) but he finished early to watch the second-half of his native Brazil take on Croatia in the World Cup on the TV in his motorhome.

Kosuke Matsuura rounded out the top five ahead of Panther Racing's Vitor Meira.

Rahal Letterman Racing continued to get mileage on their new Dallara chassis, having switched from Panoz machinery in time for last weekend's race at Texas.

However, the team's three drivers ended their days at the bottom of the speed charts. Rice was 15th, ahead of Jeff Simmons and Danica Patrick.

"It was good to get a day of testing in with the Dallara," Rice said. "We have a lot of work to do to catch up with everyone else. Still, I was very comfortable in the car."

Pos  Driver        Time      Laps
 1.  Dixon         25.3309   172
 2.  Wheldon       25.4855   166
 3.  Hornish Jr.   25.5225   195
 4.  Castroneves   25.5708   198
 5.  Matsuura      25.5853   152
 6.  Meira         25.6717   185
 7.  Cheever Jr.   25.7243   197
 8.  Andretti      25.7289   189
 9.  Scheckter     25.7680   196
10.  Kanaan        25.7694   154
11.  Carpenter     25.7775   182
12.  Herta         25.7868   122
13.  Franchitti    25.8072   154
14.  Lazier        25.8482   191
15.  Rice          25.9869   135
16.  Simmons       26.0664   146
17.  Patrick       26.2117    76