Herbert flies in first IRL test

Herbert set a top speed of 214.7mph around the 1.5mile Kentucky Speedway oval, a lap 0.2mph faster than Scott Sharp's qualifying speed of 214.5mph.

The former Formula 1 ace ran for three hours in a Heritage Motorsports Infiniti-powered G Force, as he steps up his preparations for a drive in next year's Indy 500.

"I'm very happy with the test today," said Herbert. "I've only accumulated about a day's worth of experience on the oval tracks, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities. Winning the Indy 500 is my last major challenge, and I'm doing all I can to get there. This was a great package to run with, and I really hope I'm competing here next year.

"It's encouraging to beat the pole time of 214.5mph set at this weekend's race," Herbert added. "This was also very satisfying being able to out-pace IRL and Heritage regular driver, Jeff Ward, who set a best time of 213.2mph. I am sure that with a little more time, I could have achieved a 216mph with small fine tuning of the G Force chassis."

Herbert drove a Champ Car at the Rockingham oval last month with Dale Coyne Racing, but says he is keeping his options open for next year.

"I'm glad I've been able to see both leagues," Herbert said. "My goal is to get as much experience with a team before going to the Indy 500. Right now, I'm trying to figure out all the possibilities and looking at the strongest packages. I'm looking for the best opportunity to win the Indianapolis 500."

Heritage team owner John Mecom III said he is hopeful that he will sign Herbert to an Indy 500 ride for next season and is impressed with the Formula 1 driver.

"This was a great test for the team, " Mecom said. "The conditions were very comparable to Sunday's race, so we're able to make a close comparison of the data we've accumulated. That was the goal of the test. We learned a lot about the G Force chassis and were able to experiment with the Infiniti engine. We're making ourselves better for the future."