Hornish answers Chevy questions

In tests at Phoenix, Fontana and Miami, Hornish and his fellow Chevy racers had been far behind the new Hondas and Toyotas.

"We hadn't really worked on qualifying yet," said Hornish. "This is the first time we'd done that. We over-stuck the car a bit [ie: had too much downforce] , but I'd rather put the car safely in the race than have to put the car back together and start at the back."

In spite of Hornish's run, Honda and Toyota still dominated the Chevrolet users. All five Hondas in the field qualified among the top 10. Toyota put six of its 10 engines among the top 12 starters. Hornish was the only competitive Chevy; at 13th, Sarah Fisher was the next-fastest GM-powered car.

Don't count out the Chevy yet, though. Even its opponents were quick to point out the engine's potential in race conditions.

"I got sick of seeing those rumours about Chevy," said front row starter Michael Andretti. "Anybody who's counting Sam out is crazy. He's going to be the guy to beat tomorrow, to be honest with you."