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Meira makes successful test return

Vitor Meira is confident he is back to full fitness after making his testing return at Indianapolis yesterday

The Brazilian sustained two broken vertebrae in a collision with Raphael Matos during this year's Indy 500, and has been on the sidelines since.

He completed 65 trouble-free laps at the test with a top speed of 222.2mph.

"During the middle of the first run, I knew I was going to be fine," Meira said. "I just made sure the car would be there. On the second run, I was flat out, no problem.

"I can't deny that I was a little bit apprehensive coming in here today. It wasn't a normal test day for me but now it's all good. Everything that I'm supposed to feel, I'm feeling so I'm happy about that.

"That's what I was most concerned about because you don't really know what you have mentally since you can't simulate the conditions out there. You can train as much as you want but you can't simulate the car running so I was a bit apprehensive on that but now all the questions are answered."

Meira's team boss AJ Foyt was pleased that his driver had got straight back up to speed.

"I was able to come back pretty quick [after injuries], but a lot of guys couldn't," Foyt said. "That's what I wanted to know. That's the reason I wanted to come here and get him some laps.

"Sometimes you say can, and you can't come back. I knew Vitor would be able to come back because he wanted to, and he worked so hard to get back. He knows he can now."

Foyt has already confirmed that Meira will be kept on for the 2010 season, but he will not return to racing until next year's season-opener. The team wants to honour its commitment to his substitute Ryan Hunter-Reay in next weekend's season finale at Homestead, and does not have the resources to run Meira in a second car as it had originally hoped.

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