Practice: Scheckter edges Hearn

Meanwhile, Richie Hearn - one of the original Indy Racing League participants and a frequent Indy 500 competitor - was the talk of the day after taking Team Menard's Dallara/Chevrolet to the second-fastest lap in his first laps behind the wheel of the car.

Scheckter was clocked at 223.810 mph during the afternoon practice, the fastest lap of the day. "It was a good day," he said. "Ninety percent of the day was just race set-up. I didn't really expect to be at the top of the speed charts."

Two other familiar names - Felipe Giaffone and Alex Barron - also posted solid laps in new surroundings. Giaffone, competing for the first time since he was injured July 6 in a crash at Kansas Speedway, had the fourth-best lap in the morning session.

Barron, who had served as Giaffone's replacement at Mo Nunn Racing practiced for the first time with Red Bull Cheever Racing, where he has replaced Buddy Rice. Barron was clocked at 220.165 mph - ninth-fastest in the morning session.

Kenny Brack was third-fastest on the combined chart, clocking a lap at 222.870 mph in the Team Rahal Dallara/Honda during the second session. Another Honda driver, Greg Ray, made contact with the wall during the morning session but was not injured.

Ed Carpenter, who's fourth in IRL Infiniti Pro Series standings, welcomes PDM Racing's return to IRL competition with a practice lap of 220.915 mph, 15th-fastest during the afternoon session.

Carpenter, who will make history by becoming the first driver to compete in the IndyCar Series and the Infiniti Pro Series on the same weekend, also claimed pole in qualifying for the feeder series' race at Chicago. Points leader Mark Taylor will start second, ahead of Aaron Fike and Arie Luyendyk Jr.