Qual: Rice on pole again

Meira, the first qualifier on the track, recorded his 200-plus lap that stood until Rice, the next-to-last qualifier, topped it. Just as he did at the end of the previous IRL race at Kansas Speedway two weeks ago, Rice just barely eclipsed Meira's 200.967mph lap.

"We thought we had a good shot at the pole, and we did," said Meira. "It's just that being the first one to go out is not the most comfortable situation to be in. Sometimes it is, but usually it isn't."

Andretti Green Racing team-mates Bryan Herta, Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan took third, fourth and fifth, respectively, giving Honda the top five starting positions. Darren Manning, who had the sixth-fastest lap, will be the top Toyota-powered driver at the start of Saturday's race. Tomas Scheckter, who will start 10th, has the fastest Chevrolet in the field.

Rahal Letterman Racing's remarkable streak of success isn't just about Rice. During the Indy-inspired run, Meira has finished sixth twice (Indy and Texas) and second twice (Richmond and Kansas).

"We have a two-car effort now and everybody's focused," Rice said. "Vitor and I have been sharing information, which has sped up the process of learning about the G-Force. It's just all the information we've been able to gather right now."

Nashville's concrete surface is unusual for IRL drivers, who noticed about a 5mph drop from 2003 because of the smaller 3.0-litre engine and chassis changes that have reduced downforce. Rice credited his street-course experience with understanding the nature of a concrete surface.

"Concrete has it's own characteristics," Rice said. "The difference here is the way the track is shaped and what it does to the tyres. But racing on street courses and Cleveland helped in that respect. It helps you to understand tyre loads."