Ray returns from injury to go top at Homestead

Ray suffered three small fractures to his knee when he crashed at Homestead during testing on January 29. But just over two months later, he returned to the 1.5-mile oval and overcame windy conditions to take the top slot.

"We had a car problem in testing back in January and on our third lap after lunch, we crashed," said Ray. "Most of the healing has already occurred.

"The way we have the car setup right now is different than we have ever run. The line has changed on the race track and the wind is gustier today than it has ever been, so it is quite a bit different."

Ray will attempt to win the second pole of the season in Saturday's qualifications.

Scott Sharp was the quickest driver during the morning session of Friday practice, but slipped to second overall by the close of play with a lap at 197.740 mph in his Kelley Racing Dallara-Aurora.

"We had two really good tests here," said Sharp. "My engineer had a really good set-up on the car. I was fast out of the box and I really enjoy running here. This track is one of my favorites. We tested under some windy conditions at times. You are never able to replicate race weekends, especially here with the change in track temperatures."

Sam Hornish, who won the IRL season-opening race at Phoenix last month, finished the day third after suffering at the hands of the strong Easterly wind.

"It was pretty windy," said Hornish. "Coming off of Turn 4 is probably the trickiest point on the track. You get a feeling of looseness. That is typical of this track. The race will depend on what the weather is like. If it is really hot and windy, it will probably be hard to run side-by-side here. The wind comes across the back of the car and makes it tough to take your line."

Eliseo Salazar of Chile, who now lives in Miami, was fourth at 197.244 followed by Mark Dismore's lap at 196.655 mph.

This is the first year the IRL has raced at the 1.5-mile oval, which opened in 1996, and Sharp believes finding the right set-up will be key to determining Sunday's winner.

"When it comes to the race, it will be similar to Indianapolis because it will be dependent on setup," he said. "There is a premium in working with your engineer and crew chief and getting the best setup you can. It's wide enough that the draft will play into it and it will be a second groove. I love this place because you have to drive hard every lap."