Even though the 2009 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway is still a few weeks away, some Firestone Indy Lights drivers and teams have already begun their plans for the 2010 schedule.

Bryan Herta Autosport, RLR/Andersen Racing, Sam Schmidt Motorsports and AFS Racing/Andretti Green Racing all tested potential drivers over 15-16 September at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, while BHA also tested at Indiana's Putnam Park a week later. Firestone Indy Lights rookie Martin Plowman and Star Mazda frontrunner Adam Christodoulou both drove for Herta's team during the two sessions.

"We were very happy to provide Adam his first experience in an Indy Lights car," the co-owner told junioropenwheeltalent.com, "He has shown this year in Star Mazda that he is a driver with great potential, and he demonstrated his speed and maturity again at the test. Adam is clearly on several teams' short list of drivers for next season, and we will be watching him closely as he tries to win the Star Mazda Championship."

Plowman, who has raced for Panther Racing this season, used the test day with the most-recent race-winning team as a gauge as he evaluates his options for next season.

"Not every team has the same philosophy, so I was able to learn a lot from the test," Plowman reported, "It's nice to get a different perspective on things sometimes, and I was able to learn some things while getting a little more experience behind the wheel. I want to do another year in Indy Lights and this was a chance to learn from others teams on where maybe I was lacking this year and how a different team does things."