Just six days after the pomp and ceremony of the Indianapolis 500 a much-depleted IndyCar Series field travelled to the only track that pre-dates the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Milwaukee Mile.

With no less than 15 of the 33 Indy 500 entrants missing from the entry list, just 18 teams pitched up at the famous flat one-mile Milwaukee oval ahead of Sunday's ABC Supply Co/AJ Foyt 225.

As a two day meeting teams were instantly under pressure to get their set-ups right and in the opening practice session of the weekend it was Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti who paced the field with a time of 21.7413secs aboard his Andretti-Green Racing Dallara-Honda.

Behind the Scotsman in second place in the session was Englishman Dan Wheldon in the leading Target Chip Ganassi Racing entry with Franchitti's teammate and defending Milwaukee champion Tony Kanaan third quickest.

However in the generally quicker second practice session it was all change at the front as Franchitti was one of the few drivers not to find any additional speed despite the better track conditions.

Marlboro Team Penske's Helio Castroneves, who sat on the pole at Milwaukee last season, went quickest in the second session with a best lap of 21.2844secs, a time good enough to comfortably top the combined practice charts.

Behind Castroneves it was Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Sam Hornish Jr and Wheldon who completed the top five with Franchitti's morning time good enough only for sixth place on the combined charts.