Team-mate Wilson admitted that early track time was vital to getting both himself and the #02 McDonald's Dallara acclimatised to the 'bullring' nature of Richmond, whose race will run under lights on Saturday night.
“Having those few laps today is a big advantage in trying to work out what the car needs in order to go quick around here," the Briton explained, "We've got a long way to go and weren't as good as we had hoped to be off the truck, but we'll study the data tonight and try to make the McDonald's car a bit more stable, turn a bit better, and go faster on the straights and quicker through the corners.
“Hopefully, we can keep working and improving on things. Quite often this year, we have not done so well in qualifying but, in the race, the car is really good and we can pass people. Even on a track like Iowa, where we didn't expect to be able to pass, we moved forward, and that's encouraging. I think that, if we give ourselves a chance to start further forward, we can get in there and start mixing it up. Right now, we will just keep learning and keep progressing.”
Practice will open for all 26 drivers entered in this weekend's SunTrust Indy Challenge at noon EDT, when those that ran on Thursday will be looking to take the fight to current points leader Scott Dixon.
The Kiwi has been dominant over 17 races since the Indy Racing League contingent last ventured to Richmond, where he kicked off his resistance to eventual champion Dario Franchitti.
Some 52 points behind the Scot on the eve of the race, the 2007 SunTrust Indy Challenge was the beginning of an incredible tear for the Target Chip Ganassi driver, who finished second under the lights before rattling off four victories in the final eight races of the season.
That momentum hasn't slowed in the first eight races of 2008 either, as the #9 Dallara has racked up seven top-five finishes, including three victories, and holds a 48-point advantage over Helio Castroneves.
