Indy 500: Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Opening Day report

McDONALD'S DRIVER RAHAL AND DOORNBOS GAIN VALUABLE PRACTICE TIME AT INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Graham Rahal, No 02 McDonald's Dallara Honda/Firestone: "The new McDonald's car seems pretty quick. It feels really good, it's very comfortable to drive. We made one change that we ended up going back on because it wasn't as good as what we had before but we're making steady progress and we were looking good there at the end. It's just unfortunate that we didn't get to do any tire runs because we had a gearbox issue. We had done a 223 (mph) on an out lap which wasn't flat which says a lot. The speed is definitely there. Helio seems to be really fast on his own but I think we're close behind. I feel pretty good about our day and I can't wait to get back out there again tomorrow to see how the car is. The McDonald's car, handling-wise is pretty comfortable, it's really nice to drive. I think we have made a lot of gains since we ran here last year. I'm definitely looking forward to qualifying because I think we have a shot at being on the first couple of rows."

Robert Doornbos, No. 06 Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing Dallara/Honda/Firestone: "I'm so happy to be here at the Indy 500. I was here before for the Formula One races in 2005 and 2006 but to be here for the Indy 500, you know you are part of something special. You feel the vibe when you see the row of bricks and feel part of the history. I really like driving on the ovals. Rookie Orientation went well and I was able to get up to speed quickly so I was looking forward to getting back on track. Arie Luyendyk has been coaching me and helping me make some changes to the car and we have run well. It has been fun today. We stayed inside the top four for most of the day and it is looking good. It was nice to be P1 for a while even though it's just testing. It's a good motivator for everybody including the driver. I'm feeling comfortable and I really enjoy driving here. I liked the qualifying format in Kansas and I am looking forward to doing it here where it has always been done this way."

-credit: nhlr