Kentucky Open Test Cancelled, On to Indianapolis

Sparta, Kentucky - Fourteen drivers anxious to get oval testing in gathered at Kentucky Speedway today. Unfortunately, persistent weepers caused by more than 6 inches of rain over the weekend and overnight forced Brian Barnhart, Indy Racing League president of competition and racing operations, to cancel the test.

Drivers were disappointed.

"It's disappointing to not be able to drive the Verizon Team Penske car, but if you can't run safely it's not worth running," IZOD IndyCar Series points leader Will Power said. In addition to safety concerns, conditions were not what they needed to be in order for teams to learn what they needed to learn.

Reigning IZOD IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti said, “The track is wet in a lot of places and you can't run the normal line, so you're not going to learn much. Hopefully [the IRL] will give us an alternative, either some tires to get private testing some place or another chance to come back here before the race."

The IZOD IndyCar Series returns to Kentucky Speedway, a 1.5 mile oval, on September 4.

All teams are now focused on preparing for the much-anticipated Indianapolis 500. Indianapolis Motor Speedway opens for practice on May 15.

Robyn Lynne Schechter