2/24 :: Solid runs at Barber

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - There were new drivers and familiar faces in different places. New paint schemes and sponsors to decipher. Just about everyone needed a spotter guide on the initial day of an IZOD IndyCar Series Open Test at Barber Motorsports Park One thing carried over from 2009: Team Penske cars topped the time chart. Ryan Briscoe posted the quick lap of the chilly day at 1 minute, 10.5052 seconds on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn circuit that will play host to the inaugural Indy Grand Prix of Alabama on April 11. Teammate Helio Castroneves (1:10.7148) was second - also set in the second session with the asphalt receiving a few hours of warmth from direct sunlight. "It's nice to be at the top of the speed charts," said Briscoe, who won three times and finished 12 points shy of the championship in 2009. "It's important because it is our only test before the first race, so we're all comparing times. It's nice to have the Team Penske cars on top. It's a ...