Top teams and drivers of the Verizon IndyCar Series spent a very special Tuesday at a very special track: Road America.
The 2015 season concluded less than a month ago at California's Sonoma Raceway with Chip Ganassi Racing's Scott Dixon earning the Astor Cup in the final half of the 85-lap event.
Tuesday, a handful of the biggest names in American open-wheel racing took to the four-mile circuit for a day of testing ahead of the series' return to the track for a round in late-June of next season.
Quick already
Of course, seeing the DW12 chassis utilized in the Verizon IndyCar Series spend the day at the historic Road America was a welcome sight for drivers, teams and fans. Beyond that, the drivers were able to get quickly up to speed at the challenging circuit in Wisconsin in this, the first on-track return of the series to the track in eight years.
"I was shocked at the speeds," said Graham Rahal who had a break-out year in 2015, nearly securing the title for Honda. "I didn't think there was any chance we'd go that quick."
Rahal, going third fastest of the 10 drivers for the day, turned a lap within a tenth-of-a-second of his qualifying run at the track from 2007 - without qualifying trim and on the first day back at the track since then, among other factors.
"I think our minimum speed in the carousel was 136 mph . . . we went into Turn 1 at 198 or 199 mph and these things were also pretty quick in a straight line."
Champ goes quickest
No official times came out of the day on Tuesday, but newly-crowned champion Dixon topped the 10 drivers (among five teams; Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, A.J. Foyt Enterprises and CFH Racing) that spent about eight hours on track with a best lap time of 1:43.002 in the No. 9 Target-branded Chevrolet.
Will Power was second-quickest on the day with a best lap of 1:43.095, just behind Dixon at the wheel of the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet (no longer No. 1). Graham Rahal turned a 1:43.360 in the No. 15 Steak n' Shake Honda of RLL Racing to end the day third-quickest, followed by the No. 10 Ganassi Chevrolet of Tony Kanaan, whose best lap on the day was a 1:43.475.
".... the kind of place we should be racing at."
Sebastien Bourdais currently holds the Road America track record, which he set in 2007 on optional red tires of 1:41.535.
"We don't have as much power as the old days but the cars are quicker through the corners and you are hustling," the Frenchman commented.
Drivers and fans have long awaited the series' return to the track - that's no secret. Even in this earliest of testing, it's obvious: a Verizon IndyCar Series event belongs at Road America.
"It's been 13 years for me but it's as fun as ever and I was thinking on my first lap that this is the kind of place we should be racing at," said Bourdais, who raced at Road America from 1999 - 2002 before leaving for the Indy Racing Leage and now drives the No. 11 KVSH Racing Chevrolet.
Great fan turnout
It may have just been a test day - but it's Road America; it was a test day at Road America. American open-wheel racing is back and will be back at the scenic circuit at Elkhart Lake and the fans, even for a test day, flocked to the track to experience the sights and sounds of 10 DW12s at what many believe to be a perfect setting for an IndyCar race.
"There were more people here today for this test than we had at Fontana for the race so that's encouraging," said Tony Kanaan.
Unfortunately, you've got to believe him there.
"It was a great little crowd," said Rahal. "The cars were lined up to get in and parked all the way up the hill."
The series' return to Road America is in full effect - and the fans know it. A strong crowd is to be expected for the race weekend on June 23-26, 2016.
Unoffical times
Here is how the 10 drivers that spent the day at Road America stacked up lap time-wise. Note that some were testing tires under development by Firestone and of course no cars were in qualifying or race trim.
1. Scott Dixon - Chevrolet - 1:43.002
2. Will Power - Chevrolet - 1:43.095
3. Graham Rahal - Honda - 1:43.360
4. Tony Kanaan - Chevrolet - 1:43.475
5. Josef Newgarden - Chevrolet - 1:43.545
6. Simon Pagenaud - Chevrolet - 1:43.730
7. Takuma Sato - Honda - 1:43.910
8. Helio Castroneves - Chevrolet - 1:43.970
9. Charlie Kimball - Chevrolet - 1:44.265
10. Juan Pablo Montoya - Chevrolet 1:44.855.
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Aaron Durant is the editor of the VAVEL USA Racing section. Follow him on Twitter at @DoubleA291.