Iowa Speedway received rave reviews from IndyCar Series drivers participating in Firestone tire and IndyCar Series aerodynamic testing at Iowa Speedway on Oct. 9.

Panther Racing’s Vitor Meira and 1996 IndyCar Series co-champion Scott Sharp, who was invited by Rahal Letterman Racing to give his short-track set-up input in the No. 15 car, participated in the test at the facility, which will host the inaugural Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Ethanol on June 24, 2007.

“I was impressed with how smooth the track is,” Meira said. “I think it will be a real exciting short-oval race. With the amount of downforce that we’re studying and we think we’ll run, there definitely will be lots of side-by-side racing. It will really make it a fun race.”

Both drivers pounded out laps on an overcast and chilly day using a variety of Firestone Firehawk compounds. Firestone engineers were seeking comprehensive data – in concert with aero packages – to develop the correct level of grip for the racing on the .0875-mile variably banked oval.

“We were really pleased to test on a short oval and on a new track on our schedule next year,” said Sharp, a free agent after his two-year deal with Fernandez Racing expired at the end of the season. “It’s very impressive. Already the speeds we can turn, we’re envisioning the kind of race we’re going to have here. It will be extremely tight. I imagine you’ll see three- or four-tenths of a second separating the entire field. It will be like some of our wild races have been on a big track.”

The aerodynamic and tire package is critical for safety and competitive racing, which produces the excitement for ticket buyers and TV audiences have come to expect from the IndyCar Series.

“We’re constantly trying to find a balance between the car being limited by its aerodynamics (drag) and limited by its level of grip,” said Les Mactaggart, senior technical director of the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. “We’re trying to find a balance where the car becomes grip-limited, where it becomes much more challenging for the driver. On this type of track it’s difficult, because it’s high-banked.

“We decided (after morning testing) that we’ll stick with the package that we discussed three weeks ago because that will give us the right level of performance, safety and the right level of aerodynamic balance we need for the track. “Between ourselves and Firestone, we come up with the most practical compromise. It’s trying to look forward into a crystal ball to see what you have next summer. I think we have a good package. It’s going to be very fast racing. The cars will be able to run two- and maybe three-wide.”