Day for rookies at Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS – No matter their experience at other tracks, all drivers who race in the Indianapolis 500 for the first time are considered rookies.

So drivers such as Oriol Servia, Justin Wilson and Will Power were required to take part in the annual Rookie Orientation Program that began Sunday. Servia made 125 starts in the former Champ Car series and once tried to qualify at Indy, while Wilson had four wins among his 54 Champ Car starts. Power was the Champ Car rookie of the year in 2006 and won that series’ final race last week at Long Beach, Calif.

Ten of the 12 rookies completed all four phases of their test, led by Power with a top lap at 220.604 mph, E.J. Viso at 220.445 and Servia, Power’s teammate at KV Racing, at 220.102. The only veteran on the track was Max Papis, who hasn’t driven an Indy car in two years and was required to take a refresher test.

“It was a good day,” said Power, a 27-year-old Australian who also had two Champ Car wins last year. “We crept up to it; we had a pretty solid car. I was happy to get flat all the way around. … Now the challenge starts. When you start trimming out, that’s when the driving really comes in. You have to be smart with the setup.”

The large rookie class could provide more than a third of the starting lineup May 25, and maybe even the first rookie winner since Helio Castroneves in 2001.

“There’s a couple of rookies with a lot of experience, so it’s a definitely a possibility – for me,” Power said.

Enrique Bernoldi, who finished the first three phases of the rookie test, and Mario Moraes, who made his first track appearance in the final minutes and did not get up to speed, were the only ones who did not complete all four phases of the test Sunday. They’ll have another chance Monday, before full practice begins for rookies and veterans Tuesday.

Alex Lloyd, who was fourth-fastest Sunday at 219.964 mph, Jay Howard and Jaime Camara moved up to the IndyCar Series from the developmental Indy Lights program. Hideki Mutoh, the Indy Lights series runner-up last year, made his IndyCar debut late last season at Chicago and joined Andretti Green Racing after Dario Franchitti left for NASCAR.