BALTIMORE -- Not only did IZOD IndyCar Series drivers have a two-curb chicane on the Pratt Street stretch of the racetrack spring up for the morning practice session, but a light rain for three-fourths of the 60 minutes prevented a high-speed lap on primary Firestone Firehawks.

Finally, much of the 2.04-mile, 13-turn circuit dried and lap times fell significantly as drivers prepared for the three rounds of qualifications at noon (ET).

Click it: Practice 3 results || Qualifications Round 1 groups

Ryan Briscoe, who won the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Aug. 26, topped the time chart with a lap of 1 minute, 19.7635 seconds in the No. 2 PPG Automotive Refinishes Team Penske car. Mike Conway was 0.0011 of a second back in the No. 14 ABC Supply car for A.J. Foyt Racing.

Nine different teams were represented in the top 10, including championship contenders Helio Castroneves (third), Tony Kanaan (sixth), Simon Pagenaud (seventh), Ryan Hunter-Reay (eighth) and Scott Dixon (10th). Points leader Will Power, who won the inaugural race on the streets of Baltimore in 2011, was 15th in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car.

Constructing a chicane on the main straight was the most prudent and effective solution to alleviate the effects on the cars from a bump in a section of the pavement abutting the light rail tracks during the initial practice session Aug. 31 for the Grand Prix of Baltimore presented by SRT.

Asphalt for a two-curb chicane was installed overnight as grinding of the section that bisects Pratt Street early in the afternoon Aug. 31 didn't yield the desired results. A tire barrier to simulate a chicane was erected for the late afternoon practice.