BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- How much quicker?

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver James Jakes didn’t offer a projection for the quickest qualifying lap time April 6 for the Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama mainly because there are “a lot of variables ... but it will be competitive.”

The subject arose following the mid-March Open Test on the 2.38-mile, 17-turn Barber Motorsports Park road course as Will Power topped the time chart in the Chevrolet-powered No. 12 Verizon Team Penske car with a best lap of 1 minute, 7.1329 seconds.

That was more than 3 seconds quicker than the 2012 pole-winning time of teammate Helio Castroneves and 2.7 seconds quicker than Power’s track record set a half hour earlier in Round 1 of qualifying.

Click it: Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama entrant list || Tickets || Event schedule, details

Recent surface grinding combined with a new compound for the Firestone primary tires developed for the track and cool temperatures helping the turbo-charged engines were contributing factors. But none of the 28 car-driver combinations during the two days were using the Firestone alternate tires, which trade grip/speed for shorter life.

Alternate tire use and weather conditions (forecast is for temps in the low 70s; about 15 degrees warmer than the Open Test) are chief among variables Jakes alluded to for record-challenging lap times.

Qualifications to determine the Verizon P1 Award are at 11:25 a.m. (ET), with the IMS Radio Network broadcast and Timing & Scoring on indycar.com and the INDYCAR 13 app. It will be broadcast at 5 p.m. (ET) on NBC Sports Network. GET INDYCAR 13 HERE

“I think the closeness of the field and the fact that Firestone slightly adjusting the tire compounds will make the racing even more exciting,” said Jakes, who will drive the Honda-powered No. 16 Acorn Stairlifts car in his third start at Barber. “No one knows what they have to work with at the moment and it will take a few races to determine that -- especially switching back and forth from street and road course.

“Once we get a bit further into the season, people will have a better idea but as of now there is a little bit of uncertainty especially towards the tire compound and that should keep things interesting.”

Added Firestone Racing executive director Al Speyer: "We can’t wait to see what kinds of speeds are achieved when those red-sidewall Firehawk alternates get their turn.”

IZOD IndyCar Series qualifying record at Barber Motorsports Park:
1 minute, 9.8529 seconds – Will Power, Team Penske, Segment 1 of 2012

IZOD IndyCar Series pole sitters at Barber Motorsports Park:
2012 – Helio Castroneves, Team Penske (1:10.4768)
2011 – Will Power, Team Penske (1:11.4546)
2010 – Will Power, Team Penske (1:10.1356)

Two updates to the rulebook

INDYCAR officials have updated two sections of the IZOD IndyCar Series rulebook:

• In the event of a restart with 10 laps or less remaining, all lapped cars will be moved to the rear of the field. (7.6.1.2)
• In Session 1 of qualifications, Group 2 shall begin 5 minutes after the conclusion of Group 1 or as determined by INDYCAR. (8.4.2.1)

Homestead-Miami Speedway founder dies

Longtime South Florida businessman and Homestead-Miami Speedway founder Rafael “Ralph” Sánchez has died. He was 64.

Sánchez, who founded and managed the Grand Prix of Miami starting in 1983 (initially an IMSA race), led efforts to bring the motorsports facility to Homestead after the devastating effects of Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The Homestead-Miami Speedway oval served as the CART season opener from 1996-2000 and was the IZOD IndyCar Series opener from 2001-2008. The 1.5-mile oval hosted the season finale in 2009 and 2010.

Panther Racing hosts Medal of Honor recipient

Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Leo Thorsness is scheduled to appear as a guest speaker during Panther Racing’s “Operation: Hire Our Guard” presentation at Barber Motorsports Park.

Thorsness was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty for his actions over North Vietnam on April 19, 1967.

Visit with associates

Honda drivers Graham Rahal, Alex Tagliani, Tristan Vautier and Justin Wilson will visit the Honda Manufacturing of Alabama auto assembly plant in nearby Lincoln on April 4.

With about 4,000 associates, HMA has the capacity to build up to 300,000 Honda cars and trucks annually. The drivers will greet associates at the facility.

Did you know?

The 2013 Honda Accord Coupe that made its debut as an IZOD IndyCar Series Safety Car at the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was built at Honda of America Manufacturing in Marysville, Ohio?

The Safety Car is driven by three-time Indianapolis 500 champion Johnny Rutherford.

Of note

Charter Communications will be the primary sponsor of the No. 22 Panther/DRR car driven by Oriol Servia this weekend. Servia, whose best finish at Barber is fifth in 2011, carried Charter’s blue and green colors to a fourth-place finish at Milwaukee in 2012. … Panther Racing and Lincoln Technical Institute have extended their partnership through the season. Lincoln Tech has been associated with Panther Racing since 2006 and team managing partner John Barnes  is a Lincoln Tech graduate and a member of the Lincoln Tech Hall of Fame.